Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-11-26
ABOUT MEMS WIGS.

ABOUT MEMS WIGS.
"Americans have made great improve
ments in wigs, as well as in many other
things" said r. Cohen, the wig-maker, to
Sun reporter. Few people will wear
the old.fashioned heavy English wigs now
adays. Instead of the thick, hot and un-
comfortable head coverings of former days,
we have now light, graceful and conven.
lent wigs that are very close imitation OF
the natural hair. Formerly the fact that
a man wore wig was known at glance
Now the imitation is SO close that have
known it to battle examination. The other
day young man who wears blonde wig
came to have it repaired. l found that
large lock had been cut out of it. L asked
him how it happened, and he told me that
a lady had asked him for lock OF his hair,
and that he had allowed her to make her
own selection. He confessed to little
trepidation when she took hold of the lock
to cut it off, but she was gentle with him
and cut off the lock close to the head with
out discovering that he wore wig. The
work of restoration was artistic. 1t would
not do to replace lock of full length at
once. We began with short pieces, imi-
tating the natural growth Of the hair. The
lady never found out the deception until
after they were married, when she hap.
pened to handle his hair less tenderly.
"There is an old gentleman with gray
beard for whom have made wigs since his
hair was black. As his beard began to
grow gray the contrast between that and
the hair of his head was too marked. We
began by making him wig with few
gray hairs sprinkled in. Gradually the
number of gray hairs was increased until
now he buys three white wigs year.
Black wigs last longer than white. The
latter turn yellow with wear, and we have
found no way of cleaning the white hair
without destroying the workmanship of
the wig. Where wig covers the entire
head it is easy to make it fit tight with
most heads without the use of any adhe-
sive substance. But, where the wig only
covers part of the head, or where tou-
pees or patches are used, it is necessary to
stick on the false hair with mucilage or
adhesive wax.
"Wigs cost all the way up from $40 to
500, according to the fineness of the hair
and the excellence of the workmanship.
The most costly wigs are made on founda-
ton of hair lace. Each hair is carefully
selected and knotted to mesh of the lace.
This kind is called the ventilated wig.
You can part it anywhere, like natural
hair, and the appearance of the parting
will be like that of the natural scalp. The
flesh shows through the meshes of the lace
with great naturalness. That ls the kind
of wig the blonde young man wore.
Cheaper wigs are made by fastening hair
to long threads and sewing strips OF 1t ON
foundation less costly than hair lace. Even
these cannot be detected by the ordinary
observer, although when you know that a
man wears such wig you will be sure to
notice it. Very often, however, toupees
are put on with so much skill, by mixing
the ends with the natural hair, that the
art is not perceptible. l think the ten
dency now is to conceal badness rather
than to let it be seen. True, in the SUM-
mer, some of our young men do get their
heads clipped like State prison convicts, or
the boys in poor house, but l think the
fashion is less favored than formerly.
s'Some experiments have been made in
the direction of transplanting hair into the
skin, but thus far without success. You
know you may stick pin through the
outer skin without pain. Hairs have been
drawn through holes thus made, and roots
of hair have been planted in the skin. But
the result has been to create little in
fammation and suppuration at the point
of contact of the hair with the skin. The
hair lace foundation is the latest improve
ment, and that is fifteen years old. The
cheaper foundation is called welt OF
woven. The costliest hair is that which
curls naturally. The curl may be initiated,
but no respectable dealer would sell it for
natural curl. The fraud would soon be
discovered. There is a better opportunity
in curled wig to conceal our art The
locks may be carelessly disposed with more
success than where the hair is straight
OF course / know the names of many prom
inent men in all the professions who wear
wigs, but it is a point of honor with our
profession not to reveal them. We would
as soon think of betraying the name of a
lady who wears puffs, braids, switch or
curls of artificial manufacture.
MANY men wear wigs quite as much
for their health as for appearances sake.
1t has been found that bald.headed men |
are subject to colds, neuralgia and catarrh.
A bald.headed man in an audience near
window is nuisance. When others want !
the window open to secure ventilation he,
in consideration for his bare pate, wants
the window shut. If he puts on his hat
nobody sees that he does it because he is |
bald and he is thought unmannerly. Some
professors and doctors wear skull caps, but |
they look odd, and wigs are much better.
The market is always well supplied with
all colors and shades of hair, the best of
which is imported. Men don't wreath |
their wrinkled brows with well saved |
combings as women commonly do. 1t |
would not pay men to save the combings.
In mems wigs the cost of the hair is not SO
much as the labor. In women's wigs the |
hair is the costliest part. New York