Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-12-26
HUMAN HAIR.
SOME POINTS ABOUT ITS
GROWTH AND CARE.
How the Roots Are Nourished and
kept Aliye-Why the Hair
Comes Out-The Philos-
ophy of Curly Locks.

u -l
a modification of the scarfskin or
epidermis, said a noted medical author
ity to a Washington Star reporter.
"Such, however, is the case. Every
one Is interested in the hair as physical
adornment, and it ought not to be unin-
terestiug to leain just how it grows.
"The root of each individual hair is
planted in little sac in the skin-the
latter shaped like longish vase, with
narrow neck and haring slightly at the
rim. From this vase the hair grows, as
a flower does out of flower pot. The
vase is composed of an inner and outer
coat. and at the very bottom of it IS the
germ or seed of the hair. In fact, the
seed is imbedded in the bottom of the
vase.
"The germ itself is inclosed and
clasped by what is called the bulb OF
the hair. From the bulb, which IS
pear-shaped, with the Dig end upward
rises the root Of the hair, from which
sprouts the hair. One hundred thou
sand Of such stalks on your head or mine
make a fair average scalp covering. In
other words, the average person has
about that many hairs on his or her
head.
$50 each hair, you see, is like plant
growing from and depending for susie
nance upon root. II hair grows
where you do not desire it you jerk it
out of the socket, aod it seems mysteri-
ous to you that aiSher hair should in
variably appear in ihplace: Indeed, it
seems as if it rather s5reed with the
health of a hair to be pulled out from
time to time.
1.-THE reason for this is very simple.
Pull out a healthy hair, and upon view
ing it under microscope you will hnd
that the lower extremity is a gelatinous
lump, somewhat ragged. This IS the
root with a portion Of the inner coat oil
the vase above mentioned clinging to It,
II the root is taken out why does the
nlant glow again3 Simply because the
germ or seed at the bottom OF the vase
romains undisturbed and Immediately
proceeds to produce a new root and hair
stalk. There is only one way OF destroy
;ro hair that science has thus far dis
covered, namely, to introduce an electric
needle into the vase, thrust it down to
the bottom and kill the germ. The
oneration is q costly one to have properly
performed. but what woman who can al
ford the expense will hesitate at it to
oct rid of mustache or Objectionable
hair. upon her arms Why, money Is no
object whatever in such case.
.sWomen often find that their hair
comes out readily in the process oil
combing aud yet they do not grow bald
This ia because the hairs that so easily
drop out of the scalp have lost vitality
l., l,ooa,so the roots have been
called upon to support too long stems
Hence the roots shriyel aud the hairs slip
out of their vases. But the germs remain
70 renroduce new hairs, and so badness
does not result. But if atrophy or lack
of nourishment attacks the very gcrm
Of the hairs themselves they die and the
victim of the complaint, which is apt to
he more or less hereditary, becomes bald
For such badness quacks advertise RENE
dies but YOU can see for yourself how
impossible it is that their alleged cures
should accomplish any result The seed'
Of the hairs are dead and can never pro
duce the plants again.
"In old age the pigment supplied D.
nature to the hair is apt to fail, and IN
Growth looses its color, becoming frs
orav and finally white. Sometimes dur
inc the process of this transformation
assumes for while a greenish tint, whlc
IA far from beautiful. However, there
nothing handsomer than white ha'r
Far from making woman look older
oives years of youth to her appearance
softcning incidentally all the lines OF nc
face. The old man who, to seem young
dyes his beard black as shoe bruS
makes himself simply ghastly object
"What makes a negros hah kink
That is easily explained. The st'algn
hair is round-cylindrical, | would say
hut curly hair is made so by the fact tina
its tube IS fatter. Negro hair
aattened in places and distorted through
out its length; therefore it kinks.
1.-The curling tOng', by means Of the
heat. contract one side Of each hair, an
II consequently curls toward that side
Such is the philosophy of the instrr
merits operation. Necessarily this he'
frequently applied injuries the hair, dis'
pates the oily matter essential to il
health, renders the plant dry aud damage
its growth more or less permanently.
"At the narrowest part Of the vas
from which the hair grows one or NOR
oil glands enter the vase for the purpos
OF keeping the hair oily aud healthy