Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-01-30
HUMAN HAIR.
Sonic POINTS ABOUT IT'S
GROWTH AND CARE.
How the Roots Arc Nourished ana
Kept Aiive-why tho Hair
Comes Out-The PhiIos-
ophy of Curly Locks.


human being, like the nails, is simply
modification of tho scarf-skin or
epidermis," ssid noted medical author
lty to Washington Star reporter.
"Such, however, is tho case. Every
one IS interested in tho hair as a physical
adornment, and it ought not to be unin-
terestiug to Learn just how it grows.
'The root Of each individual hair is
planted in little sac in the skin-the
latter shaped like O longish vase, with q
narrow neck and flaring slightly at the
rim. From this vase the hair grows, as
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 tho hair. In fact. the
seed is imbcdded in the bottom of the
vase.
"The germ itself is inclosed and
ciasped by what is called the 'bulb' of
the hair. From tho sbulb,' which is
pear-shaped, with the big 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 fair average scalp covering. In
other words, tho 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. If hair grows
where you do not desire it you Jerk it
out of the socket, and it seems mystcri-
Gus to Sou that another hair should in
variably appear in its place. Indeed, it
seems as if it rather agreed with the
health of q hair to be pulled out from
time to time.
'tThc reason for this is very simple.
Pull out a healthy hair, and upon view
ing it under microscope you will find
that the lower extremity is gelatinous
lump, somewhat ragged. This IS the
root with portion of the inner coat of
the vase above mentioned clinging to it.
If the root is taken out why does the
plant grow againi Simply because the
germ or seed Mt the bottom of the vase
remains undisturbcd and Immediately
proceeds to produce new root and hair
stalk. There is only one way of DESTROY
ing 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
operation is costly one to have properly
performed, but what woman who can af-
ford the expense will hesitate at it to
get rid of mustache or Objectionable
hairs upon her arms2 Why, money is no
object whatever in such u case.
"Women often find that their hair
comes out readily in the process of
combing, and yet they do not grow bald
This is because the hairs that so easily
drop out of the scalp have lost vitality,
perhaps because the roots have been
called upon to support too long stems.
Hence the roots shrivcl and the hairs slim
out of their vases. But the germs remain,
to reproduce new hairs, and so badness
does not result. But if atrophy or lack
of nourishmcnt attacks the very germs
of the hairs themselves they die and the
victim Of the complaint, which is ant to
be 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 seeds
OF the hairs are dead and cali never pru
ducc thst plants again.
In old age the pigment supplied by
nature to the hair is apt to fail, and the
growth looscs its color, becoming first
gray and finally white. Sometimes dur
ing the process of this transformation it
assumes for while greenish tint, which
IS far from beautiful. However, there is
nothing handsomer than white hair.
Far from making woman look older, it
gives years of youth to her appearance.
sottening incidentally all the lines of her
face. The old man who, to seem young,
dyes his beard black rs q shoe brush
makes himself simply ghastly object
IVY hat makes negro's hair kink2
That is easily explained. The straight
hair is round-cylindrical would say;
but curly Lair is made so by the fact that
its tube is hattcr. Negro hair is
f1attened in places and distorted through
out its length; therefore it kinks.
"The curling tongs, by means of their
heat, contract one side of each hair, and
it consequently curls toward that side.
Such is the philosophy of tho instru-
ment's operation. Necessarily this heat
frequently applied Injuries the hair, dissi-
pates the oily matter essential to its
health, renders the plant dry and damages
Its growth more or less permanently.
Sat the narrowest part of the vase
from which tie hair grows one or more
oil glands enter the vase for the purpose
OF keeping the hair oily and healthy.
Sometimes it happens that the oil thus
secretcd forms clot in the vase and
hardcns. Nature then tries to get rid of
this clot, as of any other foreign body,
and the result is what is called q 'pimplo.'
There is Inflammation and either the clot
is absorbed or it is expelled. What is
commonly termed 'blackhead' is a
small particle of dirt gathered on the
surface of the oil clot in a hair sac. A
watch key pressed upon the spot is
likely to force out the clot and so pre-
vent pimple, or the clot may be loos
ened by the careful introduction of a
needle and then squeezed out.
Each hair sac or vase is supplied with
muscles, which, being caused to act by
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