The herald., 1893-09-18
ARE YOU GETTING BALDHEADED?
Patent Clippers May Be Blamed
For 1t.
They Are Growing in Disfayor
Everywhere.
A Barbsr's Chat About eau Id atos for
tho Front Row-CIippers spread
Disease and Are an Increas-
ing EVIL.

DdrDer VINO IL employed III one Oh
the leading shops OF the city stated to a
HERALD reporter yesterday that the
patent hair clippers are going out OF use
in the best establishments back east:
They are seldom used unless the cus-
toner insists upon it. Some eastern
papers some time since published state
ments to the effect that scalp diseases
were the result of using the clippers on
the hair.
1t is also alleged that many were los
ing their hair very fast and would soon
be eligible by Feason Of their bald heads
to front rows ct the theatefs. A HERALD
reporter who has always been averse to
the clippers felt NJ ~ressiness on that
score from being { p we'd of using his
luxuriant locks on c;,unt Of the now
dreaded clippers. However, he was
somewhat surprised, and asked how
scalp troubles could be communica ted
any more quickly or certainly by clip
pers than ordinary shears.
The tonsorial artist was not averee to
talking upon the subject, but at the
same time thought his views might in
jure the business, ae far as clippers are
concerned, but finally gave his ideas.
"A glance will show you," he said,
''that the clippers have any number of
rows of very. small teeth, which act in
the same way as those OF threshing
machine. They are almost as minute
as the tines of fne-tooth comb, and
even If they were easy to get at it would
he hard matter to keep them clean.
Unfortunately they are not, and the
talkative barber as q general rule
hasn't time between 'nexts' to take the
thing apart and clean it as it should be.
Generally it must be left to the end of
the day and then it is sometimes-yes,
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, even in the best
shops in the city. The boss has given
strict orders that they shall be over
hauled every night, but when his eye is
not on them some of the employees fail
to comply with his orders. Some OF
the cheap shops give you haircut for
10 cents. You can imagine how it is in
those places. You can depend upon it
the clippers in these cheap places are
not scoured once in three months. Take
the ordinary shears. They can be
wiped off in the twinkling of an eye on
towel, apron or piece of paper. Then
these patent things cut too closely and
scarifY the scalp in way that was un-
known in the days of the good, old
fashioned shears, and you can wager
nothing else but the shears touch my
head. Clippers are all right for horses
and dogs, but for gentlemen, no"
"Do you actually think badness has
increased on account of using the clip
pers?" inquired the newsgatherer.
"Well, do think the clippers great
detriment in that respect, but if my
brother BARRIERS knew | was telling you
my candid opinion would get disliked.
Still, think the public should know
these things. There is heavier de-
mand than ever for various nostrums
that are advertised to cure badness and
promote the growth of hair. That is as
good an answer as one needs"
"Are there many premature cases Of
badness under your observation at
PRESENT." asked the newspaper man.
"Yes. o good many. Come into the
shop any Saturday afternoon when the
men are fixing up for Sunday or to 60 to
the theater. won't say the churches,
for they are not the places where the
young men congregate. The most
alarming increase is among the young
men,"
The wielder of the razor expressed
himself as having a sudden appetite,
and the reporter left him.
A well-known physician was of the
opinion that the use of the clippers was
attended with danger from the causes
given by the truthful barber. He
remarked that the whole thing had
been discussed in the medical journals,
especially those of France. He con-
ceived it WAS fruitful topic for discus.
sion and investigation.
An eastern gentleman who has charge
of tie dispensing department of one of
the hospitals in Cincinnati. Ohio, who
was in Los Angeles some weeks ago, told
a HERALD representative that the records
showed that there were more requests
for preparations to cure badness than
formerly. When the clipper question
was referred to he seemed to think that
there was certainly something in it. He
stated the increase he had spoken of
might be due to the promiscuous use of
the new-fangled shears. especially as
most OF those who had applied to him
were such as were likely to be patrons
of shops where the clippers are the
reigning deity. That the clippers are
getting to be q thing of the past on the
other side of the Rocky mountains ia an
assured fact, very few places bringing
them into reputation unless requested.
They are also becoming very unpopular
in this city, and are being discarded
rapidly.