The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-11-09
HArR. COMB AND BRUSH.
Mime. Valentine, Partisan Expert
on Woman's Growing Glory.
(San Francisco EXaminer.)

1t seems trite to call woman's hair
her browning glory, yet the expression
Is none the less true.
The most beautiful face in the world
will suffer if the hair. which should
be like a background to a picture, IS
not luXuriant and harmonious. Imag-
inc any head you know shon OF ITS
locks, and you viii readily acknowledge
that one of its chief beauties is gone.
In fact, l believe it is not too much
10 say that many a woman has ac-
uuired a reputation for good looks on
the strength of her hair alone. Its
color. for instance, may enhance or
disagree with the tints of the skin.
It's arrangement may utterly destroy
or notably add to the perfection of the
contour.
1t is true that in these days of high
art and expert coiffures experience and
taste may go far toward supplying the
deficiencies that nature has left lack
ing, but there is always hint, i'm
possible to conceal, of the artitice en-
ployed.
There are dyes and wigs for every
head, but better than either is the
natural growth, stimulated by health
and the proper care. Brushing, comb
ing, washing and air are all important,
The color and texture Of the hair are
far more dependent upon the general
health than most people realize.
Here again / must insist upon the
principle which is the very founda-
ton of all beauty land that is a proper
attention to the hygienic rules of life.
Sometimes a client will say to me:
Just look at my head. 1 used to have
really pretty hair, but lately it has lost
its gloss, it is lifeless and sticks fiat
against the scalp. 1 cannot dress it
decently." If 1 answer: Madame.
your liver is probably out of order.
my fair patient would laugh and say:
What has that to do with my hair,
I'd like TO know"
But it has a great deal TO DO with the
hair. Greasy food, improper action of
the digestive organs, sluggish liver
poor blood. a sallow complexion, all
spell ugly hair. Invariably disorders of
The blood. from whatever cause, result
in affecting the hair.
1t is to be understood, then, that the
counsels which 1 am to give with re-
gard to the hair are 20 be applied to the
head of a person who enjoys fair gen
eral health. the bad condition of the
nair being due entirely to some disorder
of the scalp.
Hair following the ordinary scale of
growth should increase in length at
the rate of about one-third of an inch
a month, little more rather than less.
Now, not one woman's hair in hun
dred grows at that rate. This is simply
because she does not take proper care
of her scalp. l am willing to guaran-
tee that a faithful following out of
the system which l recommend to my
clients viii result at the end of a year
in a splendid, thick head of hair
Do not wash your hair more than
twice year. Now, of course, after all
I had said about cleanliness this state
ment seems inconsistent, but it is not.
I do not say not to clean your head.
What 1 say is, in effect, to keep it out
of the water as much as possible.
If your head has been exposed to an
unusual amount of dust and you have
perspired heavily so that you really
feel very uncomfortable and will in
sist upon washing your hair, do so in
tepid water. Never put very cold water
on the head: it causes rheumatism of
the scalp. Add to the tepid water
decoction of Panama bark, or, better
still, the yolks of eggs. When using
the latter beat up the yolks and pour
them pure upon the head. Do not mix
them with the water. Rub them thor
oughly into the scalp and hair, and
then rinse in successive waters, TO
which pinch of refined borax has. been
added. until every vestige of sickness
has disappeared. Use always either |
rain water or water that has been
boiled, and when the scalp is thor |
oughly cleansed, dry With warm tow |
els.
Camomile water, mixed in equal pro- |
portions with the Panama water, is |
also excellent for washing the hair, |
but this should not be used by blondes. |
Fair hair is much more delicate than |
dark and the slightest thing that is |
wrong will alter its color.
To cleanse the head without wash |
ing it use once week or oftener a wad !
Of soft muslin thoroughly soaked in |
pure cologne. Rub the cologne upon
the roots of the hair near the skin Of |
the head, carefully parting the hair in
order to get well at the scalp.
BY this means, that is to say, cleans
ing the scalp with cologne the skin of !
the head can be kept perfectly clean.
This, however, does not suffice to clean
the hair, particularly if it be of any
length. For this brush with long
bristles should be used. and the hair
brushed for fifteen minutes night and |
morning. The briStles Of the brush
should be long enough to penetrate the
hair and touch the scalp on every por-
ton Of the head.
When combing the hair only the
coarsest toothed comb should be used.
Never use a fine comb 1t scratches
the scalp and splits the hair. Always
in comblng the hair separate it into
a. many strands as possible and use a
brush preferably TO disentangle it,
When you retire for the night, how
ever becoming it may be, do not per-
NIT your hair to float upon the pillows
You viii find it much more beneficial
to braid it into a dozen or more little
braids which will also make the dis
entangling process ia the morning
much less difficult.
So much d woman may do for her
self toward preserving her hair and
inducing its growth. But for scientific
culture of the hair. when for some
cause or other it has fallen out, the !
advice of some experienced person
should be sought. However there are
some simple remedies that one may
try for oneself
Regular applications of rum and cas-
tor Will shoot out and become COM
pact, gaining in thickness and length |
almost visibly from day 10 day
II is a good plan for the general wei
fare of the hair to allow it to hang
loose as much as possible, particularly
In the open air. Plenty OF sunshine
upon even the darkest hair will give
it a golden CLINT. But the hair must
be perfectly dry when thus exposed.
Personally, as far as the color of the
hair is concerned, 1 prefer a golden
blonde. Nearly all the greatest beau
ties of modern and ancient times have
been blondes, and certainly it is the
fair-haired woman who has most fire.
quently inspired the great masters of
poetry and painting
Nothing gives luster to the hair
like brushing and massage While