The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-12
METHODS OF
CARING FOR THE RAtR.

BRILLIANT and famous bache-
~ lor journalist wrote not long ago
that it was to be hoped the time
would come when all women would
wear short hair. This was because of
sanitary and hygienic reasons. Anoth-
er famous man, a widower this, has
said many times that If only he could
have his way he would have a law
passed that women be compelled to
wear short hair. He was sensitive of
nerve and the sight of women's loose
long hairs upon blankets, upon his gar
ments, upon floors and elsewhere. the
sight of disgusting little wads of comb
lngs here, there and everywhere, had
so sickened him in the course of a long
life that he had become morbid on the
subject.
And yet was he morbid? A loose long
hair a wad of combings, comb or
brush in which the conbings have been
left is a sickening object, and we may
as well come-out plainly and say so. 1t
/ is enough to turn a fastidious man
away from woman forever. The wo-
man or girl who throws a loose hair
upon the floor is not neat. The neat
woman burns it at once or puts it
away where it will never offend more.
1t is not neat even to throw a long hair
out of the window into the street The
wind will catch it up, it will cling to
some ones garments. and heaven
knows where it will land before it is de-
stroyed. The blankets in hotels and
sleeping cars are enough to give one
nightmare-in cars because of the I'M
tidy women who have slept under them
In hotels often because of untidy cham
bermaids. One can hardly write con-
| Il IF - is
able carelessness
If you find a loose, snaky hair lying
around anywhere, your own or anoth-
er's, make an end of it then and there
Put your combings in a paper bag or
covered receptacle where no human
eye will ever behold them, then at in
tervals burn them to ashes. Each sum-
mer l go to a bathing place by the sea
for am fond of salt water swimming.
At the pool for women female creatures
come out of their dressing rooms, comb
their hair and throw the punches of
com bings upon the narrow slip of floor
above the pool. A puff of wind blows
them into the water, and you must ac-
tually come in contact with them while
swimming. A receptacle is provided for
the hair, but the slovenly creatures will
not use it. How often have I not
wished 1 could see the whole batch of
them tied in a row of BARRIERS chairs
and have their heads shaved!
Thick hair is beautiful. but extremely
long hair, say four to six feet, is a bur-
den to its wearer. It heats the head, it
4 weighs it down, it causes headache and
nervous irritation. It is a serious ques-
ton whether, account of a woman 8
health her hair should ever be allowed
to grow below the waist. Hair of a
length to be arranged in becoming
way is quite long enough, without hav-
ing a poor girl handicapped with a
weight like that borne by a Flathead
Indian. For health and comfort, of
course, the ideal are the short locks clus-
tering prettily around the head. Wo-
men who are strong minded enough to
wear their hair thus cannot say
| enough in praise of the comfort and
convenience of it,
Long hair ought to be treated so that
II will be least harmful. 1t should be
worn united and unpinned as often as
possible to let the air get freely to the
scalp The more air and sun the roots
of the hair can get the thicker the
growth will be. For this reason wo-
men should go bareheaded outdoors as
much as they possibly can. 1t is said
that living outdoors, bareheaded, day
after day, month after month, will in
Lille Lldh0 HAIR grow even upon q DdlO
crown. Certain it is that it will benefit
the hair amazingly. Heads ought to be
washed thoroughly at least twice a
month, lest the hair become gummy
and smell bad. Such hair is horribly
unpleasant. Then the locks should be
carefully dried, in the sun if possible.
In cold weather one may sit in a sun
ny window. Rinsing the head in cold
water after the hair is washed will pre-
vent taking cold. If the hair is kept
clean and sun and air are allowed free
ly to get to the scalp the flow of the
natural oil will be so stimulated that
no other oil or application will be need
ed. There is quite too much dabbing
of unguents on the hair. Kneading the
scalp with the finger tips till it moves
loosely and freely over the skull is an
excellent massage for the roots of the
hair.
After the roots of hair are absolutely
dead nothing will make them grow
again. A mixture of quinine and whis-
ky is a good stimulant to weak hair
roots. Anything containing cantharides
is to be Stunned.