Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-22
Passion for
Hair Dyeing

channel respectively to Paris and often
with the main object in view of having
their tresses becomingly tinted. For it
lis in Paris, the Mecca Of proiongirg
beauty and charm, that hair dyeins
has entered the realm Of art. No
longer, says the Frenchwoman, need
hair thus treated be detachable and cast
over it's wearer the sickly, unholy as
peot of days gone by. Indeed, as the
advanced knowledge of hair dyeing is
used, it becomes more a process OF
hiding from public gaze the hairs de-
sire to turn gray, than a means OF
changing it's original color. This latter
act, happily, is no longer regarded as
being in good form, while gray hairs
perhaps more than ever are looked
upon as indicative of age. Despite
the truism that harsh features are
softened by them and that they occa-
sionally crown young heads. they can
not. 1t seems. shake themselves loose
| from hoary associations Always 1t
comes as a shock to find the first gray
hair in the head.
| English women are credited with
being more keen about preventing the
hairs turning than those of any other
nation. 1t must also be said, however,
that the French follow them closely
and Americans are strongly pushing
for the lead. This state of things, no
! doubt. has come about through the i'm
proved dyes which are now used and
| i'm the better knowledge of how to APP
| ply them. No longer need dyeing the
hair be injurious; rather it is claimed
to be beneficial, causing its growth to
| be invigorated and its luster to
| brighten. And this secret of improve
ment, with many other good things,
has come from the Orient. A few
French people have laid hold of henna,
the famous eastern herb, and cleverly
adapted it to modern needs. Since.
moreover, they are not spreading
broadcast the secret they have evolved,
| 1t becomes necessary for English and
American women to go to their fair
city for it's benefits.
That henna, a vegetable dye, is not
injurious to the hairs steady growth
may well be argued from the centuries
through which Oriental women have
regarded it as their especial benefac-
tress. They have fairly saturated their
heads with it, deeming the bright red
to which it then turned their hair to be
entirely bewftching. In Algiers also
the women of high exclusiveness use it
to dye the entire left hand and the
| finger nails of the right. But henna
as now used by the French has lost it's
smack of barbarism. 1t is well diluted.
| Under their application it stains the
hair not necessarily red but an eXqui-
site golden brown, or, when desired,
keeps up it's jet black brilliapcy. Gu
riously enough, the reddish brown col
ored hair for which this process was
| first introduced is said to be distinctly
out of fashion. Neverless, the dye has
been we'll adapted to the stronger bru-
nette tones which now are triumphant
| ly in vogue.
| 1t is not an inexpensive undertaking,
this keeping of the hair from turning
gray. If well done and by reliable
French coiffeuse, it is estimated to cost
about $50 a year. Indeed, before one OF
these individuals will receive patron
| 150 francs, or the equivalent of $50,
must be paid. A first treatment then
is in order. On the heart Of the seeker
after youths coloring must clearly be
written, Courage. Also it were well
should she close her eyes from behold
ing herself during it's achievement.
After she is shown into a dimly illu-
mined little room and her hair un- :
coiled, it is closely examined under a
magnifying glass and it's condition and
needs pronounced upon. Two, three,
even four experts may have voice in
this decision. The French people,, it
would seem, seldom care to do things
singly. Then when all is decided an
other individual enters the room. He
is dressed in white and appears not un-
like chef He carries with him pot
of stuff which is warm from the fire
and looks very much like melted choco-
late. This he applies to madanl's head
with a camels hair brush. At intervals
of from fifteen to twenty minutes the
process is repeated, until with the last
coating not a vestige of hair is visible,
but in its stead thick, claylilSe forma-
ton covers the head. A comicaI pic
ture then is madam and we'll in need
of increasing faith
After WHILE however, the washing
begins, when every bit of the stuff that
has been allowed to harden on the hair
is softened and taken Off Quite an
other set of attendants perform this .
act by alternately emptying over the
head great pitchers of lukewarm water.
AS the water flows into the tub over
which madam leans 1t has an oily,
greenish look, and Its effect usually
is far from steadying to the nerves.
Nevertheless at the end of about three