Great Sanford Bennet on hair ( a must read )

To understand the cause of the loss of hair and
how to prevent that misfortune, it is necessary
to know how the hair itself is formed, and how
nourished, and the conditions favorable or un-
favorable to its growth. Having learned this, the
methods by which its loss can be arrested, and
vitality regained, may be more readily compre-
hended and successfully practiced.

Facing page 226 appears an illustration which
shows a transverse section of the skin of the scalp.
This is taken from a greatly enlarged photograph,
showing very clearly how the hair shaft, with its
minute muscles and capillaries, appears under the
microscope. The illustration exhibits a single
hair ; it is a tube composed of the same element as
the nails or the bones. The secretions by which
all three are formed are the same, and they do not
appear to decrease as age advances. Therefore
the immediate cause of the loss of hair would
seem to be, and usually is, local. Tight or heavy
hats, dissipation, sexual excesses, weakness of the
muscles which are attached to each root of hair,
defective circulation, uncleanliness of the scalp,


microbes or germ diseases in the scalp, and failure
to remove dead hairs which impede the growth of
new ones: any of these may produce baldness.
Eemove the cause, or causes; follow the simple
directions contained in this chapter ; and wherever
life remains in the follicles, or hair roots, new
hairs will sprout. But if life has departed from
them no power on earth can grow hair.

If the trouble is constitutional, or from any
cause which tends to lessen the vital forces, prac-
tice the simple system of physical culture I have
already described.

The result will surely be an improvement in the
general physical condition, and a proportionate
improvement in the health of the hair.

The coloring matter is generated in the hair
bulb, and from there forced up through the tubu-
lar hair shaft. The character of the secretions
determines the color of the hair. What the chemi-
cal combinations which produce that color are, we
do not know; but as years increase, there is evi-
dently a chemical change in the secretions, which
causes a loss of the coloring matter. My own ex-
perience, and the result of sixteen years research,
in this direction is that it is not possible to re-
store the color when it has once departed, all of








the preparations advertised for that purpose, with
the thousands of testimonials to their infallibility,
to the contrary. I will modify that statement : you
can restore it with dyes, but the deception is sure
to be detected sooner or later, and, added to this,
the dye will injure the hair.

The scalp is similar to the face or any other
part of the body. It is filled with thousands of little
pores, which are constantly eliminating refuse
matter; in addition to which the sebaceous
glands throw off a certain amount of oil which
adheres to the scalp. This dirt and animal filth
must be removed, or the pores will be clogged, a
condition which is very injurious.

When the hair is long, as usually worn by
women, the scalp should be thoroughly cleaned at
least twice a month; or, if of the ordinary length
worn by men, at least twice a week. The best soap
for the purpose is that used by barbers for shav-
ing, as it seems least injurious to the skin.

Don't be afraid of water and good soap. Thous-
ands lose their hair through neglecting to shampoo
it properly. On the other hand, it is doubtful if
any injury can result by the opposite extreme,
provided the hair is thoroughly dried after the
cleansing process. When dry, a few drops of olive


oil will produce an attractive and healthy gloss.
The use of hot and cold water, alternating quickly
from one application to the other, is of great value
as a tonic for both hair and scalp, as it accelerates
the circulation of the blood in the parts so treated.

Have the temperature of the heated water as
hot as you can bear it, and the other as cold as
possible without using ice; hot and cold wet
cloths applied alternately is a convenient substi-
tute, if you cannot douse your head with the water
itself. The change from hot to cold should be
made at least five or six times at each treatment,
but double that number will be beneficial and can
do no harm. If life still remains in the roots of
the hair a healthy growth will usually result.
The tonic effect of this process is far more efficac-
ious than any medicinal "hair invigorator" yet
invented.

If the scalp is itchy, and there is a suspicion that
microbes or germs of disease exist on it, dampen
it with a carbolic acid wash. To one pint of water
add a sufficient quantity of carbolic acid to pro-
duce, when the skin is moistened with the lotion,
a very slight sensation of tingling, or heat. This
treatment will, with daily applications, require
about three weeks. It will surely destroy any


germs of disease with which the scalp may be af-
fected. It is an excellent tonic as well as an in-
fallible and clean germicide, harmless, in the pro-
portions advised, and superior to any advertised
expensive hair tonic or germicide which you may
purchase.

When the hair is falling out many people are
afraid to brush or wash it, fearing a still greater
loss, and thinking to retain the dead hairs in the
scalp. This is a serious mistake, as those dead
hair roots, like any other decaying dead matter,
are injurious to the healthy roots near them, and
if allowed to remain increase the trouble. They
should be removed for the same reason that de-
cayed fruit is removed from its healthy neighbors.
Dead and decaying matter is a menace to the life
of a hair, just as, upon a larger scale, dead matter
and unsanitary conditions are a menace to the life
of a human being. In addition to these injurious
effects of the dead roots, they impede the growth
of new hairs which would spring up in the place
of the dead ones, but which cannot do so while the
dead roots remain. Remove the dead hairs as
soon as possible, and other healthy hairs will re-
place them, springing from the same follicle, or
root sheath.



The process is simple:

As I lie in bed I grasp my hair with my fingers,
pulling gently, and changing the position of my
hands until every part of the scalp has been treat-
ed. I alternate this pulling process by massaging
the scalp with the tips of the fingers, which pro-
duces a perceptible glow, and has a general tonic
effect, as it stimulates the circulation, and evident-
ly determines the elements which feed the hair
to the roots. By this hair-pulling process the
scalp is lightly raised from the skull. The micro-
scopic muscles and glands thus exercised, and
obeying the general law of exercise, increase in
size, strength, and elasticity, just as the larger
muscles of the body are benefited by systematic
exercise.

Go without your hat as much as possible. The
practice is now popular, being a fashionable fad,
and no longer specially noticeable. The sun has
a very invigorating effect upon the hair. Bald-
ness, among the races that do not wear hats, is
almost unknown; but among the peasants or
farmers in southern Germany, who wear their hats
or caps day and night, baldness, without regard
to age, is the rule rather than the exception. I
have lived in an Indian country and I do not re-
230



Exercising in Bed

member of ever having seen a bald-headed Indian.
That is a hint from nature.

Many people are afraid to use soap and water
upon their hair, and quote self -constituted author-
ities in support of the statement that their use is
injurious. Why should water be bad for the hair
of the head but good for the hair of the beard or
moustache? Such a contention is not logical, for
the hair on the head and the hair on the face are
identically the same; and it is certainly a most
unusual occurrence for a man's beard to fall out
unless caused by some local germ disease. That
the beard is luxuriant in some individuals, while
the scalp is devoid of hair, is to be accounted for
by the fact that such men wash their faces and
beard daily, and, in the drying process pull and
exercise the roots; after which they brush it to
keep it arranged. In this way they remove the
dead hairs. As the skin is kept clean, by the face-
washing process, the conditions are favorable to
the preservation of the hair upon that part of the
head, even though the scalp may be bald.

Another mistaken belief is that when dandruff
falls from the scalp it indicates a diseased con-
dition. Dandruff is merely the exfoliation of the
\

scarf, or outer skin, with the dried oil and waste
matter thrown off by the glands.

The practice of the methods described will cer-
tainly relieve the trouble.

One of the arguments against washing the hair
is that it causes or increases dandruff. The fact
is, the dandruff was there before the scalp was
washed, and the cleansing process merely dis-
lodged it, so that its presence was more apparent.
Perspiration has a very injurious effect upon
the hair. Athletes, especially, are sufferers from
it, as they usually come in from long runs or other
active exercise with the perspiration dripping
from their every pore, the hair being as wet as
the rest of the body. While particular efforts are
made to bathe and cleanse every other part of
their bodies, the scalp is neglected, the poisonous
dead matter being allowed to remain and dry
where it was eliminated. It is this neglect which
is often noticeable among those whose excellent
physical condition, due to athletic training, would
seem to be a guarantee that the poor condition of
their hair is not due to constitutional weakness.

Use daily a stiff brush; press the bristles well
in ; rub back and forth, and from side to side, thus
loosening the dead skin, dried oil, etc., before try-

ing to brush them off the head in the usual way.

Have the hair trimmed often ; the ends may split
if this is neglected. Don't singe it. I do not be-
lieve the practice to be injurious, but it is simply
a useless and expensive process, which can be
better accomplished with the shears. The meth-
ods I have described are all logical ; they are cer-
tainly inexpensive and easily performed, and I
know from personal experience they are effective.
Practice them as I have done and you need not
fear the loss of your hair.

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