Hair-dressing.

Hair-dressing. As a matter of convenience, as well as of taste and fashion, the dressing of the hair has received much attention in all civilised nations, ancient and modern. The Beard is the subject of a separate article. Amongst savages the most extraordinary diversity as to the dressing of their hair obtains; some frizzing it to the utmost extent; some fixing it in all sorts of perverse arrangements by means of frames, and some partially shaving the head. The Chinese pigtail, the American Indian scalp-lock, and the Moslem shaven head, with a small tuft left by which to be ultimately lifted into Paradise, are all well known. According to Rev. J. G. Paton, missionary (see his Life, 1889), some of the New Hebrides people have hair crisp and woolly, stuck full of feathers and shells; others have hair long and wavy, twisted into as many as 700 separate whip-cords on a single head, requiring the labour of five years to complete. Amongst modern civilised Europeans the courtiers and cavaliers of the 17th century adopted the practice of wearing those 'love-locks' which excited the ire of the Puritans. It was, however, in the management of ladies' hair that the art of the professional hair-dresser was in those times mainly exercised. In the 18th century, through the influence of French fashions, the dressing of hair, male and female, rose to a great pitch of extravagance and folly (see WIG). The hair of a lady of fashion was frizzed up in convolutions and curls, decorated with ribbons, jewels, and feathers, and filled with pomatum and powder to a degree perfectly monstrous. As women of less exalted rank slavishly attempted to follow these absurdities, the business of dressing hair was extensively followed. The cost of a full dressing being, however, too high to be lightly incurred, often one dressing was made to suffice for a week or fortnight, during which period such care was taken to preserve the greasy fabric undisturbed, that it became the frequent resort of troublesome insects. From pressure of business it frequently happened that previous to balls ladies' hair had to be dressed one or two days in advance; and to keep the head-dress uninjured the lady sat in a chair perhaps two nights instead of going to bed. A tax on Hair-powder (q.v.), along with the simplification of fashions consequent on the French Revolution, not only expelled hair-powder and perquisites, but brought the profession of hair-dresser within reasonable bounds. As regards ladies' hair, fashion is constantly altering. With respect to men's hair, short cutting is now universal. Pursued as an ordinary business in England and continental countries, hair-dressing in the United States is to a large extent resigned to men of colour, and in connection with many of the hotels they are provided with work-rooms. Of the innumerable oils, essences, and pomade which are vended for the hair, on the doubtful assumption that they improve and nourish it, some are distinctly injurious.