Edwardian hair care

[MamaCimino]

I was looking around at some pictures from one of my favorite eras and came across this blog post (http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/2012/02/v41-edwardian-hair-styling-mysteries.html#more) about how to take care of and style hair written in the early part of last century. I thought it was pretty interesting...

[Sister13]

Nice! Singeing, no. What about washing?

[darklion]

geez.... I was ready to read onto the styling part... but it hasn't been released yet.
I'm really not sold on the backcombing.... she says to not be afraid of it, but I am.
I'll need to find another way to gain volume close to my head!

[Lamb]

I've heard about this before. And then let's not forget the false fronts, hair rats, extensions, even wigs... :shudder:
Whatever the (often altered) photographs from that age may indicate, not everyone had 2c/C/iii hair back then, apparently. And by the time a fashionable lady got through a few years of teasing, crimping, and 100 brush strokes per day, her hair probably wasn't up to our ideal of health and beauty.

[sumidha]

Wow, the first in that series of articles has some pretty wild hair care recipes... Carbonated ammonia? :S

I've pondered using lanolin on my hair before, but never had the courage to try it. They were right on with their combs and boar bristle brushes at least.

[GaJunebug]

Thanks so much for sharing this resource- I can't want to take some time and read through all of it. In high school I used to do a Gibson Girl style when I wore my vintage clothing.
Can't wait to see how they achieved the look back in the day-

[Elphaeba]

Wow. Setting your hair on fire to get rid of split ends....:couch:

[notasign]

I can't decide if this is disturbing or fascinating. Both, I guess. I've been doing a lot of steampunk stuff recently, so period haircare--even if it's Edwardian rather than Victorian--is really cool to see.

But man. Imagine how damaged they must have gotten before this stuff went out of fashion.

[ktani]

I can't decide if this is disturbing or fascinating. Both, I guess. I've been doing a lot of steampunk stuff recently, so period haircare--even if it's Edwardian rather than Victorian--is really cool to see.

But man. Imagine how damaged they must have gotten before this stuff went out of fashion.

Not to mention how toxic a lot of "cosmetics" were back when. Over the years I have read of many such products.

In the Middle East, lead is still found in kohl used as an eye cosmetic in sufficient amount to warrant concern by scientists and doctors. It is still used.

In North America most "kohl" is safe and monitored for levels of anything toxic.

This is from 2005
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2005/2005_103-eng.php
"Health Canada is advising Canadians that some varieties of traditional kohl products have been found to contain lead. Kohl (also known as: kajal, surma, al-kahl/al-kohl) is a traditional eye cosmetic of Middle Eastern, Asian and North African societies that is also at times used medicinally as a natural health product. Several children in Canada exposed to kohl containing lead have been identified with elevated levels of lead in their blood, putting them at risk of serious health problems."

[jacqueline101]

It was interesting and the practices are some I'm not doing.

[lunardaydreamer]

Thank you for posting this I found it so interesting! I definitely gasped at the singeing part. I did always wonder why Edwardian ladies looked to have such dry ends.

[dwell_in_safety]

I love some of the Edwardian styles, but no thank you to that method of haircare in general. Not much has changed. :p

[Mannaz]

That was really interesting, thanks!

Singeing is still done, here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bmS19k5gvg) you can have a peek of how it's done (sorry couldn't find a better video)!

[Macaroni]

Thank you, I've bookmarked Part 1 and 2.

[FrozenBritannia]

I can't imagine singeing my hair on purpose.. But I guess they didn't really cut splits off either, so maybe those were the ends that were singed?

[annamoonfairy]

Thanks for sharing : )

[Mannaz]

I can't imagine singeing my hair on purpose.. But I guess they didn't really cut splits off either, so maybe those were the ends that were singed?

Yep, that's what it's supposed to do. I also found a video where a barber made a whole trim (short hair on a guy)by singeing. It was a 1940's style barber shop using the methods of that time.

[Heian Beauty]

Wow, fascinating!

I've always loved the term "rats" in reference to hair stuffers. I think a smaller one, for combing a fringe over to make the poofy quiff look for example, should be called a mouse.

[HelloKitteh]

Wow. Setting your hair on fire to get rid of split ends....:couch:

I hope they already had lighters at the time, I can't imagine dealing with those sulfur matches, you'd have the time for 2 split ends and then would have to light another one... I did use the technique years ago when I didn't have scissors, thinking about it now, I should find myself lucky no bad accident happened, hair is so flammable! I hope no one does this anymore...
ETA: Silly me, candles!!

[FrozenBritannia]

Yep, that's what it's supposed to do. I also found a video where a barber made a whole trim (short hair on a guy)by singeing. It was a 1940's style barber shop using the methods of that time.

Now THAT is trusting your barber... :p

[Norman]

Not all Edwardian ladies lived by these rules. I have an original 1912 copy of the encyclopedia from the which following article is taken. There is also a full length photo of Miss Vallandri in the book to prove that her methods worked.
http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Woman-Encyclopaedia-4/How-I-Take-Care-Of-My-Hair.html

[Madora]

Not all Edwardian ladies lived by these rules. I have an original 1912 copy of the encyclopedia from the which following article is taken. There is also a full length photo of Miss Vallandri in the book to prove that her methods worked.
http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Woman-Encyclopaedia-4/How-I-Take-Care-Of-My-Hair.html

Mme. Vallandri certainly had magnificent hair!

[hanne jensen]

Thanks for posting this article! There is 1 of the updos that I think I might be able to do. Thanks!

[darklion]

Not all Edwardian ladies lived by these rules. I have an original 1912 copy of the encyclopedia from the which following article is taken. There is also a full length photo of Miss Vallandri in the book to prove that her methods worked.
http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Woman-Encyclopaedia-4/How-I-Take-Care-Of-My-Hair.html
another delightful article.
:D

[Amazinggrace]

Not all Edwardian ladies lived by these rules. I have an original 1912 copy of the encyclopedia from the which following article is taken. There is also a full length photo of Miss Vallandri in the book to prove that her methods worked.
http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Woman-Encyclopaedia-4/How-I-Take-Care-Of-My-Hair.html

This was a wonderful read, thank you. :)

[woolyleprechaun]

Singeing? Good grief.....!

[Mommyof4]

Mercury ointment?? Scary!

She wasn't against singeing.. which is interesting.. it must have worked..

I want that secret recipe though!

[Mommyof4]

I want her hair!

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLvqCiDvaxBjED8mC49Lt6XPa4TyWeo OJybNureER6wMGLZU2a4Q

[Moonlake]

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[GaJunebug]

Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful information-

[heidi w.]

Wow. Setting your hair on fire to get rid of split ends....:couch:

Nowadays we do it differently. The George Michael hair care system calls it dusting or microtrimming. Here on LHC it's known as S&Ding. (Search & Destroy)

I was a bit alarmed at the backcombing and the wire bristles on a brush.


heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Mme. Vallandri certainly had magnificent hair!

Madora, can you post a link to a picture of her? I tried to find one but came up empty handed. I kept receiving info on a vacation resort by this name instead.....

heidi w.

[serin blackwood]

http://turnofthecentury.tumblr.com/post/606274871/edwardian-rapunzel-mme-aline-vallandri-via

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b69177333

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c354/cshprd/Serins%20stuff/df23d7e0.jpg

[Madora]

Madora, can you post a link to a picture of her? I tried to find one but came up empty handed. I kept receiving info on a vacation resort by this name instead.....

heidi w.

Scroll way down for the photo:

http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Woman-Encyclopaedia-4/Curious-Foreign-Dogs-Continued.html

Tinted photo:

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/french-opera-singer-aline-vallandri-as-hilda-in-opera-le-news-photo/89859969

I once met a girl who had knee length hair and she said she used a metal dog brush on it. I was floored because I can't imagine putting prickly metal bristles through my hair...let alone the feel of it! But her hair was amazing!

[Madora]

@Serin Blackwood...

Many thanks for the link to the photo from the French National Library!

[heidi w.]

Thank you, Madora. I like the long hair and the chihuahuas! hee-hee.

Thank you also to Serin Blackwood for photo.

Now I understand the fascination!

heidi w.

[Panth]

Not all Edwardian ladies lived by these rules. I have an original 1912 copy of the encyclopedia from the which following article is taken. There is also a full length photo of Miss Vallandri in the book to prove that her methods worked.
http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Woman-Encyclopaedia-4/How-I-Take-Care-Of-My-Hair.html

Hah! No wonder she had such lovely hair: "Greatly as I prize and value my gift, I am no slave to it, for I devote only about three-quarters of an hour every day to its care." yet "Every morning when I get up my maid brushes my hair."

I'm sure it is very easy to keep long, beautiful hair if you had someone else who would dedicate 3/4 hr every day to it!

[heidi w.]

Panth, different lives, different eras, different priorities. 3/4 of an hour is only around 45 minutes. That's fairly low amount of time, daily, for hair that long. It's actually not that much time. Not really.

She was a glamorous person and how she looked mattered. Just as it does today.

heidi w.

[darklion]

I so love the tinted picture that Madora linked to.
It gave me a better idea of how to weave ribbons and such through my hair.

In a day, I could easily spend 3/4 of an hour (includes both morning and night) on brushing and styling my hair. Longer if I wash it. I like to brush it out everyday and I've been playing with the front lately to give it more lift.... it all takes time. At least I don't have to do the curling iron thing like I did in high school. I'd spend 45 minutes just curling my hair everyday.

[chai-blue]

wow some of this sounds so severe...
though i love learning about the Victorian Era!

[Lady Neeva]

Of course, the Ammonia for hair...wonder what hair regiment would be like in a hundred years.

[mz_butterfly]

With the harsh treatment in those days it's amazing that anyone had hair past shoulder length. I'm grateful for the LHC, I don't think I would be able to grow my hair to any desirable length if all I had to go on were the old ways.

[roxee]

wow my hair would be fried if I attempted half of the things they use to do on there hair :/

[Moonlake]

**********

[Kamir0]

I found the electrically heated scissors for a modern twist on the singeing technique. Has anyone here tried these? :blossom:

http://www.hairfinder.com/hair4/thermocut.htm

These look quite interesting. I haven't tried them, or singeing for that matter.
But you'd be surprised at how many people actually swear by singeing on the French boards (Le Jardin des Chevelus (http://www.leschevelus.com)).

Speaking of which, I was on the phone to my mum the other day, and she totally recommended I went to a hairdresser to get my ends singed.
She was really surprised when I told her it was really dated by now. :lol:
She reported having her ends singed when she was in her early 20s (she's 63) and that she didn't get any split ends after that (on the singed hairs that is).

I don't know what to make of it.
I don't think it is crazy, but I wouldn't dare do it myself and I wouldn't trust anyone with a flame near my hair, so I guess it's not going to happen. :lol:

[Lipbalmbabe]

Really interesting!

[Madora]

Regarding the practice of singeing hair to remove split ends:

George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair (Doubleday 1981):

"...A variation of singeing is currently used in some trendy beauty salons as a way of preventing split ends. Presumably, the medulla in the middle of the hair shaft serves as a canal out of which certain "juices" flow and so are lost in the hair. The singeing is intended to seal this tube and prevent this loss, hereby avoiding split ends. Actually, the medulla is just a hollow tube--made up of single cells in two or four columns. In some cases, it's broken up in sections or can be missing entirely. Hair dries up and splits because the cortex loses moisture through the CUTICLE and not from medulla.

You can see then that singeing is extremely devastating to the hair cells and in addition, it's literally impossible to guarantee that you will only treat the particular split end. Realistically, this controlled burning always involves the innocent neighbor next to it which is beautifully healthy..."

[SakuraGirl]

Wow this is fascinating, thanks for sharing!

[Kamir0]

Regarding the practice of singeing hair to remove split ends:

George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair (Doubleday 1981):

"...A variation of singeing is currently used in some trendy beauty salons as a way of preventing split ends. Presumably, the medulla in the middle of the hair shaft serves as a canal out of which certain "juices" flow and so are lost in the hair. The singeing is intended to seal this tube and prevent this loss, hereby avoiding split ends. Actually, the medulla is just a hollow tube--made up of single cells in two or four columns. In some cases, it's broken up in sections or can be missing entirely. Hair dries up and splits because the cortex loses moisture through the CUTICLE and not from medulla.

You can see then that singeing is extremely devastating to the hair cells and in addition, it's literally impossible to guarantee that you will only treat the particular split end. Realistically, this controlled burning always involves the innocent neighbor next to it which is beautifully healthy..."

Thank you Madora, this is quite informative. :blossom:

[Madora]

Thank you Madora, this is quite informative. :blossom:

You're welcome, Kamir0!