AID TO BEAUTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21845, 6 July 1934, Page 18

AID TO BEAUTY

PROPOSALS BY DOCTORS TERMS DECLINED BY GIRLS [from ODTt OWN correspondent] * SYDNEY. June 27 Two doctors formerly of New Zealand figured recently in one of the most extraordinary "beauty deals" ever proposed in Sydney. It began with an advertisement in a newspaper, which ran: "Wanted, brunette, give portion of scalp for grafting. Compensation and expenses." Inquiries showed that the advertisement was a perfectly genuine one—that there actually was in Sydney a young woman who wanted to buy a suitable piece of brunette scalp. This young woman has aspirations for the stage, and thought herself qualified for a successful theatrical career. Unhappily, however, her appearance had be-en disfigured by the loss of portion of her scalp in a motor accident: and now she was eager to have it replaced, paying a reasonable price for the benefit.

There was no lack of brunette applicants willing to consider submitting themselves to the ordeal that had been proposed, with the promise of "compensation." After tho advertisement had appeared a second time 40 girls called at the address that had been given, and each was anxious to hear details of tho unusual proposal. Most of them admitted that they had been unemployed for some time, and the promise of ' 'compensation" had been the lure. The applicants were warned by the doctors of the painful nature of the operation, and as the compensation offered was only £SO it is understood that no girl expressed a willingness to submit. One of the doctors was perfectly frank in his dealings with one of the girls. He told her that the operation would causo her quite a lot of pain as well as discomfort. It would be necessary for the applicant to have an operation for the grafting of her own forearm to the area in the scalp from which it was proposed to remove a strip 6in. by 2in. First of all, the forearm would bo operated upon, and then, when the scalp was prepared the forearm would bo strapped 'to the scalp and kept in that position for about 10 days. The process, it was explained, would not only ho painful, but very uncomfortable, for there could be no movement of the arm, and it tvould be strapped in an unnatural position. It would be necessary for the donor to remain in bod for six weeks to ensure a successful graft to tho scalp of the recipient. lor a time both donor and recipient would be strapped together while the tissues were uniting. It is stated that scalp grafting presents no real difficulty to the modern plastic surgeon, but it is evident that greater compensation will have to be offered before any girl can take advantage of this extraordinary aid to beauty.