Curl Papers.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 976, 14 November 1890, Page 4

Curl Papers.

(Bt Doha). While thoroughly enjoying myself the other evening at the Opera House at the amusing nonsense of J. L. Toole in that absurd farce ‘The Steeplechase,’l had in front of me an interesting young couple. The lady young, well dressed, vivacious, and the young man—well, he might have just stepped out of a glass case, so neat, prim, and starohy was he in all the glory of his well brushed evening suit and immaonlate shirt front, collar and cuffs. Of course they laughed at the absurdities of the farce, but between their langhs they whispered those sweet nothings to each other which young i couples from the earliest days of humanity to the present time are never tired of. I presumed from all appearances the young couple in question were * engaged.’ During the fun of the farce a sudden lull occurred and the young man’s voice was distinctly heard, • I do love that curly fringe of yours,’ and the young lady bent down her head and blushed, for she was conscious that her words had been overheard. It is true that she wore a very becoming fringe over her forehead. Her hair was naturally curly aud her style of dressing suited her face admirably. But the young man's words haunted me, and hours after I wondered if he would in the years that are to come, in all sincerity, repeat the same expression, There was a glamour, perhaps, cast over him that night. The young lady did certainly look charming, and that * ourly fringe ' looked very pretty. I wonder if he knew how it was produced. Will he still have the same opinion when the realities of the honeymoon dawn upon him, and he sees the face of his newly-made wjfe distorted and her head looking hideous'with its rqw upon row of unromantic curl papers. Will he think then as he doss now, ‘ I do love your curly fringe ?' I must confess that on some face 3 the fringe has a beneficial effect. It tones down abnormally high foreheads and gives a piquancy to faces that lack that power. I suppose it will be a long time before the fringe is abolished. And aa long as the fringe is in fashion so long will curl papers or crimping pins be required. Women will often suffer any amount of physical pain in order to be fashionable. She will wear shoes a size too small in order that she may wear ‘ the latest boot out,’ and she drags the hair tightly at the roots in order to twist it up with those curl papers, not only at times with pain but to the future detriment of the hair in order to be in * the fashion.’ The result of straining the natural tension of the hair night after night will in time cause it to be brittle and lose its elasticity. Each separate hair is a hollow tube, which contains a lubricating oil, the actual nourishment of the hair. By the continual strain on this delicate tube its capillary power becomes weakened and the mechanical progression of the oil from the follicles in the cutis or true skin of the head is very much lessened. The colour of the hair depends on the presence of this peculiar oil, and if from any cause—such as the continual straining by the use of tightly drawn curl papers—the quantity of the oil is diminished, then the hair not only becomes weakened but loses its original colour. This can be proved by cutting a small quantity of hair and macerating it in strong spirits of wiue to dissolve and extract the oil ; the hair iB then left of a greyish yellow tint and its beauty has departed. I do not wish to frighten those women who use curl papers, but remember it is a dangerouß matter to strain your hair night after night so tightly. How often do you lie uneasily on your pillow and scarcely dare , turn your head round because of those said curl papers ? How often do you wake iu the morning with that frontal headache, and occasionally suffer from frontal neuralgia, and yet you never put the fault down to the curl papers—in many cases the true cause. If you mußt wear a fringe try proper crimping pins or do not twist your hair up so tightly. Of course if your hair is naturally of a curly disposition the operation of forming a fringe is comparatively easy, and loose twists will answer your purpose ; but if your hair is of the straight pattern, hanging * like a pound of tallow candles,’ as the old adage ran, why then to get a decent fringe you are obliged to resort to the hard twisted curl papers. You obtain a pretty fringe, very captivating to the lover no doubt, but at the same time you are making active preparations for premature grey hairs, or at anyrate the decay of that natural brilliancy, the great charm of the hair, and the continual strain night after night will weaken and make brittle your great adornment. If the hair must be curled let it be done in the bedroom at night and taken out the first thing in the morning. Don’t wear your curl papers at the time when visitors may drop in, and oh ! don’t wear curl papers out in the street, it spoils all your attractiveness. And in the house too, m matter how neatly you may be dressed, no matter how sweetly you may converse, those hideous curl papers take all the charm away.