The Hair; Dandruff; Causes and Treatment of Premature Thinness of the Hair and Baldness; the Care of the Hair; Gray Hair.
The Cosmetic Care and Treatment of the Hands; Cosmetic of the Nails; the Care of the Feet; Painful Affections of the Feet.
The face is a complete index of the life of the individual written large, so that he who runs may read. By looking at the condition of the skin and the whites of the eyes we can judge very fairly of the digestion. From the dulness or brilliancy of the eyes we can make a very good diagnosis of the mental condition. From the general expression of the face we can read the kind of life that has been led by the individual, whether of pleasure, dissipation, or sorrow.
From greatest antiquity men and women have striven to beautify their bodies. To be indifferent to the personal appearance is an indication of some abnormal condition in the individual or her environment.
The Complexion.—The skin of the face is known as the complexion, and this is the part of the skin that is most exposed to the vicissitudes of dust and grime of the streets or of the occupation, as well as to heat, cold, and winds.
An ideal complexion combines the qualities of clearness, translucency, and fineness of the outer skin, with a proper disposition of the blood-supply.
The beauty of the skin is evidence of good respiration, good digestion, proper excretion by the bowels, skin, and kidneys, good condition of the blood, and plenty of outdoor exercise.
It is now well known that the skin, as well as other parts of the body, depends for its integrity upon the general nervous system. Disturbance anywhere in the body acts upon the central nervous system. A simple case of indigestion often manifests itself over considerable areas of the skin.
It cannot be too earnestly impressed on the reader that beauty is entirely dependent on the health. It will readily be seen that no external applications can produce such qualities as fineness of texture, translucency, and delicate play of coloring produced by the contraction and dilatation of the blood-vessels.
The natural order in which to consider the skin will be first as subservient to health, and then as it is conducive to beauty.