“Alex. Ross’s Great Hair Restorer, oxide of lead, carbonate of lead, and potash.
“The quantity of lead in any of these could not possibly do harm. The strongest contained but ninety grains to the half-pint of water, the weakest but three grains to a like bulk. Water was the chief ingredient of them all. Sulphur, sometimes in the form of milk of sulphur, was used; in another, the common flower of sulphur; sometimes acetate of lead, at other times oxide of that metal. In all the chemical change is the same, namely, the solution of the metal entering into the filament by absorption, there unites with sulphur, forming a sulphuret of the material used. Hair is porous; sulphur exists in hair of all colours, but is in excess in red and blonde hair. This is why these hues become blackened by the chemicals used more perfectly than any other shades.
“Now, the question has been asked oftentimes, whether the use of lead solutions as hair-dyes be prejudicial to health or no?
“As this is a question of much importance, we will look carefully into the matter.
“The absorbent power of the skin is not great without we remove its outer covering. If we desire to get remedies absorbed into the system, we first blister the surface, remove the outer covering, then sprinkle our drugs upon the derma, and the material then goes into the body. In the endermic method of giving medicines, we must perforate the skin to produce any effect. The cuticle is the protecting agent—one of Dame Nature’s waterproof coverings to keep out external poisons.”
And again—“Now, the skin of the head is additionally protected by an oily solution—the sebaceous secretion—which forbids entirely the absorption of any watery hair-dye. So, protected with nature’s waterproof cape and oiled epidermis, it is impossible for an aqueous solution to enter the body and destroy life. I have carefully analysed the cases recorded in which lead cosmetics are said to have caused death. Almost all the cases occurred in France, and lead, in an ointment, had been used. Now, an unguent could easily be absorbed by an oily skin; therefore these accidents are at least probable. The watery solutions of lead for the last ten years have been used largely by thousands and tens of thousands of beings in our land, yet not one single case has been recorded of poisoning from their use.... I have seen patients who have used lead dyes for twenty years, but not a single sign of lead poisoning has been revealed.... In the strongest hair-dye that I have examined there has been but one quarter of an ounce in a half-pint bottle of water, which would last the patient at least a month. Putting all these things together, one can state that the hair-dyes, as used in England at the present day, cannot prove injurious to the users.”
Another writer, Dr. Southwood Smith, in his “Philosophy of Health,” stated that, “Over the external surface of the body, or the skin, there is spread a thin layer of solid, inorganic, insensible matter, like a varnish of india-rubber. The obvious effect of such a barrier placed between the external surface of the body and external objects is to moderate the entrance of substances from without. Hence the impunity with which the most deadly poisons may remain in contact with the skin, with which prussic acid, arsenic, corrosive sublimate, may be touched and handled.”
And Sir Erasmus Wilson, F.R.S., writes: “The epidermis acts as an impediment to absorption, and as such is an important safeguard against the admission of injurious and poisonous substances into the blood. Thus we find that it is only after long soaking, or by continued friction, that we are enabled to overcome this natural defence, and then only to a very partial extent.”
Of lead dyes the following recipes may be found acceptable—(9) Brown hair dye: Acetate of lead, 2 drachms; hyposulphite of soda, 1 drachm; rose-water, 14 ozs.; glycerine, 2 ozs.; dissolve the acetate of lead and hyposulphite in separate portions of the rose-water; filter separately, mix the solutions, and add the glycerine. The two following are from Dr. C. H. Leonard’s work on “The Hair”: (10) Sugar of lead, 40 grains; distilled water, 2 ozs.; apply this to the hair thoroughly, and when about dry apply a solution of the sulphide of ammonium, about one-fourth the strength of the British Pharmacopœia solution. The objection to this is its unpleasant odour. It gives, though, an excellent brown or black colour to the hair, according to the strength of the solutions employed, and does not stain the scalp. (11) Brown hair-dye: Acetate of lead, ½ drachm; flowers of sulphur, 1 drachm; water, 4 ozs.; shake well and apply night and morning for a week or so, then decrease the frequency of the application, gradually, to once a week, or once in two weeks. This is a slow dye, yet one that answers fairly when there is not much greyness in the hair. It also is a very mild preparation. The deposit left upon the skin can be easily brushed off when it becomes dry. Like all of the lead dyes, it acts best upon hair of a reddish tinge, though grey hair is turned to a brownish colour by it. Its effect upon light hair is to give more of a dark brown tint to it.
I now offer some remarks on silver dyes, for probably they are more in use than any of the other kinds. One reason is, they are quicker in their action, and, with careful manipulation, more decided in effect. Before application, however (indeed, before any dye can be effective), it is important to thoroughly wash the hair with soda or soap and water, which must be well rinsed out with plenty of tepid or cold water, and the hair dried. It is then ready for the dye. It should be borne in mind that silver dyes will stain linen, the skin, and finger nails, and almost any thing the dye is brought in contact with. Under these circumstances, then, carefulness must be observed. Sunlight, and the open air will produce a permanent change in a few minutes; with diffused daylight it takes much longer, perhaps two or three hours. But science has stepped in, and, with the employment of a good mordant, the desired alteration of colour is effected almost instantaneously. Should the skin, however, be wetted with any of the dye, wipe it off directly, for if left untouched, a dark mark will be the result. A cloth damped with a solution of hydrosulphuret of ammonia, or sulphuret of potassium, and rubbed on the spots, will remove recent marks. So will a solution of iodide or cyanide of potassium, but these, on account of their poisonous qualities, are best avoided. Proper caution in using the dye, a pair of old gloves to cover the hands, and some little practical experience will prevent any unpleasant results. (12) One solution, crystallised nitrate of silver, 1 drachm; gum arabic, 1 drachm; distilled water, 2 ozs.; mix. (13) Another: one solution, nitrate of silver, 192 grains; distilled water, 8 ozs. Dissolve and add gradually sufficient of the strongest solution of ammonia to precipitate the silver. Then, afterwards, just as much as is necessary to redissolve the precipitate.