Confidential Chats with Girls

by William Lee Howard

Woolen undergarments are a prolific source of mischief in most of these cases. In fact, as I have suggested to you, woolen underwear is not the thing for a girl or young woman to wear if she wishes a clear and attractive complexion.

Even in cold weather you can wear silk, muslin, or linen undergarments next the skin. Be certain to have them white, or at least undyed, and have no colored ribbons where they can come in contact with the skin. Outside of these garments you may wear woolen articles required for warmth. Another little matter of importance to the growing girl—fur, velvet or cloth collars of garments worn tightly about the neck, the lining of gloves, dyed stockings and even the lining of your hats, sometimes will start a skin trouble which will be difficult to cure.

Your sleeping garments should be as loose as possible—especially around the neck. They should be such that you can turn IN them and not have them stick to your body when turning.

Turning while in bed is one of Nature’s ways of giving all the skin covering your body a chance to get air and allow of the evaporation of that “insensible perspiration.” Now, if a certain part of your body has gotten rid of its inside poison—the region over the liver, for example—and in turning over to give that portion access to air, your garment simply sticks and goes with it, don’t you see that you are sleeping with a soggy bit of clothing pasted right over the region which needs fresh air and a chance to evaporate its perspiration?

During warm weather you will find bran baths not only very soothing, but giving to the skin a very smooth and pleasing appearance. About four pounds of bran to a bathtub of water is what you need.

There is an annoying skin affection, though not a disease, which may embarrass the most careful girl. It is a summer occurrence and I dare say that most of you know something about it. I refer to “prickly heat,” a most annoying thing to the girl who wishes to enjoy her summer outing and has to keep away from the bathing beach and the pleasures of all her friends. This trouble may come out suddenly all over the body, sometimes it is confined to certain large areas, more often to the arms and shoulders. It is accompanied by excessive sweating and intolerable itching, prickling and tingling.

You all can avoid this distressing condition. Light clothes, linen undergarments of the flimsiest material, the use of plenty of water taken inwardly, the avoidance of hot rooms, no exercise, such as dancing or tennis, are the things to remember.

Do not put anything on the skin such as powder, ointment or ammonia. Bathe in cool water; put into your bath a handful of bicarbonate of soda. Take every morning a full glass of some saline water or a glass of water in which you have dissolved a lithia tablet. Eat plenty of green vegetables and fresh fruit, but avoid spiced food. Rice, chicken, mutton, will not harm you, but pork, ham and underdone beef at this time should be let alone. At night you should sponge your body with vinegar and water.

Whatever affects the skin affects also the hair and nails, for those are only extensions of the skin. I have told you about the hair in a former chat which leaves little more to say; for after you understand the secret of beauty—good health—common-sense will dictate to you what to do. However, here are a few more things about the care of the hair.

In trying to get rid of some of the dirt which the hair will collect, don’t use a fine tooth comb. This cannot, without difficulty and injury, be made to take hold of the dirt, because when it does, it will pull so severely as to pull out or break the hairs. This is especially true of the thick hair of the brunette. Use a comb having large smooth teeth. Your brush should have bristles moderately stiff and the tufts of these bristles should be well set apart. Never use a brush whose bristles are short and closely set. Pearline is a good washing material in which to soak your combs and brushes. In drying the brush be certain to place it in the sun, bristles down, so that the water drains off, instead of soaking into the back of the brush. If this latter condition is allowed, the moist roots of the bristles will take up all the dirt and germs floating around and they will then be transferred to your scalp.