Scalp

“ In order to have thick, luxuriant, silky hair great attention must be paid to the condition of the scalp, since it is the scalp which contains the blood-vessels that nourish the hair. The scalp should be thick and pliable and move freely over the bones of the skull. If the scalp is drawn tightly over the bones of the skull, it tends to constrict the blood-vessels, and so lessen the supply of blood to the scalp and cause atrophy of the roots of the hair from pressure. ”

“ The whole of the scalp becomes hot and [Pg 81] swollen, and covered over a large surface by a thick dirty crust, through cracks in which a thick ill-smelling greenish-yellow matter exudes on pressure. At different points around, pimples form with mattery heads,—pustules they are called—while the glands on each side of the neck become swollen and tender. ”

“ The erroneous idea prevails, that the skin which holds the hair follicles and the delicate secretory organs of the scalp must be kept as 'clean,' so to speak, as the face or hands; consequently young men patronize barbers or hairdressers, and once or twice a week they have what is called a 'shampoo' operation performed. This consists in a thorough scouring of the hair and scalp with dilute ammonia, water, and soap, so that a heavy 'lather' is produced, and the glandular secretions, which are the natural protection of the hair, and promotive of its growth, are saponified and removed. ”

“ Scald Head is totally unlike the preceding disease: brown-colored scabs appear on the crown of the head, which discharge a glutinous matter, and unite the hairs, so as to prevent their being separated with a comb: these scabs continue to spread until they occupy the whole of the scalp. ”

“ The scalp is well supplied with blood, but it is not given much exercise. The tendency is for the blood stream to become sluggish, deposits gradually forming in the walls of the blood-vessels, which make them less elastic and decrease the size of the lumen. The result is less food for the hair roots and food of inferior quality. ”

“ A short time after painting the hairs of the head black, a fashion now more common in France than at the period in which they powdered them, there is often experienced pains in the head and a swelling of the hairy scalp, though the skin has been in no way concerned, has not been pulled, and the hair only has been affected. ”

“ The scalping is an operation not calculated of itself to take life, as it only removes the skin, without injuring the bone of the head; and necessarily, to be a genuine scalp, must contain and show the crown or centre of the head; that part of the skin which lies directly over what the phrenologists call “self-esteem,” where the hair divides and radiates from the centre ”

“ The scalp should be first shaved and cleansed; if for any reason an operation is impossible, this procedure at least should be carried out, with a view to ensuring, as far as possible, future asepsis, infection in head injuries being almost the only danger to be feared. The shaving may need to be complete, but local clearance of the hair suffices in many cases. The hair having been removed, the scalp is cleansed with all care, a flap is raised of which the bullet opening forms the central point, and the wound explored. ”

“ In many unpromising cases of lacerated scalp, when a great part of the cranium has been exposed, and partially deprived of its periosteum, a rapid cure has taken place without the formation of much matter. The detached scalp, though much torn and bruised, ought not at first to be removed, it being more prudent to leave nature to determine how much must be destroyed. After the sloughs, if any, have separated, and granulation has commenced, the loss of substance is rapidly repaired in this region, more especially when the patient is young and healthy. ”

“ If you watch a groom brushing and currying the coat of a thoroughbred horse, you will get a fair idea of hew you ought to treat your own scalp at least twice a day, night and morning.
If this currying of the hair be thoroughly done, and the head washed with soap and hot water about once a week for short hair and twice a month for long hair, most of the dangers of dandruff and of other infections of the scalp will be avoided. One thing to be remembered is, don't brush too hard or too deep. There is an old saying and a good one, "You can't brush the scalp too little, or the hair too much." ”

“ The chief treatment is by prophylaxis, or using preventive measures to insure the healthy condition of the scalp. And first and most important of these is cleanliness. Because of the great length of time which it takes to dry long, thick hair, many women do not wash the scalp often enough. In the healthy state of the scalp it should be washed at least once a month. ”

“ Tender spots may appear in almost any part of the body. There was the girl with the sore scalp, who was frequently so sensitive that she could not bear to have a single hair touched at its farthermost end, and who could not think of brushing her hair at such a time. ”

“ The hair upon the scalp is thicker and longer, the eyes remain closed, and very delicate hairs may be seen upon the margins of the eye-lids and upon the eye-brows. The nails are solid, the scrotum small and empty, the surface of the skin appears wrinkled but the dermis may be distinguished from the epidermis. ”

“ From infection of such wounds of the scalp abscess or diffuse cellulitis of the scalp may develop as well as erysipelas. The constitutional symptoms in such a case may be marked or even severe, but the prognosis is favorable. In very rare cases necrosis of the skull may result or the inflammation may even extend to the brain. These incised and lacerated wounds of the scalp are usually accidental or inflicted by another; they are rarely self-inflicted. Contusions and contused wounds are the most common forms of injury to the head. ”

“ Adjoining the cross for curing headaches is another that is reputed to be of great service in the cure of diseases of the scalp. All that the sufferers need do is to come and pray there, leaving their bonnets or caps behind them, attached to a forked branch stuck in the earth.
HOW TO REMOVE A HEADACHE—HAVING PRICKED YOUR FOREHEAD WITH A NEEDLE TILL BLOOD FLOWS, YOU STICK THE NEEDLE INTO THE CROSS ON THE RIGHT. THE SECOND CROSS IS HELD IN HIGH REPUTE FOR CURING SCALP DISEASES.
From a Photograph. ”

“ Diagnosis.—When the instrument impinges on the head obliquely, after piercing the scalp it may pass for some distance under it before perforating the skull, so that on its withdrawal a valvular wound is left, and at first sight it appears that only the scalp is involved. Sometimes a foreign body left in the gap so fills it up that it is difficult to detect the fracture with a probe or even with the finger. In all doubtful cases the scalp wound should be sufficiently enlarged to exclude such errors. ”

“ When an American Indian slays an enemy, he removes the scalp as a proof of his victory. The scalp is a piece of skin, with the hair attached to it, taken from the very crown of the head, so as to exhibit that portion of the skin where the hair radiates from a centre. ”

“ The Care of the Hair.—There is never any danger of shampooing the healthy scalp too frequently. The oil in the scalp is not removed by washing, but is, on the contrary, always increased through the improvement in the circulation. Where there is much dandruff, or if the hair has begun to fall out prematurely, owing to long neglect or following an illness, it is well to begin by washing the hair two or three times a week, and then gradually increase the interval to every two or three weeks. ”

“ Incisions are to be made in the scalp from two to four or six inches in length, united by others, if necessary. The scalp will often be upward of an inch in thickness, and filled with a fluid partly serous, partly purulent. ”

“ Symptoms of Seborrheic Eczema.—In the dry form of the disease, in which there is a scaling of the scalp, the hair is dry and unmanageable, the head itches, especially when the patient sits under a light or becomes overheated. There is a more or less constant falling of the scales upon the clothes. The scalp looks pale, and will be found covered with fine grayish or yellowish, readily detachable scales. Sometimes there is more or less redness of the scalp. ”

“ On account of the free arterial anastomosis in the deeper layers of the integument, large flaps of scalp will survive when replaced, even if badly bruised and torn, and it is never advisable to cut away any un-infected portion of the scalp, however badly it may be lacerated or however narrow may be the pedicle which unites it to the head. ”

“ As a matter of fact the nerves of the scalp are irritated by the hair being drawn tightly back and put on the strain, not as a whole, in which case the strain would be spread over a large area of the surface, but by small bundles of hair which are pulled back and held in place by hair-pins. ”

“ The bristles of the brush must be stiff enough to warm, but not to scratch, the scalp. Brushing and massage remove any loose hairs that are ready to fall, but they will soon be replaced by new vigorous ones.
Combing simply disentangles the hair. The teeth of the comb must be far apart and have rounded ends. In no case should a fine-toothed comb be used. It tears out the hair, and often causes an irritation of the scalp which leads to disease. ”

“ The hair has a great tendency to accumulate dirt. It catches the dust flying in the air, and also retains the secretion of fat and the desquamated epithelium of the scalp and the products of perspiration.
The two chief causes of the premature thinness of the hair are a deficient circulation of blood in the scalp and dandruff, and it is said that dandruff causes the loss of hair in 70 per cent. ”

“ When a portion of bone is as it were sliced off with the scalp and adheres to it firmly, the scalp and bone should be reapplied; and the cure will often be effected without difficulty. When the portion of bone cut off and hanging to the scalp, which is turned down, has but little adherence, it should be removed. ”

“ Rubbing the scalp every night with the finger tips until the flesh tingles and glows is a most inexpensive way of stimulating the circulation, and frequently makes the hair grow long and nice and fine. ”

“ The scalp you are to make is without a patent 168parting, but with a crown either of silk or skin. If any parting is to be made on this scalp, it should not be clearly defined, but whether it be formed with weft or “knotted,” the hair ought to be set closer than it is elsewhere. This, however, will be alluded to later on. Should a rather narrow scalp be all that is required, and the wearer’s hair thick enough, a parting could well be made upon the head, some of the natural hair being trained to comb over and allowed to mingle with the hair of the scalp. ”

“ However, most men do object to baldness, which can be prevented in nearly every case. To produce hair on a polished pate is a different proposition. It is indeed difficult. If you will look at a picture of the circulation of the blood in the scalp, you will notice that the arteries supplying it come from above the eye sockets in front, from before and behind the ears on the sides, and from the nape of the neck in the rear. They spread out and become smaller and smaller as they travel toward the top of the head, and especially toward the back. ”

“ Moreover, in the absence of soap, there is no liability to chapped skin, glandular sores, sore eyes, ears, and crusty scalp. Especially should the scalp be well cleaned, and kept so; as it not only adds to the tidy appearance of the child, but favors an even, healthy growth of the hair bulbs. The foundation for a love of cleanliness can best be laid in infancy. There are many adults who desire good hair, yet do not or will not know that combing the hair daily, and keeping the scalp clean and cool, promotes a healthy growth of the hair. ”

“ Under the more favourable conditions an attempt may be made at the extirpation of the growth. The operation should be rendered as bloodless as possible, for which purpose it is essential that the scalp-tourniquet should be applied as a preliminary measure. A scalp-flap is then framed, suited to requirements, and allowing of free exposure of the tumour and surrounding healthy tissues. The skull is then trephined to one side of the growth, and the disk removed. ”

“ In the event of osseous deficiency the scalp is usually more or less adherent to underlying structures, and the gap in the skull filled with dense fibrous tissue, which is itself adherent to the membranes of the brain and perhaps to the brain itself. ”

“ Inflammation of the Scalp occurs either spontaneously, or in consequence of external injury, though slight; and is generally met with in those who have lived freely and irregularly, and are of a bad habit of body. ”

“ For the first few weeks the baby’s scalp should be washed at the time of the bath. If yellow scales form, rub warm olive oil or vaseline into the scalp at night, and in the morning wash it with warm water and pure castile soap, rinsing thoroughly. If the scales do not come off, repeat the operation as many times as necessary. ”

“ Scalp, skalp, n. the outer covering of the skull or brain-case, including the skin, the expanded tendon of the occipito-frontalis muscle, with intermediate cellular tissue and blood-vessels: the skin on which the hair grows: the skin of the top of the head, together with the hair, torn off as a token of victory by the North American Indians: the skin of the head of a noxious wild animal: (her.) ”