Gibson Girl Hair : Growing long hair

  Hello!
Today I am starting my first series. In each installment I will talk about different subjects related to achieving the Gibson Girl halo of hair, starting with the basics.

  When I look at a picture of a Gibson Girl the first thing I always notice is her hair. Whether she is wearing it up or down it is always healthy and full. Or at least it appears that way.  I sometimes think "Did every girl in 1905 have thick wavy hair?" Of course not. There was girls, just like me, who's hair was definitely on the thinner side. The difference was the methods used back then to achieve thicker hair were actually very healthy, not damaging like your average bottle of growth serum today.For example instead of silicones people used rich nutrient filled oils. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Today I want to talk about two ways to change your hair from the inside out.

 Exercise-  Beauty experts for hundreds of years have known of the vital link between physical movement and physical beauty.When a person moves their body for an extended period of time the circulation of their blood- which is filled with the body's nutrients- is greatly stimulated. This revitalizes your insides bringing blood to places where circulation may have been sluggish. This applies to the scalp, where the capillaries directly feed the hair follicles.

  So if you have a sallow complexion and your hair is dull and sparse establish a daily exercise routine, preferably in the fresh air, and it won't be long before your hair and skin begin to glow.
 A good way to improve circulation to the scalp while performing a mild exercise like walking is to stop every ten minutes or so to touch your toes. This greatly increases blood flow to the scalp. If you have access you might even want to massage your scalp.

"Vacation" -J.C Layendecker
My exercise inspiration

 Don't forget that the favorite exercise of most Gibson Girls was cycling.


  Iodine-  On one of the many bookshelves at my house there is a brown book with bold red lettering which reads "An 80 Year Old Doctor's Secrets of Positive Health" by William Brady M.D. This book was written in 1961 so William Brady was a practicing doctor at the time of the Gibson Girl-at least at the very end. His advice is very turn of the century- He recommends exercise and good food for optimal health. His advice is"geared toward keeping patients out of the doctor's office". The chapter entitled "Iodine: The Last of the Specifics" especially caught my eye. He says "we also know that every man,woman, or child must get a wee bit of iodine or iodide in one form or another to keep well, or remain in better-than-average nutritional condition". He observes that teenage girls who are moody and fatigued at a time of life when they should be active and joyful are very often suffering from an iodine deficiency. American soil and water is known to be severely iodine deficient. His suggested nutritional dose of iodine-nutritional not medical- is 600mcgs daily. Although the RDA is only 150mcgs nutritionists have said over and over that they are not worried about the results of people getting to much iodine, what is worrying to them is the effects of iodine deficiency.
  At the end of the chapter he quotes from letters he received from people who took his Iodine Ration-here you will see my point:

             A few weeks after I started taking it I noticed how my hair glistened and hung so nicely...
                                                                                                      -Mrs. PJ

        My daughter,24, has always had straight stringy hair. Last summer her hair, on top, was taking on a natural wave and by Thanksgiving the sides as well were beginning to curl. Now it has a lovely wave of it's own, without the aid of curlers.     -Mrs. WM
   
      Your Iodine Ration has been included in my daily diet for about a year and never before have I had such nice hair and so manageable. I am 58 and the grey hairs I had have disappeared.
                                                                                  - Mrs.BA

   So it seems that for the young and old iodine may be that extra step for improved health. Now I recommend Iodine from kelp. Even if you don't achieve these seemingly miraculous results this amount of iodine will do no harm.*If you have a known medical issue particularly thyroid problems you should do always consult your doctor before adding any nutritional supplements to your diet.* Also the comments do suggest that you must take the Iodine Ration faithfully for a decent amount of time before you see improvements but the prospect have having healthy shiny hair should keep you going- at least it is my motivation.

    I am glad I could share this information with those of you who wish to grow their hair and to those who are interested in historical hair care. Please leave a comment if you have any questions. I remain
                                                                                     yours truly,