HAIR DYES

Syn. Tinctura cappillorum , L. The practice of dyeing the hair is of great antiquity; and though not so common as formerly, it is still far from infrequent at the present day. The numerous preparations vended for this purpose have generally a basis of lead or silver. Bismuth, pyrogallic acid, and certain astringent vegetable juices, are also occasionally thus employed. The following list embraces all those of any value: Prep. 1. Litharge, 1 part; fresh-slaked lime and starch, of each 2 parts; all in fine powder, and perfectly dry; mix, and keep the compound in well-corked bottles. This powder is to be made into a thin paste or cream with water (for black), or milk (for brown), and applied to the hair (previously freed from grease with soap and water, and dried), by means of a sponge or brush, or the fingers; observing to rub it well into the roots, and to pa a comb for some time through it, to ensure its coming in contact with every part. The whole must be then covered with a moist leaf of cotton wadding, or some brown paper several times doubled and well damped with hot water, and allowed to remain so for 3 or 4 hours, or even longer; or an oil-silk cap, or a bladder, may be worn, the object being simply to prevent the evaporation of the moisture. After a sufficient time has elapsed, the powder may be removed by rubbing it off with the fingers, and afterwards washing it out with warm soap-and-water. A little pomatum or hair-oil will restore the usual glo to the hair. Another method of operating is to apply the cream or paste as before, and then to keep rubbing it about the hair with a brush as long as may be required, occasionally adding a few drops of hot water to preserve the whole moist. In this way the action of the dye is facilitated, and the proce concluded in a much shorter time. 2. Lime (slaked in the air), 2 parts; carbonate of lead (pure white lead), 1 part; mixed and applied as the last. 3. ( Aqua Oriental is. ) From grain silver, 2 dr.; steel filings, 4 dr.; nitric acid, 1 oz.; soft water, 1 1 ⁄ 2 fl. oz.; digested together, the solution being afterwards diluted with water, 3 1 ⁄ 2 fl. oz., and filtered. Applied by means of a fine-toothed comb, or a half-worn tooth-brush to the hair, previously well cleaned with soap and water, and dried. 4. ( Argent an tincture. ) From nitrate of silver, 1 dr.; eau de rose, 1 fl. oz.; nitrate of copper, 2 gr., or q. s. to impart a slight greenish tint. Used as the last. 5. (Dr Cattell.) Nitrate of silver, 11 dr.; nitric acid, 1 dr.; distilled water, 1 pint; sap green, 3 dr.; gum arabic, 1 1 ⁄ 4 dr.; digest together. Used as No. 3. 6. No. 1 Solution. Gallic acid, 7 1 ⁄ 2 gr.; acetic acid, 20 min.; distilled water, 1 fl. oz. No. 2 Solution. Nitrate of silver, in crystals, 30 1 ⁄ 2 gr.; distilled water, 1 fl. oz.; ammonia sufficient to form the precipitate formed at first. 7. ( Chestnut hair dye. ) “We have met with the following, but do not guarantee it:— Permanganate of potash gives the hair a beautiful chestnut-brown colour, varying according to the strength of the solution of the salt. A good formula is permanganate of potash, 1 dr.; powdered gum Arabic, 2 dr.; rose water, 3 oz.; mix. Apply carefully with a tooth brush so as to avoid staining the skin. (‘Chemist and Druggist.’) 8. ( Hair restorer. ) This is in reality a dye. Sulphur, 45 gr.; acetate of lead, 20 gr.; glycerin, 1 ⁄ 2 oz.; water to make up 10 oz. 9. ( Golden hair dye, Aureoline. ) A solution of peroxide of hydrogen in water; containing from 3 to 6 per cent. of the peroxide. 10. ( Brown hair dye. ) Acetate of lead, 2 dr.; hyposulphate of soda, 1 dr.; rose water, 14 oz.; glycerin, 2 oz. Di olve the acetate of lead and the hyposulphite in separate portions of the rose water; filter separately, mix the solutions, and add the glycerin. 11. ( A harmle hair dye. Dr Hager.) Ten parts of sub nitrate of bismuth, and 150 parts of glycerin are mixed in a gla ve el and heated in a water bath; solution of potash is then added in small portions, and with continued agitation, until a clear solution has been obtained, to which a concentrated solution of citric acid is added until merely a slight alkaline reaction is observed. Enough orange-flower water is added to make the whole liquid weigh 300 parts; the addition of a small quantity of a solution of an aniline colour completes the preparation. 12. (Cheval lier.) Fresh-slaked lime, 5 dr.; water, 1 1 ⁄ 2 oz.; mix, strain through gauze, and pour the milk into a four-ounce bottle. Next di olve sugar of lead, 5 dr., in water, 3 fl. oz.; add to this solution, dry slaked lime, 1 dr., stir well together, wash the precipitate with a little soft water, drain off the water, then add it to the milk of lime in the bottle, and shake the whole well together, and again before use. Applied as No. 1; but it acts much more quickly. 13. (Delcroix.) From acetate of lead, 2 oz.; prepared chalk, 3 oz.; quicklime, 4 oz.; each in an impalpable powder. Used as No. 1. 14. ( Eau d’Afrique —Hope kirk.)— a. Nitrate of silver (cryst.), 1 1 ⁄ 2 dr.; distilled water, 2 fl. oz.; di olve, and pour the solution into the bottles labelled ‘Solution No. 1,’— b. Liquor of pota a, 3 dr.; sulphydrate of ammonium, 7 dr.; water, 1 fl. oz.; mix, and pour the liquid into the bottles labelled ‘Solution No. 2,’ For use, the hair is moistened by means of a small-toothed comb or tooth-brush, with the Solution No. 1, either alone or diluted with a little water; care being taken to avoid touching the skin, if po ible. After the lapse of 8 or 10 minutes the Solution No. 2, diluted with at least 5 times its measure of water, is applied in the same manner, and any spots on the skin removed by rubbing them with the corner of a napkin wetted with the liquid. The skin is then sponged clean with a little warm water, and wiped dry, and the hair is arranged with the comb as usual. It is better to avoid rubbing it or washing it for a few hours. Sometimes the proce is reversed, and the liquid No. 2 applied first. In this way the stains on the skin are more readily removed, but the dye is le permanent than when the other plan is adopted. 15. ( Eau d’Egypte. ) Resembles No. 4 ( above ). 16. ( E ence of Tyre. ) Resembles the last. 17. ( Grecian water. ) Resembles No. 3, or 4. 18. (Dr Hanmann.) Litharge, 275 gr. (say 1 part); quicklime, 1875 gr. (or 6 3 ⁄ 4 parts); hair powder (or starch), 930 gr. (or 3 1 ⁄ 2 parts): all in fine powder. Used as No. 1. 19. (Hewlet’s.) Resembles Spencer’s (No. 28). 20. ( Instantaneous. ) Moisten the hair first with a solution of nitrate of silver in water (1 to 7 or 8), and then with a weak solution of sulphydrate of ammonium. The colour of the hair, unaltered by the silver solution, instantly turns black when moistened with the sulphuret. See Eau d′Afrique . 21. (La Forest’s.) See Washes . 22. (Orfila’s.) From litharge, 3 parts; quicklime, 2 parts; starch, 1 part. The original form for this article is as follows:—Sulphate of lead, 4 parts; dry fresh-slaked lime, 5 parts; water, 30 parts; boil 1 hour, collect the paste on a piece of calico, and apply it in a similar manner to No. 1. 23. ( Pomade dye. )— a. Nitrate of silver, 1 part; nitric acid, 2 parts; iron filings, 2 parts; mix, and let them stand together for 4 or 5 hours, then pour them on oatmeal, 2 parts; next add, lard, 3 parts; and mix well together. b. From nitrate of silver and cream of tartar, of each 1 dr.; liquor of ammonia, 2 dr.; di olve, add of lard, 4 dr.; and mix well together. 24. ( Poudre d’Italie. ) Resembles Orfila’s (No. 22.) 25. ( Pyrogallic stain. ) A weak solution of crude pyrogallic acid. Another article sold under this name is prepared by distilling nutgalls (coarsely powdered) in a retort, di olving the solid acid which sublimes in a little hot water, and after mixing this with the acid liquid which also pa es over, adding a little rectified spirit. The floating oil is then separated and the solution filtered. 26. (Redwood.) Litharge, 2 oz.; slaked lime and powdered starch, of each 1 oz.; liquor of pota a, 2 dr.; water, q. s. to form a thick cream. Used as No. 1. 27. (Redwood.) Liquor of pota a and distilled water, of each 1 pint; mix, and pa sulphuretted hydrogen through the liquid until it is saturated. Of this solution take 20 oz.; liquor of pota a, 4 oz.; mix, and label it ‘Solution No. 1,’ Next di olve nitrate of silver, 1 dr., in distilled water, 2 oz.; and label the liquid ‘Solution No. 2,’ Used in the same manner as No. 8 and 20. 28. (Spencer’s.) From sap green, 1 ⁄ 2 dr.; nitrate of silver, 1 dr.; hot water, 1 oz. Applied as No. 3. 29. ( Tincture of walnut. ) A strong tincture of the shells of green walnuts, scented with oil of lavender. 30. (Ure.) Litharge, fresh-slaked lime, and bicarbonate of pota a, mixed in various proportions, according to the shade of colour desired. Used like No. 1. 31. (Warren’s.) From litharge, 1 oz.; white lead, 2 oz.; quicklime (in fine powder), 16 oz.; mix, sift through lawn, and at once bottle the mixture. Used like No. 1. Mixed with water, it is said to dye the hair black; with milk, brown. 32. White lead, 1 oz.; fresh slaked lime, 1 1 ⁄ 2 oz.; litharge and oxide of bismuth, of each 1 ⁄ 2 oz.; water, 1 pint; mix, boil 15 minutes, with frequent agitation, cool, pour it into a bottle, add of solution of ammonia, 1 ⁄ 4 fl. oz., shake the whole frequently for some hours and the next day pour off the liquid portion from the white sediment which forms the dye. Used like No. 1. It is applied for 8 or 10 minutes for a brown; 30 minutes, or longer, for a black. For the first, it is washed off with water containing a little common soda. 33. The juice of the bark or shell of green walnuts, applied with a sponge. (Paulus Ægineta.) 34. A leaden comb used daily is said to darken the hair, but we have known persons persevere in its use for months without any perceptible change occurring. Premature baldne is a frequent consequence of its use. Obs. It is right to inform the reader that all those compounds which contain nitrate of silver stain the skin as well as the hair. These stains may be removed, when quite recent, by rubbing them with water containing a little sulphydrate of ammonium (see above ) or iodide of pota ium in solution; but as this is attended with some trouble and inconvenience, the best way is to avoid the nece ity of doing so. The hair-dre ers adopt the plan of smearing hard pomatum over the skin immediately surrounding the hair, to protect it from the dye. By very skilful manipulation, and the observance of due precautions, the hair may be thoroughly moistened with the above fluids, without touching the adjacent skin, but this can only be done, in the case of the hair of the head, by a second person. This has led to a preference being given by many to the compounds containing lead, as the colouring matter formed in them does not stain the skin. The hue given by the latter (when pale) is very apt to po e an unnatural redne , but all the shades of colour given by the preparation of silver are rich and unexceptionable. Pyrogallic acid, and the juice of walnuts, also stain the skin, although le intensely and permanently than nitrate of silver. The detection of dyed hair is often a matter of importance in medico-legal research. The presence of silver may be shown by digesting the hair in a little weak chlorine water or hydrochloric acid, when the resulting chloride of silver may be di olved out with liquor of ammonia, and submitted to the usual tests. Hair containing lead, when digested in dilute nitric acid, gives a solution of nitrate of lead, in which form it is readily detected. See Lead and Silver . All the preceding compounds are for dyeing living hair (human); horse-hair, bristles, ., and other dead hair, may be readily stained by steeping them in any of the ordinary liquid dyes, more especially those employed for wool and silk. See Pomades , Washes , .