Beauty of Hair

For thousands of years, women have known that their hair is a prime element in beauty. Roman women knew the highlighting properties of henna or lead salts and they used curling irons, too. Venetian women of the 16th century created the famous 'Venetian Blondes' by exposing their hair to sunlight. The noble ladies of the Court of France had their long hair brushed for hours by their maids. Closer home, we have evidence of the elaborate hair-styles that women in India created to beautify themselves. These are evident in the stone sculptures that adorn the walls of the historical monuments, like the Ajanta and Ellora caves, the frescoes in the temples and elsewhere. Indian women have always been known to have long, raven black tresses. A lot of loving care went into preserving that beautiful hair and with a variety of hair care products that have flooded our markets; they have no dearth of hair enhancers. There are, however, a lot of doubts and confusions in the minds of the young women about the use of various products. This chapter is meant to clarify these doubts and help her become a part of the beautiful world.