THE HAIRDRESSER.

The Hair-Dresser cuts and dresses ladies' and gentlemen's hair; he also makes wigs and braids, and in most cases, the business includes the art of shaving.

The fashion of wearing wigs and false hair is not peculiar to modern times ; it was common to the Greeks and Romans. The peruke
of the emperor Commodus, is described as having been powdered with scrapings of gold, which were made to adhere to the hair by means of glutinous perfumes.

Perukes, in their present form, were introdued into Paris in the year 1629, whence they have spread by degrees through the rest
of Europe. At first, it was reputed a scandal for young people to wear wigs, because the loss of their hair, at that age, was attributed to a disease which was of itself disgraceful.

The custom of wearing the beard in its natural state, of giving it a certain form, or of shaving it off entirely, has varied a good deal :
these customs have been among some nations, formerly, subjects of war and of revolt. The inconvenience of wearing the beard,
no doubt, caused many people to shave themselves. Plutarch informs us that Alexander ordered the Macedonians to be shaved, that their enemies might not lay hold of them by the beard.

According to Varro, it vas Menas, on his return from Sicily, who first brought to Rome a certain number of Barbers. These Barbers did not exercise their trade in shops, but shaved at the corners of the streets, or whereever they might happen to be. Julian the Apostate, drove the Barbers from his court, but Scipio Africanus introduced the fashion of shaving every day. We are told that the young men of Rome, when their beards were first cut off made visits with great ceremony. The beard was inclosed in a box of gold or silver, and consecrated to some Divinity, chiefly to Jupiter Capitolinus. In short, the ancients in wearing or in cutting off the beard, do not appear to have been less capricious than the moderns have been in the manner of wearing their hair.

Wigs and other ornamental decorations made of hair, are now become so common, that there are few ladies, notwithstanding they possess the most beautiful hair, who will not wear a manufactured article in preference to their own hair, under the impression that
they can improve pature, and add to their charms. Hence, we sometimes see a fair skin and light eyes decorated with black hair ; and a dark complexion with black sparkling eyes, set off with flaxen locks. Such is the fashion at the commencement of the nineteenth century ; it is, however, but justice to say, that to this mistaken attempt at beauty, there are many exceptions.

The Hair-Dresser engaged in his profession, .requires a pair of scissars, combs, a. pair of curling irons, some powder and pomatum, as well as razors, and a strap and hone ; all things too well known to stand in need of description.

The principal requisites in a Hair-Dresser, are a light hand, an aptness in catching the changing fashions of the times, and a taste to
improve upon them.

Perukes or wigs, are less in fashion among gentlemen than they were formerly, but perhaps, they were never more common among
the fair sex than at present, and if we may judge from the splendid appearance of many shops in which ladies' wigs, braids, and
curls are manufactured, no business is more flourishing or more profitable.

Hair makes a very considerable article in commerce. The merit of good hair consists in its being well fed, and neither too coarse
nor too slender; the largeness rendering it less susceptible of the artificial curl, and the amallness making its curl of too short duration.

There is no certain price for hair ; but it is sold from five shillings to five pounds per ounce according to its colour.

Hair which does not curl naturally, is brought to it by boiling and by baking in the following manner: after having sorted the hair, it is
rolled up, and afterwards fastened upon little cylindrical instruments, either of wood or earthenware, called pipes in which state it
is put into a vessel over the fire and boiled about two hours; it is then taken out and dried, and sent to be baked in an oven.

Hair thus prepared is woven on strong threadwhich is sewed on a cawl, fitted to the head for a peruke.

Formerly, peruke-makers made no difference between the ends of the hair, but curled and wove them by either indifferently ; but it is now known that hair to curl well, must be woven by the end which grows next to the head..

Perukes much worn, may, with attention, be made to look very smart, so long as they are kept from the wet.

The operation of shaving, which is another part of the Hair-Dresser's business, stands in need of no description ; the great art depends on a light hand and a good razor.

Mr. Nicholson, in an early volume of his Chemical Journal, has favoured us with a scientific account of this business, to which we
refer with peculiar pleasure, as it shews that nothing ought to be beneath the attention of a man of science.

The business was of much more importance than it now is, previously to the year 1795. In that year, an annual tax of one guinea was laid upon all persons who should in future wear hair powder ; this very much injured the trade ; the following year and also the year 1799 were seasons of uncommon scarcity with regard to wheat from which hair-powder is manufactured ; these circumstances produced a revolution in the trade ; the wearing of hair-powder was nearly abandoned, and still continues out of fashion.

Journeymen Hair-Dressers earn from fifteen shillings to a guinea per week; but those who work on wig-making and the wearing of
hair, will, if very expert, earn much more than this.