China'sFirst Lady of Long Hair Reveals ScalpSecret
China's first lady of long hair whose tresses are 4.2 meters longwas the star attraction at another exhibition in the ongoing "TheYear of France in China" which delved deeply into the secrets ofthe growth on everyone's scalp.
An old Chinese saying says that long hair will bring a woman"troubles." However, that is definitely not the case withfashion-conscious ladies in today's China who well know theimportance to their appearance of having a chic hairstyle.
Just ask Dai Yueqin.
Dai, the woman with the longest locks in China, removed thescarf wrapped around her head to show off her 4.2-meter-long hairat the "Decoding the Hair" exhibition in Beijing last week. Dai hasnot cut her hair for 26 years from when she was 14 years old. Shewas swamped by visitors at the exhibition and she shared with themher tips on how best to look after one's hair.
"Though it's hard, beyond the imagination of most people, to beable to keep one's hair so long, I love it. It's the only way Iknow," she says with the excitement that comes into her voice whenshe talks about her special claim to fame.
As a special guest of the exhibition designed and produced by LaCite des Sciences and L'Oreal, Dai also works hand in hand withhair researchers to pass on the secret of her lovely long hair.
Patricia Pineau, a professional hair expert, says given that anindividual hair grows between 1 and 1.5 centimeters a month andthat its usual life expectancy is about three years, a person withvery long hair is quite exceptional.
Judging by the first-day crowds at the exhibition, the silkystrands that adorn human heads are indeed a subject offascination.
How fast does hair grow? Does grey hair really exist? Thesequestions and more were answered at the exhibition. Visitors wereable to learn all about the social and scientific aspects of hair:composition, growth, loss, color, shape, types and properties.
The exhibition, another highlight of "The Year of France inChina," debuted in Paris in 2001 and was a great success.
It then went on a tour of Holland, Portugal, Germany, Finland,Britain and Mexico. Before arriving in Beijing, it also stopped inHong Kong where it drew tens of thousands of visitors.
The exhibition features multi-media displays, computers andinteractive games. It includes four topics: "Between Life andMatter," featuring the structure and properties of hair by using amodel of a hair root; "Science Behind the Products," emphasizingindustrial research related to hair care; "Hair throughout theWorld," enabling visitors to explore different "hair cultures;"and, the "Metamorphosis Room," which is particularly popular withvisitors as it has more than 120 different hairstyles inmulti-media simulation games.
Visitors can try any and every daring hairstyles with just theclick of a mouse. The styles date from the 16th, 18th or early 20thcentury down to a quiff right out of the 1960s, a bob in the styleof Louise Brooks and traditional hairstyles from Papua New Guinea,Namibia and Brazil.
Liang Yanchun, a visitor at the exhibition, says that she wasintrigued by the way that the "science of hair" has beenpresented.
"We can touch, we can see and we can have hands-on experience,"she says. "The exhibition combines sheer fun with informativeinsights into the world of hair. After seeing this exhibition Ifeel that my understanding of hair is growing."
In order to unravel the mysteries behind the astonishing growthon our heads, visitors are allowed to examine their own hair undera microscope and look at hair that has been magnified 1 milliontimes.
As "Decoding the Hair" demonstrates, there is much more to hairthan meets the eye.
Stephane Commo, a hair expert with L'Oreal, points out that hairis made up of an exceptional material: its strength is such that alock of hair can easily support great weights.
Historians and archeologists have found traces of cocaine in thehair of a 4,000-year old Peruvian mummy.
And, 3,000 years after the death of the Egyptian PharaohRameses, hair analysis shows that he had red-blond hair and paleskin.
Unlike blood, hair can store evidence of a person's toxicologyand food habits. So 6cm of hair can hold six months' worth ofinformation about their lifestyle.
And it pays special attention to one's hair in summer. Thesun-drenched season can be extremely harmful to hair and whilepeople use some form of skin-care protection, most don't even thinkabout the harsh effect the sun has on hair.
Alain Franbourg, one of the co-authors of the "Science of HairCare," says that sunbathing and swimming will damage even thehealthiest hair by exposing it to harmful UV light, sea salt, andpool chemicals. And if one's hair is already dry, brittle, damaged,bleached or dyed, great care is needed to protect it.
Unprotected hair soaks up the sun's rays and the pool'schlorinated water like a sponge.
Heat has a drying effect. Wind dries out the hair and increasesstatic electricity. UV rays weaken the hair and fade color.
Salt and chlorine attack, the hair follicle opens up and haircan fall out or split ends appear.
Franbourg says that Chinese people's hair is much more malleablecompared with that of Europeans and its completely roundcircumference indicates that it should have a better sheen.However, Chinese hair still needs protection.
The newest development in hair care is protective products thatutilize natural plant proteins in shampoos and conditioners,vitamins, UV filters and polymers that coat and actually repairdamaged hair.
A healthy diet also helps. Nuts and seeds can help promoteluster and the fiber from fruits and vegetables help to restoreshine and body.
And don't forget to have eight to 10 glasses of water a daybecause water benefits both hair and skin.
And last of all, Franbourg warns "not to brush your hair toomuch" because it hurts the scales protecting the hair strands.
The exhibition free of charge to visitors runs until September15 at the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing.
Though Shanghai will miss the event this year it's always niceto learn more about one's hair - after all, no one wants to haveeven one "bad hair day."
(Eastday.com July 6, 2005)
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