Hair -n -Nail.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1995 Nov / Dec VOL VI NO 6.
Manu Kothari & Lopa Mehta.
The vertebrate phylum exhibits a kaleidoscope of Keratin comprising hair, nail, hoof, horn, wool, feathers, scales, and plain skin or mucosal cover. Keratin as a protein distinguishes itself by being highly insoluble and indigestible. We should thank Lord Brahma for Hair-n-Nail that have provided three Indians a place of honour in The Guiness Book of World Records: Swami Pandarasannadhi for 26 feet of head hair, Masuriya Din for 102 inches long moustache and Ramesh Sharma for aggregate nail growth exceeding 52 inches. "Hum Kisi se Kum Nahin".
The etymology of hair is obscure; of nail is pretty clean. The term is close to Sanskrit nakham and to the pregnant Urdu term na-khoon implying bloodlessness. Both grow ceaselessly. The 100,000 scalp hair grow, in a lifetime to an aggregate length of 26 feet - a total hair length of 26 Lac feet. What a feat!
Does hair have any function? Desmond Morris called man the Naked Ape, spelling thereby the fact that in the primate class. We are basically furfree, save the lanugo that covers the fetus for a brief while. The naked ape, however, seems to be overdressed on the scalp and face and patchily adorned in the axillae and the genital regions. The reality that hairy humans perform no better or live no longer than totally bald - shaven counter parts and vice versa, throws all theories of the physiologic importance of hair to the wind. Hair is an adornment, a macho or feminine display, exhibited thro the most simple to the most weird hair - does throughout the world - civilized or barbasic. There is an air about hair which envelopes most humans.
A person with rich, well - groomed hair behaves almost as a hairy -deity. Such fixation or obsession with hair has meant wigs of various sizes and hair of various shades. That means a multi-billion dollar industry the world over. The venerated temples of South India, where devotees donate their lustrous jet black hair to Gods are, each, something like Hair India International, exporting hair worth a crore of rupees every year. The perennial human schizophrenia manifests itself superficially by washing a powdered white skin and colored jet black hair. Those who are ashamed of their gray hair dye every day, if not every hour. The whole trouble with the exercise is that a man or woman, using the most perfect matching Japanese hair dye has his or her hair accepted as impeccably black by the whole world except the very person who knows that the whole thing is a white lie covered by a dark dye.
The other nagging problem is baldness - far more masculine than feminine. Herbals and chemicals, world over, have been sold to millions of eternal hopefuls, having faith in the miraculous properties of a manure, that would reduce the bald pate to sprout the hairy grass. We are told that, if in South India, you see a massuer sporting uncheckable hairy growth in his palms, you should rest assured that this rare phenomena is the gift of ANUP hair oil. The oil evidently failed to work on the clients scalp, but certainly turned its hair-growing magic on the palmer skin of the massuer.
There is the apt story of John, who decided late in life to get married. He got a facelift, a new wig, dentures, and then set about to reach the church driving his car and praying. Suddenly the car hit a tree and John fell out. "Oh, God, that you should have done this to me when I was praying to thee!" Silence for a while. Then came the booming voice of the Lord: "My apologies John. But I couldnt make out it was you!"
Nails are a lesser human obsession. Nail polish and nail paints adorn many a dressing table. There are nails to match every dress, being but a plastic mount that possess as a nail. An unadorned, unpainted feminine hand is far more beautiful and natural, than one overlaid with patently poisonous colours. Every human has an unalienable right to hurt or harm herself. It is not generally, nor medically, appreciated that nails are an exoskeleton that gives the digital tips their expanse and their tactile sensitivity. The scalp can do without hair, the fingers cannot function sans nails. Likewise, the small hair over the bodys skin heighten its sensitivity. The scalp can do without hair, the fingers cannot function sans nails. Like wise, the small hair over the bodys skin heighten its sensitivity. Both Hair-n-Nail are mirror to bodys state of health and its moods. Hair-n-Nail hate the honour of being an integral part of the body and yet cuttable, separable or detachable with impunity.
Superstitious people are particular as to the day on which they cut their nails. The old rhyme is -
Cut them on Monday, you cut them for health;
Cut them on Tuesday, you cut them for wealth;
Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for news;
Cut them on Thursday, a new pair of shoes;
Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;
Cut them on Saturday, seek your true love on the morrow;
Cut them on Sunday, your safety seek;
The devil will have you the rest of the week.
Another rhyme conveys an even stronger warning on the danger of nail-cutting on a Sunday:
A man had better neer be born
As have his nails on a Sunday shorn.
The Ecclesiastical lament Vanitas vanitatum - Vanity of vanities, all human life is vanity is best exemplified by humanitys high regard for hair-n-nail. Most religions of the world have advised that hair be allowed to grow and stay put on the head or the face so that its graying reminds one that is aging, and hence should be detached and humble. In certain Muslim sects, the father of the groom must grow a beard before the son gets married so he knows that the bride-to-come is to be eyed by his son only. But this message is glossed over, and people in the autumn of life compete with those in spring vis-a-vis blackness of hair. God proposes, dye disposes!
Dr. PRAKASH KONDEKAR B.Sc., ND
Milan Polyclinic,
Santacruz
Bombay - 400 054.
Tel - 6492762 - 8089625.
