Hair care and the approach to it have changed dramatically over the years. In the Polish People’s Republic, all kinds of homemade masks and rinses reigned supreme, most often prepared by hand. They were made from products that were originally used in the kitchen. The shelves in stores were empty, and good cosmetics were a dream. Our mothers and grandmothers had to cope differently.
After years, interest in home skin and hair care has grown again. The famous masks made of yogurt, honey, lemon or egg are coming back into favor. From the perspective of today’s world, are they enough for us? In an era of much greater pollution, modified food and other such factors, can we rely only on such methods? We asked the famous trichologist, Martyna Pobuta.
How has the approach to hair care evolved over the last 50 years?
Martyna Pobuta: It has changed a lot. But these changes are also related to the fact that in the past there were not so many scalp diseases, we did not have such modified, often contaminated food, allergies and autoimmune diseases were much less common. From the point of view of professional trichology, today we could not afford to use the methods that were used in the youth of our grandmothers. People were less likely to suffer from, for example, seborrheic or atopic dermatitis, they were less likely to struggle with hair loss. Of course, we do not know the main factor causing autoimmunity. So maybe it is about stress? But did people have less stress in the past? I absolutely do not think so. Stress accompanied our ancestors, these were often times of war, various political events that had a direct impact on people’s lives. So I would rather focus on diet, the environment in which we live today. What we eat and what we drink. The omnipresent stress, too, noticeable mainly in the work environment.
What home remedies were popular back then?
It definitely comes to mind beetroot juice. It is still used today. Our grandmothers used to make a homemade beetroot mask or simply squeeze the juice out of it and apply it to their hair. Beetroot is a source of vitamin C, B vitamins, which are crucial for our hair. It is also protein, magnesium, copper, potassium. All the nutrients that our hair needs. It was also very popular in some circles onion mask. Today it is hard to imagine using it. But this mask was supposed to strengthen hair. There was also a theory then that it prevented baldness. First, the onion was grated, mixed and applied to the hair.
It was also very fashionable to use egg yolk, which is still popular today. It is a source of B vitamins. For example, a mask was made: egg yolk, castor oil and three tablespoons of lemon juice. Such a preparation was supposed to not only strengthen the hair, but also add shine.
And of course chamomile. Everything related to chamomile. The easiest method was infusion. Women in those years brewed, for example, two bags of chamomile tea. Then you had to wait for the infusion to cool down and soak your hair in it. This is what people who had blond hair and wanted to lighten it did, for example. Because chamomile, in addition to a number of disinfecting properties, also has lightening properties. In addition, it also had a soothing effect. And since there was no such access to various preparations at that time, in the case of any scalp problem, chamomile was most often used. I also associate hair care during the PRL with everything related to black radish. For example, people squeezed black radish juice and a few drops of castor oil were added – this is how another homemade hair mask was created. Castor oil is still used today. It strengthens, nourishes and gives shine to the hair.
Hairdresser at work, 1971/ Archive photo National Digital Archives
In turn, the most fashionable hairstyles were those with the greatest volume and the appropriate “tapir”.
Yes. Ladies wore their hair very teased. My friend’s grandmother even used sugar to make her hair more rigid. She simply rubbed it into her hair. It was an obsession with hair volume. Beer was also popular. Beer was used as a hairspray. First, it was boiled, waited for it to cool down and rubbed into the hair to gain more volume. If someone had wavy hair, it was often used to maintain the curl. Today, it is a very controversial “method” that has already gone into oblivion.
So what about these natural methods? Should I use them or not? Especially since this approach is very fashionable again.
These methods are still trendy because we want to use only natural ingredients. Is it good? I think that at the moment it is absolutely not. And this should be said out loud. And why? Because we really have no idea what is happening on our scalp. We usually think that if nothing itches, there is nothing to worry about. And if we used the methods our grandmothers did in the times of the Polish People’s Republic, we could only worsen the condition of our scalp. Nowadays, many people have problems with seborrheic dermatitis, atopic dermatitis or psoriasis. And ingredients such as onion could exacerbate the inflammation.
Of course, from time to time we can experiment with these natural methods – because it is worth doing so if nothing happens on our scalp. But it cannot be something we use every day. I will repeat: from time to time yes, but on a daily basis let’s focus on active ingredients. Let’s use the resources of knowledge and work of pharmacists and biotechnologists who create preparations for the needs of our scalp.
Active ingredients are provided to us in appropriate shampoos and dermocosmetics. I would like to emphasize, however, that this does not apply to drugstore shampoos. If we have scalp problems, we should see a specialist to receive targeted treatment. Especially since we are currently dealing with a huge amount of unawareness regarding scalp problems.
We often rely on so-called “hair mania” and what is written on blogs, and we forget that the methods given are not for everyone. It is a bit like a diet. One will work for one, another completely different. And we often forget that we live in completely different times, eat completely different food and breathe completely different air than our grandmothers did in their youth.
Thank you for the conversation.
Martyna Pobuta is a psychologist and trichologist and a graduate of Trichology Clinical Education. Member of the International Society of Aesthetic Trichology, expert in the field of body dysmorphic disorder and other obsessive-compulsive disorders in Poland, especially concerning hair. Specialist in the field of psychogenic alopecia in women.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
