Charels Nessler
Chapter VII – Hair and Environment
Chapter VII of The Story of Hair shifts the discussion from the body itself to the wider conditions of life.
In this chapter, Charles Nessler argues that hair is not shaped by biology alone, but also by environment, social structure, work, discipline, hardship, and habit. He presents hair as a visible sign of how individuals and communities are formed by the world around them.
This chapter is especially important because it expands Nessler’s theory beyond the individual and into the sphere of culture and everyday life. At the same time, it is also one of the most problematic sections of the book, as it combines observation with broad and highly speculative conclusions.
Environment as a Force in Hair Development
Nessler begins by stating that his earlier conclusions about the decline of hair and instinct under modern civilization rely heavily on deductive reasoning. He argues that human beings may appear socially polished on the surface, while their deeper nature is only revealed when normal restraints break down.
From this starting point, he develops a broader claim: environment does not merely shape manners or habits, but may influence the deeper forces that govern human behavior and, in his view, hair production as well. He treats hair as a long-term indicator of civilizational change.
Original Excerpt (1928)
“It is true that human progress has had considerable biological influence on us as shown by our hair decline...”
“How slow race expressions are is best indicated by the barometer of the hair.”
Hair as a “Barometer” of Human Development
A central idea in this chapter is that hair serves as a kind of biological record. Nessler suggests that visible differences in hair production reflect not only individual constitution, but also the long influence of environment, class, and inherited ways of living.
He argues that differences between major human populations may appear small at first glance, yet become more visible when one studies narrower social groups and local communities. In his framework, hair becomes a “barometer” through which larger historical and cultural processes can supposedly be read.
The Problem of Types and Classification
Nessler repeatedly searches for “types” of people whose physical appearance and hair production, in his view, reveal underlying psychological and social differences. He claims that modern society mixes very different human types together and makes them outwardly similar, even when their deeper nature remains distinct.
This leads him to one of the chapter’s main methods: comparing communities that he believes preserve older patterns of life with communities shaped by industrial routine and modern dependency. That approach structures the rest of the chapter.
The “Rom” and “Gall” Comparison
To support his theory, Nessler presents two contrasting Central European communities, which he labels “Rom” and “Gall.”
“Rom”
He describes “Rom” as a small manufacturing town shaped by routine, factory labor, and social conformity. According to his account, the women live regular, repetitive lives with little individual purpose beyond work, domestic duty, church, and sleep. He claims that this environment produces:
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smaller scalp areas
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lower yearly hair output
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more uniform physical appearance
He reports that the women he examined in “Rom” averaged 75½ grams of scalp hair production per year.
“Gall”
By contrast, “Gall” is presented as a farming district marked by harder labor, self-reliance, and a more direct struggle with circumstance. Nessler describes the women there as physically tougher, more resistant, and psychologically stronger, even if their lives are harsher. He reports that the women of “Gall” had somewhat larger scalp areas and an average annual hair production of 101 grams.
In Nessler’s interpretation, the difference between these two groups proves that adversity, independence, and force of character support stronger hair production.
Women, Work, and Hair Production
A notable feature of this chapter is the emphasis placed on women’s lives. Nessler repeatedly links female hair production to social position, daily labor, and the structure of marriage and family life.
He contrasts what he sees as the submissive, routinized life of the factory woman with the more forceful and self-assertive role of the farmer’s wife. In one of the chapter’s strongest formulations, he suggests that women who grow up meek and weak may later become strong hair producers if life circumstances push them into positions of command and responsibility.
Children and the Influence of Upbringing
Nessler also compares children in the two communities. He notes that the children of “Gall” did not necessarily appear healthier or stronger than those of “Rom,” and he uses this observation to argue against simple dietary explanations of hair growth.
Instead, he returns to his preferred explanation: environment works through discipline, adversity, expectation, and the shaping of character. He claims that upbringing, emotional tone, and the degree of liberty or hardship allowed to the child influence future hair production more than food alone.
Original Excerpt (1928)
“Adversity, which is a dominating factor in character development, will only react favorably in the individual if the individual may hope for better things...”
“The situation is not so surprising when all the factors of existence are considered.”
Adversity as a Productive Force
This is one of the chapter’s most important themes.
For Nessler, hardship alone is not enough. He argues that adversity strengthens the individual only when it is combined with a sense of purpose, resistance, and the hope of improvement. In his theory, it is this active struggle — not suffering by itself — that produces stronger character and, by extension, stronger hair.
This lets him distinguish between two very different kinds of hardship:
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routine hardship without autonomy
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hardship combined with independence and will
That distinction is essential to the whole chapter.
Environment, Class, and Character
The chapter gradually expands from local examples into a much broader theory. Nessler compares workers, farmers, aristocrats, religious institutions, and military systems, always searching for links between discipline, survival pressure, and outward physical expression.
He argues that strong family lines and socially dominant groups are not simply products of luck, but of deliberate shaping through upbringing, resistance, and practical life conditions. In this context, hair becomes a visible sign of long-term social formation.
The Chapter’s Most Problematic Dimension
Chapter VII also contains some of the most problematic reasoning in the book.
Nessler moves from observation to large claims about populations, class character, inherited traits, and civilizational rank. He frequently treats social or cultural differences as if they could be read directly from physical features, including hair production. This way of thinking reflects the speculative typologies and hierarchical assumptions common in parts of the early 20th century, but it does not meet modern scientific standards.
Conclusion of Chapter VII
Chapter VII extends Nessler’s theory of hair into the realm of environment and society.
Its main ideas can be summarized as follows:
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Hair is influenced by living conditions as well as biology
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Routine, conformity, and dependence weaken human expression
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Independence, adversity, and resistance strengthen it
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Social environment leaves visible marks on the individual
In this chapter, hair becomes more than a bodily feature. For Nessler, it is a historical trace of how people live, work, struggle, and adapt.
Modern Scientific Perspective
Modern science does not support the idea that social class, moral character, or cultural rank can be read from hair production.
Hair growth is now understood primarily in relation to:
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genetics
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hormones
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age
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health
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nutrition
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stress and illness
Environmental conditions can influence hair indirectly, especially through chronic stress, poor health, nutritional deficiency, and physical strain. However, modern biology does not support Nessler’s attempt to treat hair as a measure of civilizational level, social worth, or inherited psychological type.
At the same time, one broader intuition in this chapter remains relevant: environment does matter. Life conditions can affect the body, and social experience can leave visible physical consequences. In that limited sense, Nessler was trying to connect hair to lived reality — but his framework was far too speculative, and often deeply shaped by the biases of his time.
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Original Chapter (1928)
Below you find the original scanned version of Chapter VII from The Story of Hair by Charles Nessler.