Charels Nessler
Chapter II – Nature and Man’s Hair
This chapter presents one of Charles Nessler’s most fundamental ideas:
that human hair is not simply a “gift of nature,” but the result of deeper biological, energetic, and psychological processes.
Written in the early 20th century, this text reflects an attempt to move beyond traditional explanations and to reinterpret hair as a product of human development, instinct, and civilization.
ORIGINAL TEXT (TRANSCRIBED)
CHAPTER II
NATURE AND MAN’S HAIR
When someone asks what gave man his hair and what is its purpose, we instinctively answer “Nature.” Thus has mankind at all times accounted for things which it did not understand. Nature, we are accustomed to say, gave man his hair for protection. What, exactly, this term “Nature” means, is, as a rule, not made clear and we must stop here for a little inquiry.
In our use of the word “Nature,” some of us have in mind a great outer spirit, a supreme deity, located in and working from a distant heaven, who is able to direct the spider to spin his web and “sees the sparrow fall.” There are others who will say that nature is the thing itself, and that the spider makes its web by its instinctive nature and habit, by a formula which it has acquired gradually through untold ages and which it has developed from a small beginning.
If we assent to the belief that a heavenly “Nature” gave man his hair for protection against enemies, which this self-same “Nature” also had created and similarly provided, we must also subscribe to the idea that Nature gave man teeth, eyes, feet and arms as means of attack and defense and that, therefore, fighting and killing must have been the purpose of the Creator.
To make matters more lively, the same Nature produced the tremendous animals of the forest, the man-eating fish of the sea, the poisonous snake and the deadly invisible bacteria which spread disease. It also created scorching heat and congealing cold. Nature made some creatures weak and others strong.
Nature, so runs the argument, gave man his hair to protect him against cold, disease and the teeth and claws of his enemies. But later she gave him clothing, took away his hair and let his teeth decay. Clothes harbored other creatures also of Nature’s own making which disturbed man and even threatened his life. Seeing her mistakes Nature provided man with soap and humans of a special class known as doctors.
Obviously we have reached a point in our attempt to analyze “Nature” and her acts at which we must realize that the argument has reached absurdity.
We are compelled to admit that it is not “Nature” regarded as an external force which directs us to bite our food but an individual reaction resulting from the smallness of the throat or the pain of the stomach incidental to larger morsels.
An inner force that we call caution makes us open our eyes to prevent us from falling or colliding; an inner force that we call foresight directs us to collect ice in winter for summer use; an inner force that we call wisdom advises us to eat so that our bodies may be provided with the means of developing legs, arms, teeth, fingernails and all the attributes that belong to the human form, including, of course, our brains and our hair.
As a tree comes into being from seed containing an unknown something, life itself, with the roots and stem first, from that the branches and then the leaves as end-product, waste as it were, falling from the structure at the end of summer, so is man. “Nature” is the unit itself. The unit needs only the initial life germ from which it will develop according to its type.
Our hair is no more an essential part of our body than leaves are essential to a tree, and if prehistoric man produced hair in abundance, covering all his surface with it, this hairiness was but incidental to an inner function, to the life that produced the body.
When prehistoric man waged his solitary battle for existence, he was one with many beasts around him in the abundance of his hair covering.
But as civilization developed, the process of keeping alive no longer required his full concentration. He became a social creature. There developed physical changes in him. His instincts diminished and with them the energy that once drove his entire organism.
The more food was turned into energy, the more hair was produced. As the intensity of life decreased, so did the production of hair.
Hair, incidentally acquired, acted on man’s senses. It gave him comfort during cold weather, but also discomfort in heat. It gave him distinction and beauty—but it was never the fundamental purpose of his existence.
ANALYSIS
1. Central Idea
In this chapter, Nessler rejects the traditional explanation that hair exists simply because of “nature.”
Instead, he proposes that hair is the result of internal biological and psychological processes, not an externally assigned function.
2. Critique of “Nature”
Nessler identifies a key problem:
The word “Nature” is used as a placeholder, not as a real explanation.
He shows that:
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If nature gives protection → it also creates danger
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If nature provides solutions → it also creates problems
→ This leads to a logical contradiction.
3. Shift from External to Internal Explanation
Nessler replaces the idea of external control with internal forces:
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instinct
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caution
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foresight
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biological necessity
→ Hair becomes a byproduct of life processes, not a designed feature.
4. The Tree Analogy (Core Concept)
One of the most important ideas in the chapter:
Hair is compared to leaves on a tree
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roots → structure → branches → leaves
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leaves = secondary, not essential
→ Hair = end product, not purpose
5. Energy Theory of Hair
Nessler introduces a proto-biological idea:
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more internal energy → more hair
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less energy → less hair
He connects this directly to:
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metabolism
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activity
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survival pressure
6. Civilization vs. Instinct
A key turning point:
Prehistoric man:
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survival mode
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high energy
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strong instincts
→ more hair
Modern man:
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comfort
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reduced instinct
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social structure
→ less hair
7. Hair as Evolutionary Indicator (his view)
For Nessler, hair is:
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not essential
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not intentional
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but a visible indicator of internal life intensity
8. Psychological Dimension
A major and unusual aspect:
Nessler links:
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biology
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psychology
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behavior
→ Hair reflects inner state and human condition
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
This text reflects early 20th-century thinking, where:
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science, philosophy, and speculation were often combined
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evolutionary theory was still being interpreted in different ways
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psychological explanations were increasingly integrated into biological discussions
Some interpretations in this chapter reflect the scientific and cultural assumptions of its time and should be understood in their historical context.
Modern Perspective – Hair, Biology and Evolution
Modern science provides a fundamentally different understanding of human hair than the interpretation presented by Charles Nessler in this chapter.
Today, hair is understood as a biological structure produced by specialized cells within hair follicles. Its growth is regulated by a combination of genetic, hormonal, and cellular processes rather than by an abstract concept of “inner life energy.”
Hair development follows a cyclical pattern consisting of distinct phases:
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Anagen (growth phase)
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Catagen (transitional phase)
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Telogen (resting phase)
These cycles determine the length, density, and renewal of hair over time.
From an evolutionary perspective, the reduction of body hair in humans is not interpreted as a decline in vitality or instinct, as suggested by Nessler, but rather as an adaptive process. Factors such as thermoregulation, environmental conditions, and social development played a role in shaping human hair patterns.
Hormones—particularly androgens—also play a central role in hair growth and hair loss. Conditions such as androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss) are now understood as genetically influenced biological processes rather than consequences of diminished internal energy.
However, Nessler’s broader intuition that hair carries psychological and social meaning remains relevant. Modern research confirms that hair strongly influences self-perception, identity, and social interaction.
In this sense, while his biological explanations are outdated, his recognition of hair as a meaningful human characteristic continues to resonate.
OPTIONAL SECTION
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Original Chapter (1928)
Below you find the original scanned version of Chapter II from The Story of Hair by Charles Nessler.