Hair Growth Contraptions

Hair is an endless source of pride for a good number of us. The longer and thicker our tresses, the more we flaunt our luxurious locks. Of course, we sink a king’s ransom into hair products to make sure our mane is silky, smooth and beautiful. That said, one does have to wonder about some of the hair products released over the years, particularly those intended to battle baldness.
While none of us want to look in the mirror to find bald patches, perhaps we should draw the line at anything that resembles a medieval torture device.

Thermocap
The war against baldness is as old as time, people fighting to save every precious strand of hair they have. Innovative companies stand at their side, researching and testing products intended to end the plague of bald heads. One such company, Allied Merke Institute, thought they stumbled across a remedy in the 1920s. The Thermocap device admittedly looked more like an oblong salon hair dryer, but promised to stimulate hair growth using heat and a blue light. In theory, fifteen minutes a day under the Thermocap would prevent hair loss and promote hair growth. Unfortunately, their theory fell flat.

Xervac
Hair loss is attributed to a number of factors, including heredity, health conditions and poor circulation. Crosley believed they had the perfect answer to prevent baldness by increasing blood flow to the scalp. In 1939, they released the home model Crosley Xervac, yet another product that looked a lot like a salon hair dryer. However, the Xervac stimulated blood circulation in the scalp using a combination of a vacuum and pressure. Sadly, the Xervac probably proved more useful at vacuuming up loose hair strands than anything else.

Multiple Electric Vibrator
A good massage is likely to improve poor circulation, including in the scalp. Perhaps that is why so many people swear a massage stimulates hair growth. One business certainly put stock in that theory. In fact, the company released their Multiple Electric Vibrator, a product that used 480 “artificial fingers” to gently massage the scalp. A plus is the Multiple Electric Vibrator also remove loose hair and dandruff. Chances are those were the best results one could expect from the device that resembled a vice grip with four brushes and hand grips on either side.

Vitabrush
The Hersey Mfg. Co. seemed to believe the cure for baldness was improving poor circulation and treating dandruff. To that end, they developed an electric brush that worked something like an electric toothbrush. The product promised to give hair a workout certain to revitalize the scalp, distribute hair oils and improve circulation. One thing is certain. The Vitabrush likely gave people a nice, relaxing massage that worked wonders to ease stress despite the agony of a receding hairline.