Powell's Hair being "Filed?" What's THAT about?!

[MaddieM]

I have a great many old Victorian dictionaries (and one that even goes back to the Federal era dated 1811) - I can find no reference to this at all....

Just another archaic Victorian euphemism which has lost it's meaning.... I love these old period words and would love to find out what it meant. For years I wondered what a Victorian person's "traps" were and finally found out that it was their A) luggage B) personal effects!

Perhaps someone on the board will know what "hair filing" means! HA!

Misprint? Or does he mean filed down, as in taken down close.