The hairstyles described are a cross between the hairstyles worn by Marie Antoinette and the Traditional hairstyles of a Geisha.
"No, I won't sing it again," Sokka sighed.
"It's tiring,"
"I'll calm everyone with a scary story then!" Iroh said.
"What'll this one be about?" Aang asked.
"It's a cautionary tale, of why you shouldn't overdo your hair!" Iroh said smiling.
"Years ago when I was a boy, women wore their hair in a complex style called a pouf. It involved many pomades and ornaments. The women wore it high and big with combs and flowers and jewels. Some even put miniature ships and animals or dolls in their hairstyles. They wore they style for long periods of time, so they never washed their hair,"
"Ew!" Katara exclaimed. Katara took pride in her hair and could never go without washing it.
"One noblewoman wore her hair more extravagantly than the other ladies. At night she wrapped her hair and silk to protect then rested her neck on a wooden block. One day, her scalp begins to tingle and itch. It bothers her constantly. But she cannot scratch, or she will ruin her heavily pomaded and waxed hairdo.
One day the itching and stinging became so bead that during an important court presentation she began to jump about wailing in pain. She tore at her hair and finally collapsed. The other nobles called for a healer. As they waited they noticed blood was seeping from the woman's scalp. When the Healer arrived, the woman was already dead.
The embalmer, who was suspicious of the woman's death broke open her pouf and found that thousands of baby Fire Back Spiders were inside it. A mother Fire Back had crawled into her unwashed hair, and laid her eggs. When the babies hatched they ate at the skin on her scalp, eventually boring into the woman's brain,"
When Iroh finished everyone looked green. Katara was running her fingers through her hair erratically.
"Of course," Iroh began.
"That's only a myth. You shouldn't worry Katara. Anyways, you keep your hair very clean,"