Wool, Flour, and Virgin Hair: Wigs and the Test of Time

Men and women always devote extra time styling their hair thus the mere thought of losing them is unimaginable. Today, wigs and hair extensions are pieces of vanity and self-esteem boosters anyone can use to make their crowing glory even more stylish.

The use of wigs have been traced as early as Ancient Egypt, when people shaved their heads for easier cleaning compared to having a head full of hair. Most Egyptians would wear locks of hair or similar looking materials like wool or leaf fibers held together by beeswax. Everyone—rich or poor—had wigs, but it was usually the upper-class women who owned large wigs of different styles; noble women are the only ones who could own long “goddress” wigs.

Hair was considered sacred to both ancient Greeks and Romans, and cutting or cleaning it followed a ceremony. For those, who had problems with their hair, wearing wigs became a great way to hide it. Julius Caesar, for example, wore a wig to hide his baldness. Wigs became so popular that by the 17^th century those who cannot afford wigs in France wore their own hair but tried to make it look like a wig. .

Used for vanity, costumes, or to hide embarrassing hair conditions, wigs have survived the tests of time and continue to be patronized to this day. Made with synthetic hair, real human hair, or even untouched and untreated virgin human hair, wigs have changed just as much as other fashion accessories have.