Hair Raising Facts About Ancient Egyptian Hairstyles

Today’s blog post will feature a slightly different type of post, one that is both informative and fun: an expose’ on ancient Egyptian hairstyles.  When it comes to studies of the past very few scholars focus on the complexities of personal hygiene.  This is for a good reason: more often than not this is a topic that is not easily gleaned from the archaeological record.  Soft tissue, including hair, does not preserve and survive well in the archaeological record in many places in the world, but in the deserts of Egypt these items and more preserve very well, thereby allowing interested scholars to study this topic.  In addition, Egyptian scholars also have the added bonus of the rich Egyptian history that the ancient Egyptians and outsiders recorded, as well as iconography and material culture evidence to help form a complete picture of ancient Egyptian hairstyles.  In this post we will explore the different types of hairstyles and practices related to hair throughout ancient Egyptian history.

Figure 1: Egyptian wig

 

Hair was incredibly important to ancient Egyptians.  There is evidence that regularly washes of one’s hair took place, although it is unknown how often such activities took place.  There is material culture evidence of hair brushes, combs, clips, and clasps used to maintain and style hair.  Thick hair was preferred above all else, although there were fashion and occupational preferences toward shaving one’s head.  A variety of stone, copper, and bronze razors were used for such purposes. 

The importance of hair took several forms, including the use of wigs, hair extensions, and hair dyes.  Men and women would sometimes shave their head or cut their hair very short and wear wigs (Figure 1).  Originally a practice exclusively reserved for the elites and royal family it eventually became commonplace among all members of Egyptian society.  Wigs were created from a variety of materials, and those materials determined the expense of the wig.  Wigs of human hair were the priciest, followed by those made of human hair and vegetable fibers, and the cheapest wigs were made exclusively of vegetable fibers.  Ultimately, the more realistic the wig the steeper the price, so in this way wigs were a means of identifying wealth and social status among the wearers.  Wigs were sometimes made of a variety of precious stones, which were exclusively worn by the Pharaohs and their family members.  Wigs would be styled into specific hairstyles and/or adorned with gold strands, beads, flowers, etc.  Men and women wore wigs, which were affixed to the head using beeswax, and wigs were oftentimes scented with flowery perfumes to add to the allure of the person’s beauty.

Figure 2: Comb and hair extensions

 

Hair extensions were another option among ancient Egyptians (Figure 2), particularly among those who could not afford pricey wigs.  Extensions were worn in one’s hair to produce the desired thick hair texture, as well as to hide the symptoms of thinning or balding hair.  Wealthy Egyptians would often times style their hair with wigs and extensions, whereas others would only rely on extensions. 

Dying hair was also commonplace among ancient Egyptians (Figure 3).  Graying hair was seen as ugly, so henna dyes, as well as the blood of black animals, were used to revitalize the color into the hair.  Unfortunately, these hair dyes did not produce the desired effects as they did not return the dark brown or black colors to the hair.  Instead the hair would be dyed orangish-red as a result of the henna dyes.  Those who sought the darker hair colors would use the blood of black animals in the hopes that the blood would dye the hair black to match the color of the animals, but this was for not.

Figure 3: Evidence of dyed hair among ancient Egyptian woman

 

Ancient Egyptians hairstyles were also indicative of gender, occupation, and age.  Men and women were expected to have different hairstyles.  Men were expected to have short to shoulder length hair, dependent on the stylistic preference of the period, whereas women were expected to always have their hair long and styled according to their social status.  The more elaborate the hairstyle the higher one’s status.  Hairstyles were also associated with occupational class.  While this aspect of Egyptian culture is not completely known at this time it is clear that the priests were expected to shave all the hair off their bodies, which is believed to have served the specific purpose of avoiding lice infestations that would have impaired their ability to practice rituals.  Also, while Egyptians frowned upon balding pre-pubescent children had their heads shaved, except for a lock referred to as the “lock of youth”, a long strand of hair that grew from the back of the head.  This lock of youth was shaved off young boys upon reaching puberty so they could begin to grow the appropriate short hair style, whereas young girls were allowed to grow the remainder of their hair out to don their appropriate long hair styles.

In conclusion, ancient Egyptians valued hair as much as modern peoples today, if not more so.  Ancient Egyptians used wigs, extensions, and hair dyes to maintain the preferred full, thick hair.  Hairstyles also provided information about one’s identity, specifically related to social status, gender, occupation, and age.  Next time you are working on your hair consider how much this desire to style one’s hair has existed for centuries, and it may be one more thing that binds all human groups together.

References

Alchin, L.  2017.  “Egyptian Hairstyles.”  History Embalmed.org.  Siteseen Ltd.

Collins, S.  No Date.  “Ancient Egyptian Hair and Beauty.”  Ancient Egypt.  Tripod.com

Hays, J.  2012.  “Beauty, Hairstyles, and Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt.”  Facts and Details.com

Live Science Staff.  2014.  “Photos: 3,300 Year Old Egyptian Hairstyles Revealed.”  Live Science.com

No Author.  2009.  “Hair and Wigs.”  Ancient Egypt: Hair and Wigs.  Reshafim.org

Springer, I.  2001.  “Great Hair Days in Ancient Egypt.”  Tour Egypt.net.