Historians can reveal many secrets of the ancient world. With their help, we learn that people who lived millennia ago had extensive knowledge in various fields and were skilled craftsmen in what we now call the “beauty industry”. The ancient Egyptians were especially distinguished by their skills. Most of the population of this country was known as great fashionistas and strictly adhered to certain canons of beauty, adopted at different periods of the existence of the kingdom. When studying the culture of Ancient Egypt, scientists were struck by the attitude of the inhabitants of the Nile Valley to their own appearance and hairstyles. They skillfully used cosmetics and laid the foundations of hairdressing, which in those days was mainly the lot of slaves. However, the hairstyles of Ancient Egypt were, rather, a demonstration of the high position of a person, and not an expression of his mood. Only noble people could afford to use slaves to create something incredible on their heads. Want to know what hairstyles the ancient Egyptians had in fashion? Then you should read our article.
Hairdressing as an Art
Talking about hairstyle fashion in Ancient Egypt, I would like to note that this state was slave-owning. After studying numerous scrolls and murals, historians and archaeologists came to the conclusion that almost all the life support of the inhabitants of the Nile Valley was carried out by slaves. Each of them clearly knew their responsibilities.
It is noteworthy that the beauty of their masters was also watched by slaves. At the same time, they were quite skillful, because long before the advent of various tools for creating complex hairstyles in Egypt, methods for curling and dyeing hair, creating wigs from different materials and various types of styling were mastered. Scientists were able to learn all this from written sources and mural paintings. Moreover, a thorough study of mummies yielded simply sensational results - their hair was in excellent condition, which means they were carefully looked after. This, of course, was also done by slaves.
The barbers of Ancient Egypt were both men and women. They were trained purposefully, and one person could perform only one operation qualitatively. At times, more than ten slaves were used to wash their hair and do their hair. One washed his hair, the other - combed strands, the third - rubbed cosmetics, the fourth - dyed curls and so on. This allowed slaves to become true masters of their craft.
Over time, such skillful hairdressers were staged a real hunt. They cost a lot of money, and a gifted slave with similar skills became a real gem of the collection, which she often boasted in her circle to know.
Fashion for hairstyles: dynamics and trends
Scientists divide the history of Ancient Egypt into three fairly long periods:
- Ancient kingdom;
- Middle kingdom;
- The new kingdom.
Each time period has a number of characteristic features, but this can be seen by fashion trends in the hairstyles of Ancient Egypt. Despite the fact that the inhabitants of the Nile Valley were known as conservatives in some way, they were not alien to experiments with their appearance, which was reflected in their hair.
The most numerous of them were allowed by the Egyptians during the period of the New Kingdom. At this time, the colors, shapes and length of the hair were rapidly changing. Before that, for many years, the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt adhered to certain canons regulating the types of hairstyles for nobles. At the same time, each social stratum was ordered to wear its own hairstyle with small possible variations.
Characteristics of Egyptian Hairstyles
After a long study of the records of the entire period of Egyptian history, scientists were able to identify distinctive characteristics by which one can recognize the hairstyle of a resident of the Nile Valley. We will list them briefly, and in further sections of the article we will consider in more detail:
- black or dark brown hair color;
- geometric shapes characteristic of men and women;
- thick bangs;
- covering hair with aromatic oils;
- weaving (often they took bizarre forms);
- widespread use of wigs;
- addiction to curl.
To one degree or another, these signs can be traced to all periods of the history of the state. Moreover, this applied only to noble families, because ordinary people could not afford slaves, and it was quite difficult to take care of hair on their own.
The main types and forms of hairstyles
Mentioning that the Egyptians often used wigs, we did not specify what the ancient hairdressers honed their art on. The fact is that all the nobles preferred to wear them not only in solemn occasions, but also in the house or for a walk. They were considered the most natural hairstyle of a noble person and were performed in accordance with the requirements of their time.
In the period of the Ancient and Middle Kingdom, the hairstyles of men and women were very similar. They were often called "geometric" because of the severity and clarity of the lines. At the same time, the hairstyle could resemble an oval, a trapezoid, a circle, and so on. The most popular forms were "trapezoid", "drop" and "ball".
The first was achieved due to the small length and flattened nape. Usually, the hair was cut just below the chin and styled so that it expanded to the bottom. At the same time, the back of the head was smeared with aromatic oils and sticky compounds so that the hair did not fluff from the heat.
The spherical shape was achieved due to a large number of laying means. At the same time, the hair length should not have been longer than on a trapezoidal hairstyle.
The teardrop shape looked better on long hair. She demanded a straight parting and open ears. Historians claim that of all the hairstyles of ancient Egypt, open-ear options were the most popular. However, directors and consultants of feature films often forget about them, creating images of their heroes from this era.
For the Egyptians it was characteristic to adhere to certain forms for centuries. They sought to preserve the heritage of their ancestors and tried their best to resemble them.
Hairstyles slaves
The life of slaves was always clearly regulated, but the rules never related to their appearance. Egyptians came from people from different provinces, countries, and even from other continents, and therefore they brought with them their traditions and fashion. To know was not too interested in why some slaves wore long hair, while others preferred to cut their hair. They allowed the servants to choose exactly how to look.
As the few records found by archaeologists testify, initially all the people who fell into slavery, with all their might, clung to the traditions brought from their homeland. However, soon the hard work and hot humid climate forced them to completely change their appearance. Most often they shaved their heads. If the slave was valued by the owner, then he was allowed to oil his scalp with various oils. Otherwise, care for the hairstyle was limited to frequent shaving, which allowed to reduce perspiration and not become a hotbed of various insects, which were rich in the Nile Valley.
Baby hairstyles
We already wrote that in Egypt there was not much difference between the hairstyles of men and women. This trend begins to be traced back to children's fashion. The fact is that each child, regardless of gender, completely shaved off the hair on his head. This applied even to the children of slaves, however, it was still possible to distinguish one from the other by hairstyle.
The child of commoners and nobles was left a long strand of hair at the left temple. She served as a symbol of childhood and determined the status of his parents as free people. For convenience, this strand was braided into a thin pigtail or made from it a tail.
The hairstyle of a young pharaoh who did not reach puberty looked a bit different. His hair was also shaved off, but his braid was not left. Immediately after shaving, a rim of leather or hair was mounted on the boy’s head, on which a pigtail was fixed. It was made by craftsmen from the same material that was used to weave the rim. A similar headdress, replacing the hairstyle, symbolized the high position of the child and distinguished him from a large number of other children.
Wigs in Ancient Egypt: Why Are They Worth It?
Designs made from different materials were extremely fashionable among the inhabitants of the Nile Valley. They represent the most striking characteristic of the fashion of those times on hairstyles. Absolutely all noble people wore them:
- priests;
- farmers;
- aristocrats (men and women);
- Pharaohs.
Each representative of the listed class completely shaved off his hair and put a wig on his head. Historians believe that such a strange fashion for modern man was provoked by the climate in which the Egyptians lived. It was extremely difficult for them to live with long hair in an area with constant high air temperature and humidity. It is not necessary to exclude dust storms and an abundance of insects from the list of problems common for Egyptians, which also adversely affected hairstyles. Therefore, it was necessary to use all sorts of wigs for beauty.
Their shape has always been fashionable. The most demanded were those that made it possible to create the effect of an absolutely flattened parietal zone. It was considered the height of hairdressing in ancient Egypt.
Materials for making wigs
Since wigs were worn by absolutely all sectors of the population, the materials for their manufacture were completely different. Commoners could make themselves a hairstyle from colored ribbons or ropes. Richer people often used animal hair and silk. In this case, the wig was very light and let air through.
To know, the close associates of the pharaoh and the ruler of Egypt wore wigs from natural hair. The most skilled craftsmen were involved in their manufacture. They first conducted a complex staining procedure and only then proceeded to create a masterpiece. Usually the hair was wound on thin wooden sticks and smeared with clay. After drying, elastic tows were obtained, from which the remains of clay were easily shaken off. Then the prepared strands gathered in the desired shape.
Caring for a wig made of natural hair was easy. Slaves periodically combed it out and lubricated with aromatic oils. It is noteworthy that many representatives of the nobility wore two wigs at a time. This was not done in order to show its significance, but in order to create an air cushion and protect itself from overheating in the scorching sun.
Wigs Classification
By the size and type of the wig on the head, it was easy to determine the status of its owner. For example, the priests wore very voluminous structures, and in solemn occasions they put them on animal masks. It looked a little bizarre, but completely consistent with their status.
Middle-land landowners wore neat and short wigs. Know and the pharaohs could afford absolutely any shape and size depending on the occasion and mood.
Women's fashion hairstyles
Women's hairstyles of Ancient Egypt were simple. They were characterized by the same, previously described, geometric shapes and dark hair color. Shades usually ranged from blue-black to dark brown.
The ladies carefully shaved their heads, and when leaving their chambers they always wore a wig. Its initial length was quite short - to the chin or shoulders. At the same time, regardless of the shape, the ends of the hair were trimmed evenly, which further emphasized the geometric shape of the hairstyle.
Over time, fashion trends have changed a bit. Bright hair colors became popular. Noble ladies wore wigs of yellow, green and orange shades. Their length has also changed. In the era of the New Kingdom, women began to prefer longer hair, from which intricate hairstyles were built. Natural hair below the shoulders began to enter into fashion.
Often they were braided in small braids and laid very tightly to each other. On holidays, hairdressers curled large curls and placed them strictly in parallel. Without fail, the hair was oiled, this gave them a special shine and protected from the scorching rays of the sun. Around the same time period, women fell in love with a hairstyle that divided hair into three rows. Two strands descended to the chest and twisted intricately, and one flowed down the back and opened the graceful ears of the Egyptians.
Men's fashion
Hairstyles of men of Ancient Egypt were rather plain. Commoners could shave their heads or make the shortest possible haircut. But noble men have always completely shaved off the hair on their heads and faces. This was considered an unchanging attribute of the time.
Men's wigs have not undergone major changes in the entire history of Egypt. Noble Egyptians could afford two types of hairstyles. One resembled our square. The hair was parted and cut off, then they were smoothed and oiled, leaving to dry completely in one position. Another option suggested the same shape, but the strands were twisted and tightly stacked to each other.
Hairstyles for Pharaohs
Hairstyles of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt differed in very intricate forms. Most often, wigs were incredibly voluminous. The design itself with many interlocking strands was decorated with gold ribbons, rims and precious stones. Each wig of this kind was a work of art. The collection of the pharaoh could have dozens of different wigs for all occasions.
A constant addition to the hairstyle of the ruler of Egypt was a beard. It was made of artificial hair and attached to the chin with a thin cord. Often she braided into pigtails. Pharaoh could not appear in public without a wig and a mandatory beard.