The first documented use of hair extensions and wigs is around 3400 BC, in Ancient Egypt. Whilst body hair was a big no, thick hair on the head was seen as a status symbol. Wigs and hair extensions were worn by both men and women who were higher up in society.
The ancient Egyptians created the wig to shield shaved, hairless heads from the sun. They also wore the wigs on top of their hair using beeswax and resin to keep the wigs in place. Wealthy Egyptians would wear elaborate wigs and scented head cones of animal fat on top of their wigs.
[1] The earliest specimen was found in a female burial at Hierakonpolis dating from c. 3400 BC. Predominantly worn by the elite of Egyptian society, wigs served a dual purpose: they signaled high rank in Egypt's strict social hierarchy and helped protect shaven scalps (a sign of nobility) from the sun.
The wearing of wigs dates from the earliest recorded times; it is known, for example, that the ancient Egyptians shaved their heads and wore wigs to protect themselves from the sun and that the Assyrians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans also used artificial hairpieces at times.
Following the great spread and success in the continent, the wig makers, then called “Coiffeurs”, obtained great consideration and specific guilds were founded all around Europe. In England the trend of wearing wigs was introduced in 1660 by King Charles II, who took back the throne after a long exile in France.
But regardless of whether or not Black women are on stage, wigs have always had a place in our culture and in our homes for a variety of reasons—two of the most major being coping with hair loss and protecting natural hair for growth.
The first documented use of hair extensions and wigs is around 3400 BC, in Ancient Egypt. Whilst body hair was a big no, thick hair on the head was seen as a status symbol. Wigs and hair extensions were worn by both men and women who were higher up in society.
In the 1980s, weaves raised the black beauty bar even higher to hair that is not just straight, but also very long (Banks, 2000; Byrd & Tharps, 2001; Tate, 2007). Hair weaving is a process by which synthetic or real human hair is sewn into one's own hair.
Sims traces the origins of braids back to African culture. “Braids have been impressionable throughout history,” says Sims. “The origin of braids can be traced back 5000 years in African culture to 3500 BC—they were very popular among women.” “Braiding started in Africa with the Himba people of Namibia,” says Pace.
This type of wig soon came to represent honour, power and elegance among the aristocracy. Suddenly, wearing a wig lost its stigma, instead becoming a status symbol showing the wearer's sophisticated and refined lifestyle.
Red wigs became a popular alternative, which Elizabeth also took to wearing.
As good hair was associated with status and style, baldness and hair loss compounded the shame of having syphilis. Wigs were commonly used to cover up hair loss, but their use did not become widespread until two Kings started to lose their hair.
Bald patches were considered “undignified” and wigs soon became a very practical way of hiding those issues. England's King Charles II, who was a cousin of Louis XIV, was showing common symptoms of syphilis when he started to wear a wig. Almost by accident, wigs also solved another common 17th-century problem: lice.
Vikings did not invent braiding. There are depictions of braided hair from as early as 30,000 BC/BCE including the famous Venus of Willendorf. There are figures with cornrows in Tassili n'Ajjer cave paintings in North Africa that date from 6000 BC/BCE.
Many historians believe that India can be credited for the religious origins of dreadlocks. In fact, the Hindu Holy Scriptures, The Vedas, which was written in Indian between 1500 and 1000 BCE, provides the first written historical evidence of dreadlocks.
Early depictions of women with what appear to be cornrows have been found in Stone Age paintings in the Tassili Plateau of the Sahara, and have been dated as far back as 3000 B.C. A similar style is also seen in depictions of the ancient Cushitic people of the Horn of Africa, who appear to be wearing this style of ...
A Short History Of Braiding & Afro Hair
Evidence suggests that Afro hair braiding started with the Himba people in what is now modern-day Namibia. It's believed that across the African continent, braiding patterns were used to identify tribe, age, wealth, marital status and religion.
African hair is seen to be much thicker and more dense meaning that the hair follicles are larger. Density represents the amount of hairs that grow from the head, with denser hair resulting from more hairs growing closer together from the scalp. An individual with high-density hair creates a fuller appearance of curls.
African Americans can trace their hair roots to the countries of West and West Central Africa including Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria.
History of Wigs: 2700 BC- The Discovery of Wigs
The history of wigs begins around 2700 BCE where the first wig was discovered in ancient Egypt. They were inspired by the hot sun in the desert. Managing hair in those weather conditions was hard, so the Egyptians shaved their hair.
Use Baking Soda On Your Wig
Either add a teaspoon of the soda to your wig washing mixture (see above) or fully dilute a few teaspoons in a basin and leave the wig to soak for 10-30 minutes. Rinse with cold water and complete a full wash of your wig to ensure any chalky residue is removed.