Facts About Hairstyles: Past, Present, and Future
- Social class, age, ethnicity, race, and genetics determined hairstyles throughout history up to the late 20th century.
- In ancient Egypt, 4000-300BC, males, and females wore long straight hair and braids with elaborate headdresses.
- Wigs were common in ancient Egypt in the years 4000-300BC.
- In ancient Greece, during the years1500-150BC, long knotted long hair and updos were hairstyles for females.
- In ancient Greece, males and females decorated their hair with crowns made of leaves, such as laurel wreaths.
- In ancient Greece, women decorated their updos with jewels.
- In ancient Rome, 500 BC–500AD, males and females wore blonde hair dyed with gold powder.
- In ancient Rome, during the same period, males and females curled their hair with the help of ancient curling tongs.
- In the Dark Ages, noblewomen wore headdresses and covered hair.
- Unmarried women in the Dark Aged wore a fillet, a narrow headband over a wimple.
- During the Romantic era, noblewomen’s preferred hairstyle was loose curls.
- Lower-class women of the Romantic era wore their hair in a page boy style, short or mid-length.
- Women in the Gothic period covered their headdresses, bonnets, hats, or hoods.
- In the Renaissance era, women decorated their hair with ribbons, pearls, and precious stones.
- During the Baroque period, women wore their hair with voluminous updos.
- Wigs make an appearance in the 1700s for men and women.
- In the Victorian era, 1837-1860, women covered their ears with curls or braids.
- In the Art Nouveau period, 1890-1910, women wore more relaxed updos decorated with ribbons and delicate headdresses.
- In the 1920s, short hairstyles for women became popular.
- During the 1920s, the rave was about simple and sleek hairstyles.
- The cloche hat became a must-hair accessory for women of the 1920s.
- The iconic 1920s finger waves were embellished with bejeweled combs and delicate headdresses.
- Side-swept, thick wavy hair and pencil-thin eyebrows were the hairstyle of choice for women of the 1930s.
- Victory rolls and headscarves became the hairstyle of choice of women of the 1940s.
- Structured hairstyles with volume became the staple for women of the 1950s.
- In the 1950s, headscarves, and bands became a fashion accessories rather than a necessity.
- In the 1960s, asymmetric, bouffant, bobs, beehives, and long, straight hairstyles adorned with flowers became popular.
- 1970s hair was voluminous with layers and a center parting.
- Punk hair with spikes and multicolored mohawks make an appearance in the 1970s.
- The 1980s hairstyles were about volume, bangs, fringes, and textures.
- The 1990s were all about simple hairstyles celebrating all hair textures.
- In the 2000s, hair has become a symbol of identity and self-expression without rules and norms.
Fun Facts About Hairstyles
- Keratin is the main component of hair.
- A hair strand is stronger than a copper wire of the same diameter.
- Before the 1920s, women never cut their hair.
- Short hairstyles such as the bob and the Eton Crop became symbolic of the 1920s.
- In the 1940s, women’s hair and hairstyles became practical due to the World War.
- Headscarves were worn to keep dust and grime out of the hair of working women of the 1940s.
- Hair salons and hairdressers started in the 1950s, and women moved from doing their own hair at home to the salon.
- The afro became a symbol of power during the 1960s.
- Hair colors and dyes became mainstream and a staple of self-expression during the hippie era of the 1960s.
- Hairspray became a household personal care item in the 1960s.
- Straight, blown-out hair became popular during the 1970s.
- Big and eccentric rock n roll hairstyles became the norm in the 1980s.
- The Rachel became the symbolic hairstyle of the 1990s based on the popular character of the TV show Friends.
- Androgynous hairstyles became popular in the 2000s.
- Festival hair became a hair category in the 2000s.
- Pinterest became the chosen social media platform for hair inspiration in the late 2000s.
- Retro styles are very popular today.
- Women today choose to let their grays grow naturally and make them part of their hairstyle.
Sources: NIH, Bellatory, Kiddle, MedScape, thelovepost, allwomenstalk, hairclub. .