Egyptian Wigs

Egyptian Wigs
Ready dressed wigs were worn by wealthy Ancient Egyptians of both sexes. Elaborately curled and adorned wigs were worn at special public occasions and at religious ceremonies. The normal hairstyles of the men dictated that their hair was cropped short or shaved, which was probably due to help them combat the heat. But their status and wealth could be reflected in the imposing wigs that the wore on special occasions. The women kept their hair longer but they also delighted in the elaborately adorned wigs that they were able to wear. The higher the status of the man or woman the more wigs they possessed.  

Egyptian Hairstyles

What were Egyptian Wigs made of?
The Wigs of the Ancient Egyptians were made of human hair which was often supplemented by plant fibre or from the wool of sheep. These wigs were not just brunette or dark colored. Blond wigs were also produced. These wigs were extremely expensive and time consuming to make. One of the Ancient Egyptian wigs which has survived consists of:

• 120,000 individual hairs
• The hairs were then a grouped into 300 strands

The hairs were coated with a mixture of beeswax and resin then looped through a netting and fixed into place with wax.

Egyptian Wigs for Women
The elaborate wigs of the women of Ancient Egypt consisted of a base of thin tight plaits which were covered with thick, full and luxurious curls. The styles varied as most women preferred to wear unique styles if possible with a huge variety of different adornments.

Egyptian Wigs for Men
The wigs worn by the men of Ancient Egypt were somewhat shorter than the women's wigs, but were just as elaborate. Even though wigs and hair pieces were available to men they still worried about greying and thinning hair. Henna was used by men as a hair dye and various formulas were prescribed as hair restorers. A recipe for one Ancient Egyptian hair restorer consisted of boiling up the paw of a female greyhound, the stone of a date and the hoof of an ass.

Egyptian Wigs - the AdornmentsThe adornments of Ancient Egyptian wigs included some of the following:

• Jewelry
• Gold strands
• Flowers
• Tassels
• Tiaras
• Beads
• Ribbons
• Hair bands

The hairstyle of wigs were kept in placed with clasps and hairpins.

The False Beard of the PharaohThe beard was not in fashion and men shaved facial hair but beards were considered to be sacred to the gods and therefore to the Pharaohs. The beard was considered to be a divine symbol of the gods. Depictions of Pharaohs, both the Kings and some Queens, are seen wearing false plaited beards. These false beards were religious symbols of the Pharaohs emphasizing their status as a living god. The bizarre false beards were tightly knotted and plaited and hooked behind the ears. They were worn on important religious and other ceremonial occasions.

Egyptian Wigs
Each section of this Egyptian website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of Egypt, the Ancient Egyptians and of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, King Tut.

Egyptian Hairstyles

Egyptian Hairstyles
The clothing worn by the Ancient Egyptians was simple consisting of white shifts for the women and kilts for the men. The clothing was adorned by fabulous jewelry, sashes and aprons and by the addition of decorative and highly fashionable wigs. Ancient Egyptian men generally kept the hair short or shaved it off, wealthy Egyptian men then wore wigs. The women of Ancient Egypt kept their own hair long which they plaited and curled. The wealthy women also wore elaborate wigs.

Egyptian Wigs

Variations in Egyptian Hairstyles
The hairstyles of the Ancient Egyptians were subject to some variation depending on their status in society. These variations were subject to the following:

• Status - the higher the status the more elaborate the hairstyle, wigs and adornments
• Role in Society - Egyptian priests shaved their hair completely and did not wear wigs
• Gender - the men and women adopted different hairstyles
• Age - Children of both sexes wore the 'Lock of Youth'. Older men and women dyed their hair with henna
• Fashion - Hairstyles and fashions changed during the different periods of Ancient Egyptian history

Egyptian Hairstyles of Women
The women of early Ancient Egypt of the Middle Kingdom kept their hair short whereas the women of the later New Kingdom kept their hair long, which they plaited and curled. The wealthy women also wore elaborate wigs. Long hair was dressed as plaits or braided pony tails, and occasionally a fringe was cut. The hair of wealthy was elaborately curled and occasionally adorned with jewelry, gold strands, flowers, beads, ribbons and hair bands. The women had a preference for unique hairstyle which were kept in placed with clasps and hairpins.

Egyptian Hairstyles of Men
The hairstyles of the men in Ancient Egypt changed little during the whole of the period which lasted over three thousand years. Ancient Egyptian men generally kept the hair short or shaved it off. The wealthy Egyptian men then wore highly elaborate wigs or hair extensions.

The Egyptian Hairstyles of Children
The Egyptian hairstyles of children consisted of a shaved head except for one, long plaited lock which hung at the side. This lock of hair was referred to as the 'Lock of Youth'. This hairstyle was the traditional style worn by both boys and girls until the age of puberty. At the age of puberty the 'Lock of Youth' was cut off and the young men then adopted the same hairstyle as the men - short or shaved. The young girls then kept their hair long, which they dressed as plaits or braided pony tails, and occasionally a fringe was cut. Their hair was elaborately curled and occasionally adorned with jewelry, beads and hair bands.

Facial and Body Hair
The fashions and traditions relating to  facial and body hair changed during the different periods. Men of the earliest periods, up to the Old and early Middle Kingdom were known to wear full beards and moustaches. This fashion changed during the Later Periods of Egyptian history and men of all roles and status adopted the clean shaven style.

The Beard of the PharaohsDespite the change of style and the new low esteem afforded to facial hair the beard was still considered to be sacred to the gods and therefore the Pharaohs. The beard was considered to be a divine symbol of the gods. Depictions of Pharaohs, both the Kings and some Queens, are seen wearing false plaited beards. These false beards were religious symbols of the Pharaohs emphasizing their status as a living god. The bizarre false beards were tightly knotted and plaited and hooked behind the ears. The styles and shapes of the beards varied from the long rectangular shape which was cut level at the bottom to a long, narrow beard plaited like a pigtail with the end jutting forward, such as the beard from the chin on the mask of King Tut, Tutankhamen.   They were worn on important religious and other ceremonial occasions.

cabelos no egito

Os egípcios ricos usavam perucas enquanto os mais pobres deveriam usar cabelos longos que podiam ser amarrados com rabo de porco. Até os doze anos, os garotos egípcios tinha que manter a cabeça raspada, para os proteger de pulgas e piolhos.

O cabelo era lavado frequentemente ,usando um pó à base de cinza de vegetais e carbonato de sódio mas, as pragas de piolhos e lêndeas favoreceram o uso de perucas, discutindo-se hoje se , por baixo delas, havia cabelos curtos ou cabeças rapadas.