Wigs - Luxury beauty accessories for ancient Egyptian women

For ancient Egyptian women, the wig is not only a beauty accessory but also shows the status and wealth, and the secrecy of women even when it comes to the afterlife.

According to the Ancient Origins, ancient Egyptians had different hair styles depending on their social status, gender and age. A slave must not let hair look like a free man, and people of the lower class cannot follow the hairstyle of the upper class.

In general, children's hair is relatively similar. They were shaved their heads, leaving only a long strand of hair. This hairstyle relates to the symbolic hieroglyphic symbol of a child or youth

As an adult, men continue to hold the shaving heads while women braid their hair with braided or ponytail. Men often have short hair exposed to their ears, but sometimes they prefer to have short curly hair covering their ears.

Compared to men, women of ancient Egypt have more sophisticated and unique hairstyles. They prefer smooth hair with natural hair waves. They also like long curly hair, but under the Ancient Dynasty (2686 - 2181 BC), women often wear short hair through their ears or up to their chin.

The wig made of gold, plaster, glass and jade buried in the grave of three of Pharaoh Thutmose III's warships at Wadi el-Gabbana Qurud around 1479 - 1425 BC.(Photo: Wikimedia).

A group of researchers at the University of Manchester, England, examined the hair of 18 mummies, mostly in the early Ptolemy dynasty. They observed the hairs under a microscope. When analyzing, researchers discovered hair of 9 mummies that contained a strange substance. Chemical analysis shows that it is made from fatty acids of animal and plant origin. Researchers believe that it is a gel used by Egyptians to hold the shape of hair.

Ancient Egyptians also faced the problem of hair loss as humans today and they created many hair sprays for men. A roll of papyrus dating from 1,500 years BC refers to the use of fat from scalp lions, crocodiles, snakes, geese, cats, goats, wild goats, or hippos. Minced lettuce is also used to stimulate hair growth.

Ancient Egyptians used aromatic oils such as pine oil, almond oil, rosemary oil, castor oil for both wigs and real hair because they believed that oils would stimulate hair growth. The popular curry grass in ancient times is used as a drug to stimulate hair growth.

However, wigs are born for a number of reasons. First, the Egyptians do not want gray or white hair. They used henna to dye their hair, but in a dry climate in Egypt, wigs became a better solution. Secondly, many people find using wigs more comfortable than long hair. Studies of mummies show that the hair of ancient Egyptians was in very bad condition, especially when they were older.

The use of beauty wigs is not only popular in Egypt but also spread to Mesopotamia, Crete, Greece and Persia. However, the Egyptians developed the technique of making wigs to perfection. The most expensive wigs for royalty look like real hair. They are made from plant fibers such as fabrics, fleece, animal hair and beeswax hair.

Wigs are not only used in royal daily life but also in festivals and important events. Egyptian wigs are similar in structure to helmets, are bright blue, red and green, decorated with precious stones and jewelry. Upper class people like to own multiple wigs to show their noble status.

People who do wigs are mostly women. Wigs are made from customers' hair to a barber shop, sometimes with a hair or slave seller. After death, ancient Egyptian women were often buried with the most beautiful wig. They want to maintain their wealth and beautiful hair when they go to the afterlife. Therefore, many wigs exist until now and are exhibited worldwide.

Great queens like Nefertiti, Cleopatra, and Nefertari are always proud of their wigs. Many of them have shaved their heads and wigs that contribute significantly to their famous beauty.