Page 57 - Cosmetology

People from different cultures have invented various ways to arrange, or "style," their
hair.

The remarkable head hair of humans has gained an important significance in nearly all
present societies as well as any given historical period throughout the world. The haircut
has always played a significant cultural and social role.

In ancient Egypt head hair was often shaved, especially amongst children, as long hair

was uncomfortable in the heat. Children were often left with a long lock of hair growing
from one part of their heads, the practice being so common that it became the standard in
Egyptian art for artists to depict children as always wearing this "sidelock". Many adult
men and women kept their heads permanently shaved for comfort in the heat and to keep
the head free of lice, while wearing a wig in public.

In ancient Greece and ancient Rome men and women already differed from each other

through their haircuts. The head hair of women was long and pulled back into a chignon.
Many dyed their hair red with henna and sprinkled it with gold powder, often adorning it
with fresh flowers. Men’s hair was short and even occasionally shaved. In Rome

hairdressing became ever more popular and the upper classes were attended to by slaves
or visited public barber shops.

Maasai warriors with their traditional hair styling

The traditional hair styling in some parts of Africa also gives interesting examples of how
people dealt with their head hair. The Maasai warriors tied the front hair into sections of
tiny braids while the back hair was allowed to grow to waist length. Women and non-

warriors, however, shaved their heads. Many tribes dyed the hair with red earth and
grease; some stiffened it with animal dung.

Contemporary social and cultural conditions have constantly influenced popular hair
styles. From the 17th Century into the early 19th Century it was the norm for men to have