Uses of Synthetic and Real Hair Wigs in History
The reasons people wear real hair wigs now are many. It may be because they have lost their hair because of a specific illness or because of old age. It may be that they use it strictly for fashion. Maybe they have a job where it requires them to change looks often and wigs make that change a lot easier than having to constantly go to the salon. But in history, wigs have been used in a lot of different ways.
Some of the earliest uses of wigs were the ancient Egyptians, who wore them on their shaved heads to protect their skin from the sun. They used beeswax as an application to hold the wigs in place. Other ancient cultures used wigs as well, like the Assyrians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the use of the wig came back into style after falling to the way side after the fall of the Roman Empire. The 16th century was when it started to become used for fashion as well as hair loss. But it was also used for practical reasons, as lice was rampant at the time. The problem lessened after natural hair was removed and synthetic wigs were used, which were easier to rid of lice should they get infested.
Wigs were also worn by royalty, which really aided the revival of the wig in general. For example, Queen Elizabeth I famously wore a red wig, while King Louis XIII and King Louis XIV of France both brought on the trend of men wearing wigs. By the late 1600s, wigs were almost an obligation for men with a high social rank and therefore wig makers were highly sought after and held in high prestige.
In the 18th century, mens wigs were powdered to create that white look that we all know well today. Women actually did not wear wigs at the time, contrary to popular belief. Mens synthetic wigs slowly grew smaller and were used more specifically for professions, particularly in legal systems.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the use of wigs as status symbols started to die out, especially with the newly created United States. Only the first 5 presidents wore wigs according to the old fashion style. It then started to fade out and become more of the use that we are used to now, mostly for fashion and for health reasons.
About the Author
For over 30 years, http://www.yaffawigs.com has been providing quality custom made and natural looking wigs to women. Our wigs are stylish and comfortable — exactly how every woman should feel. For more information on custom made wigs, visit our blog at http://www.yaffawigsblog.com
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