Bizarre Hair Treatments of History

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People have done strange things to their hair and bodies throughout history, whether through necessity or choice. Some of the things done in the name of beauty will make you look at your routine and be thankful that it’s nowhere near as crazy as some of these:

Hair Removal: These days, it’s pretty simple to tidy up that top lip, but unfortunately, for the ladies of the Renaissance period and in ancient Egypt, they had to use arsenic and quicklime! Highly poisonous and quicklime is used to make cement, not a mixture you’d want anywhere near your face! Sandpaper was another option for ladies of the 1940s – ouch!

Hair Washing: Wash your hair daily? Well, it wasn’t even a monthly concern for most women of the past. Each evening, the hair would be let down, old built-up oils would be combed out and then back up in the morning – for months without a good clean! It might have been for the best, though, as soap before the 1920s was a tough affair and would have been very damaging on hair if used too often.

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Early Gel: Around the 1300s, an early hair gel recipe was made from lizard fat and swallow droppings! Lizards had a tough time in the 14th century as ladies liked to boil them up in olive oil and use them as hair conditioners! Thankfully, modern products are a little more animal friendly.

Wigs: Ever wonder why the men of the 1700s wore big white wigs all the time? Lice was a significant problem, so many men shaved their heads and chose to wear wigs instead. The height of fashion and status was the whiteness of your wig, with the rich using starch and the poor having to use lots of flour! Thankfully, shaving your head is now an action that doesn’t need to be hidden by a scratchy wig! If you’re shaving to hide hair loss, consider Scalp Micropigmentation Coventry from hishairclinic.co.uk/scalp-micropigmentation-near-me

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Olive Oil: The ancient Greeks had the right idea, a 2-in-1 hair conditioner and cooking product. Not only could they cook with olive oil, but they also used it as a hair conditioner.

Lard: During the 1600s, when Shakespeare was busy penning Romeo and Juliet – women used to set their hairstyles with fat, and it smelled terrible and brought out the rats, so women slept with nightcaps or cages around their heads! Let’s assume Juliet didn’t adopt this method, or that play would have had a very different ending.