The Evolution of Hairstyling

Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Hair is essential to a face as a frame is to a picture.” Humankind's fascination with hair spans back to the dawn of civilization and continues to this day in fashion.
Hairstyling is a skill that is practised in many cosmetology colleges nowadays. It has evolved into an essential step in grooming and dressing, acting as a way to change and improve one's look. Hairstyling is now a multibillion-dollar industry with a diverse variety of materials, equipment, and facilities.

Over the centuries, conquered tribes, majestic monarchs, and Hollywood idols have all served as sources of inspiration for hairstyles. Hair has long been associated with religious sanctity as well as women's rights. While hairstyles and people's reasons for wearing them have changed dramatically over the centuries, the societal significance of hair has not.

Ancient Egypt- 

it was fashionable in Egypt to shave one's head and wear a wig. Furthermore, women did it too and even wore fake braided goatees. In 1500 B.C.The ancient Egyptians coloured their hair with henna, a practice that is still used today.

Ancient Greece-

 Around 500 B.C hairstyling became a highly evolved art form in ancient Greece. by 400 B.C they started using bronze poles to curl their hair. 

Ancient Rome-

Hairstyling was common in Rome by this time and hair colour decided the class the women belonged to. Upper-class women dyed their hair red, middle-class women dyed it blonde, and poorer women dyed it black. After a papal decree ordering all Roman Catholic clergymen to shave their beards in 1092 AD haircare services became more common a papal decree ordered all Roman Catholic clergymen to shave their beards.

Renaissance (France)-

Upper-class Renaissance ladies plucked the whole front of their hairline to give themselves a higher forehead in the 1400s.

England-

Queen Elizabeth I orders "six heads of heare, twelve yards of heare curle, and a hundred devises made of heare" in 1602. These are all wigs that match her natural red hair colour, which sparked a red dye craze across England. Bleached blonde hair was also common during this time period.

The 17th century saw a shift away from Queen Elizabeth I's preferred haircuts and toward the latest French fashions. The peak of female fashion was to separate the hair in the middle, flatten the top, then frizz and curl each side of the head, as inspired by Charles I's wife, Henrietta of France. When Charles II was returned to the throne in 1660, this forbearance in lavish style came to an end. His use of wigs piqued the public's interest in extravagant fashion. 

Wigs made of horse, yak, and human hair were common in the affluent's wardrobe. The “Fontange” became the most fashionable women's hairstyle in the later decades of the 17th century, with a mass of curls above the forehead maintained by wire and adorned with a standing lace crown. This was made popular by  Marquise de Fontange when her coiffure was ruined while she was out hunting.

MEN 

Men's appearances in the 17th century were determined by political relationships. Shoulder-length hair was a hallmark of the Royalist "Cavalier" style. Ribbons and bows were frequently used, and "lovelocks," a small lock of hair cascading from the crown of the head down over the left shoulder, were regarded as unique features. The "Roundheads" in Parliament wore their hair cropped most of the time.

Throughout much of the Victorian Era, most men wore their hair cut short, from just above the ears at the start of the period to a moderately close-cut towards the end. Various types of facial hair, such as moustaches, sideburns, and full beards, were frequently worn with short hair.

To keep their facial hair in shape, Victorian men used a variety of waxes and oils, as well as wood frames at night to keep their moustaches shaped. A shaved face did not become fashionable again until the late 1880s and early 1890s.

In the first years of the 20th Century, some men were still wearing moustaches, but usually with short hair. The 1920s style, however, was a clean-shaven face and flat-combed, short hair. Oils and Pomades helped men style their hair in the 1930s and 40s. 

Much like the women of the 20th Century, men also turned to popular culture for hairstyle inspiration.  As Hollywood films emerged, men’s hairstyles were often influenced by leading male actors, such as James Dean, Clarke Gable, and Elvis Presley.

Women experienced significant social change during the twentieth century.  Women styled their hair to reflect their increasingly liberated lifestyles with each passing decade. Throughout the century, rising affluence at all levels of society created a constant demand for novelty. Throughout the decades, hairstyles have changed on a regular basis. 

Hairstyles at the turn of the century were characterised by a romantic, soft fullness created by back-combing and the use of hair pads known as "rats," beginning with the Edwardian Era. The ‘Roaring Twenties,' on the other hand, threw off the constraints of Victorian and Edwardian life, and women caused a stir by getting their hair cut into bobs at barbershops.

By the 1960s, there was more variety in hairstyles than in any previous decade due to a breakdown of formality and many previously accepted standards. from the poufy Bouffant to long, sleek, and straight hairstyles were all popular among women. Hairstyling tools improved, and hair styling products were invented, allowing women to choose from a wide range of styles. Musicians like the Beatles had a big influence on men's hairstyles, inventing haircuts like the 'mop.'

The themes of the 1900s in hairstyling were ever-present in the final decade of the twentieth century. Women continued to look to Hollywood for inspiration, with Jennifer Aniston's "The Rachel" becoming the most popular hairstyle of the decade. The internet's introduction in the 1990s made it possible for styling ideas to spread globally in minutes.