A journey through the evolution of popular hairstyles in history

Since the dawn of human civilization, people have had to figure out something cool to do with their hair. And while hairdo trends throughout history may seem trivial, they can actually reveal quite a lot about a particular culture. So today, we're going to take a look at some of the most popular hairstyles throughout history. OK, not too much off the top, because someone decided mullets aren't cool anymore. Hair was a big deal in ancient Egypt. In the Old Kingdom, bob haircuts were common among the elite, although lengths varied. Meanwhile, both men and women of lower and middle classes shaved their heads or wore short hairstyles. What they did not do was wear the elaborate hairstyles and wigs that signified high status, because that was against the law for enslaved people, servants, and non-royals. Elite styles became more creative in the New Kingdom, with curls, ladder cuts, braids, and angles incorporated into the bob styles. These bob cuts probably featured a person's own hair. But tripartite cuts could be achieved with either real hair or wigs. For the tripartite cut, two long sections of hair fell to both shoulders, while hair across the brow formed a heavy bang. This type of haircut can actually be seen in funerary masks and statuary of various types. It was more common among women, however, since only sacred men were allowed to don this particular style. You non-sacred dudes can settle for a bowl cut. Children in Egypt also wore distinctive hairstyles. Boys had shaved heads on one side with long hair on the other, while girls cut their hair at the middle of their necks, leaving one longer side section that reached the shoulders. These longer sections of hair could then be braided or twisted. Based on the artistic renderings and Homeric descriptions, historians believe archaic Greeks wore their hair long and often in braids. Spartan boys kept their hair short, possibly due to the athletic training they underwent. Hair pulling is decidedly un-Spartan-like, So you might as well eliminate the temptation. But according to Plutarch, the Spartans wore their hair long as soon as they ceased to be youths. And particularly in times of danger, they took pains to have it glossy and well-combed, remembering that a fine head of hair made the handsome more comely still, and the ugly more terrible. So the next time you see 300, remember that in real life, those guys would have probably all looked like they just left a salon, oh, be it a salon with an impressive waiting room. For a while, women in Sparta also grew their hair long, often binding a white turban around their head, which formed a sort of crown. But later, Spartan women began to wear their hair shorter. This may have had something to do with a marriage practice that involved cutting off the bride's hair. Hairstyles in Athens during the fifth century BCE had some commonalities with those in Sparta, as cutting hair when one reached puberty was the norm. Once Athenians reached adulthood, however, they grew their hair long again. Long hair was worn in crown styles by both men and women, with knots, chignons, clips, and bands used to hold the hair in place. Athenian women wore gold and leather bands or hairnets woven with gold and silk. They also sometimes wore cloth head coverings made of wool and silk, with their hair wound in elaborate patterns amid materials. The origins of the shikha are unclear, but the tuft of hair worn at the back of the head originated in India as early as 200 BCE. The shikha are associated with the caste system in Hinduism. It varied by location, but generally, Brahmins, priests within the caste system, wore them to indicate their position and devotion. Also known as bodhi or tiki, the small patch of hair was meant to protect the Brahmin and prepare him to face everything in life with clarity and wisdom, which is a pretty awesome haircut. The idea was that with shorter hair around the rest of the head, the brain wouldn't become too hot and would maybe work better. Brahmins wore the shikha in a knot when they went into public, but removing the hair was considered a sin. Hairstyles in the Roman world changed significantly over its centuries-long history. But one aspect stayed consistent. Hair was usually tied to age and social status. For example, in Imperial Rome, enslaved males shaved their heads to distinguish themselves from their free counterparts. Meanwhile, vestal virgins demonstrated their chastity by wearing their hair in elaborate styles, incorporating multiple braids. During the earliest days of the Roman Republic, most men and women wore simple hairstyles, often incorporating curls into their tresses. With the introduction of barbers around 300 BCE, shorter styles became common, such as mohawks and high fades. Um, probably. It wasn't until the Augustan period that hair became intertwined with excess. Women began to wear tall, curly hairstyles, sometimes using wigs full of additional curls to amplify the height. Such an elaborate haircut was tied to wealth and importance and took a lot of time to style. So many wealthy women kept people enslaved specifically to fix their hair. Romans were also keen on dyeing their hair and used all kinds of natural materials to do so. Men and women often dyed their hair gold or red. If they were wealthy enough, some people even sprinkled gold dust into their hair. Other bleaching agents like flower pollen and flower petals were used, as were harsher products that could cause hair to fall out. Romans used to dye gray hair as well, blending ashes, nut shells, and worms for a dark color. One recipe for dark hair dye included charred eggs, leeks, walnut shells, and leeches. Yeah, leeches. They're kind of like little barrettes when you think about it. Based on archaeological evidence, Vikings were actually pretty well-groomed and well-equipped with things like combs and tweezers. Historians also believe Vikings bathed once a week, changed clothes on a regular basis, and combed their hair every day, which is more than some people you've probably met. A carving on an archaeological relic known as the Oseberg ship, even depicts a male head with a crisply maintained long mustache and beard. Evidence suggests that the hairstyles of Viking men resembled reverse mullets. An Anglo-Saxon letter written in Old English describes Viking hair as a Danish fashion with a shaved neck and blinded eyes, indicating there was fringe along the front of the face. Men may have braided the front sections to keep them out of the way. As for the women, evidence indicates they wore their hair long, often in braids or knots, and decorated with pins and ribbons. The Maya were the most powerful force in Mesoamerica between the third and 10th century CE. But most of the existing descriptions of them come from the Spanish conquistadors. Based on those records, both Mayan men and women wore long, high ponytails. But men shaved the sides of their head and let long strands flow down their backs. They would then decorate their ponytails with feathers. Men also shaved or burned the front sections of their hair, which they did to set off their facial features. Please do not try that at home, unless you want your apartment to smell like a boxing gym with a busted air conditioner. Mayan women often styled their long hair into braids or sometimes wore headdresses. Like the men, they also incorporated accessories into their ponytails, often adding ribbons and ornaments. Although the topknot is popularly associated with samurai culture in Japan around the 12th century, the topknot actually appeared at various times in history. For example, Germanic groups wore something resembling a topknot during the fifth and sixth centuries. And they were also worn by the ancient Chinese. For samurai in Japan, however, the topknot, also known as a chonmage, was a fundamental part of his identity. Samurai shaved the hair off the top of their heads, taking long hair from the sides and back to gather into a knot in its place. A topknot distinguished a samurai from all others. If a samurai was defeated in battle or did something dishonorable, his topknot was cut off in shame. Oof, what if it got snagged on a tree branch or something? Hopefully, they wore plenty of hats. In the 19th century, however, the topknot either became taboo or was banned, depending on the interpretation. Prior to the Italian Renaissance, Italian women and men wore their hair relatively long. Women gathered their long hair atop their heads, while men tended to keep their hair somewhere between their chin and shoulders. Hair was often lifeless and dirty, and people suffered from lice and other parasites on their scalps. Should have used conditioner. But during the 15th century, concerns for morality and cleanliness prompted a change in how individuals presented themselves. Venetian women started wearing their hair in what was called the fongo, or mushroom, which featured two locks of hair wound in ribbons around the head with a fringe adorning the face. Sounds pretty nice, but according to the 1480 decree of the Council of Ten in Venice, these women were wearing indecent hairstyles and were pretending to be men. As a result, Venice banned the mushroom, a style that hid the forehead, and ordered hair to be drawn back behind the head and the forehead and face to be made free of it, that they may be seen to be women, just as God made them. During the Elizabethan period in England, hair was an indication of social class. Men wore their hair short, at least at first, while women pinned back their longer locks. It was important to keep hair off the front of the head, so bangs were rarely worn. Also, most men and women wore hats or coifs and were careful not to leave their heads exposed. Later, in the 16th century, men began growing their hair longer and also wore beards and mustaches. Those never go out of style. Wealthier individuals and those with higher social rank often colored their hair or decorated it with jewels because, well, of course they did. Rich folk were even known to coordinate their hair dye with their clothes for special occasions. And when dyeing one's hair wasn't an option, people resorted to wigs. Queen Elizabeth herself was said to have had more than 80 wigs. It's good to be the queen. With or without a wig, curly and frizzy hair was desirable. According to Philip Stubb's Anatomy of Abuses, Written in 1583 as a criticism of women's hairstyles, a woman's hair was curled, frizzled, and crisped, laid out in wreaths and borders from one ear to another. And lest it should fall down, it is underpropped with forks, wires, and I cannot tell what. Boy, Philip was really dazzled by women's hair, like a kid seeing a magic trick. Women with thin hair or hair that lacked frizz were known to use animal hair or even purchase the hair of children to supplement their own. Don't ask where they got it from.