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Hair Styling in Ancient Egypt 

Egypt has a beautiful history of hair styling. Appearance, looks, beauty, and hair were significant aspects of ancient Egyptian times, as seen in the creative and beautiful ways that ancient Egyptians did their hair. The ancient Egyptians used various hairstyles that varied according to age, gender, and class because, in those times, one's appearance determined and reflected dignity, status, and political significance.

Different Hair Styles For Different Social Groups

As mentioned earlier, hairstyles in ancient Egypt varied for people depending on their status, class, gender, and age.

  • Status: High-status members of society had more elaborate hairstyles with added adornments.
  • Role In Society: If you were a priest, for example, your hair had to be shaved, and you could not use any wig.
  • Age: Children were required to shave their hair other than one "lock of youth," which they were required to dye.
  • Over different periods of ancient Egyptian history, these styles changed to look even more impressive and dynamic and fit the changing tastes of each era.

Children's Hairstyles

Ancient Egyptian kids were expected to cut off or shave their heads other than an S-shaped lock. This lock was considered the "lock of youth," and it was cut off when children reached puberty. After puberty, boys were required to shave their hair like men, whereas girls usually kept long hair and made different hairstyles with braiding, which would look good depending on the occasion. 

Men's Hairstyles

Men in ancient Egypt kept their hair completely shaved or cut off in most cases. The ordinary men adopted this style, whereas the kings and those with high status had long and elaborate wigs. Anyone could quickly tell the difference between ancient Egypt's low and high classes by looking at their hairstyles and whether they wore wigs.

Women's Hairstyles

Women in ancient Egypt's Middle Kingdom kept short hair, but this faded away, and long, curly, and plaited hair became more popular. The women with high status used wigs and adorned their hair with beautiful Egyptian jewelry. This adornment varied according to the occasion and could include flowers, gold strands, beads, ribbons, and more. For women in ancient Egypt, having long and attractive hair was a sign of pride and beauty.

Hairstyles Of The Poor

People experiencing poverty didn't have the money to pay for expensive and good-looking hair ornaments. As a result, they used to decorate their hair with amulets of fish, hair rings, or clasps. They used this as their protection and a sign of their working class and status.

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