Ancient Egyptian Hairstyles!

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Ancient Egyptian Hairstyles!
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Were there different types of hairstyles for
different ages and social status/jobs??

• Hairstyles are different with age and status. The
  higher the status, the more elaborate the
  hairstyles, wigs, and hair accessories would be.
  The Egyptian priests would shave their hair
  completely off and would not wear wigs. The men
  and women would adopt different hairstyles.
  Children (both boys and girls) wore the Lock of
  youth. The older men and women dyed their hair
  with henna.

Egyptian Priests
The Lock of Youth
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What are some of the major hairstyles in Egypt?

• For the most part, women used hair extensions and
  were fashioned with a variety of clever weaves
  and knots. Braids were a favorite form of hair
  extension. Ancient Egyptians hated gray hair and
  would use any method to eliminate it. Sometimes
  it would even be dyed after death. They used
  vegetable henna to dye their hair.

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Why did they do their hair the way they did?

• Rich or poor of both genders treated their hair
  as a means of self-expression. They considered
  their hair as a supreme form of self-art which
  had endless possibilities. It also helped the
  ancient Egyptians with cleanliness, protected the
  shaved scalp from the sun and kept the head cool.
  It also prevented head lice.

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Did they use their hairstyles to show their
personality like we do now?

• Yes, they used their hairstyle to show their
  personality just like we do! They used their hair
  as a means of expression and social status. We
  express ourselves the same way with a unique
  style to show our individual personality.

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What did they use to style their hair?

• They used wigs, extensions, ivory, braids, hair
  decorations, gold tubes or vertical ribs of beads
  to form head covers. Anything could be used as
  decoration in the wigs, ribbons, flowers, and
  jewels just to name a few. Combs were made from
  wood or bone. When shaving they used a stone
  blade at first but later used copper and even a
  bronze razor.

Bronze Razor
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Did their hairdos show importance or different
classes between the Egyptians?
Yes, hairstyles varied with gender and social
status. Ancient Egyptians hairstyles established
the persons status in society. As a young child
they shaved their hair off with the exception of
a long lock attached to the side of the head.
With the onset of puberty the boys would shave
off the rest of their hair, while the girls wore
their hair in a ponytail. Women could maintain a
hairstyle that was long or short and they would
decorate their hair with flowers or ribbons.
Poorer women would add berries or petals. Slaves
and servants tied their hair at the back of the
head. Priests were cleanly shaven. Wigs were
expensive and therefore worn by the elite and
wealthy. They threaded gold tubes on each tress
or gold rosettes between ribs of small beads to
form full head covers. When the common people
started to copy the same styles, the people of
rank then adopted longer and more elaborate wigs.
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Bibliography Linda Alchin, December 16 2008,
October 26, 2010http//www.king-tut.org.uk/ancient
egyptians/egyptian-hairstyles.htm. http//pharaoh
sday.blogspot.com/2010/05/kinds-of-ancient-egypt-h
air-style.html. Norman University of Oklahoma
Press, Life of the Ancient Egyptians. 1992.Oct.
26, 2010. http//www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/e
gypt/dailylife/hairstyles.html. Gawhara Hanem.
Egypt has it all. 2008. Oct. 26, 2010.
http//www.egypthasitall.com/blog/tag/ancient-egyp
tians/. Tour Egypt. Web Development Design
By AKNsolutions.com. 1996-2010. Oct. 26, 2010
http//www.touregypt.net/featurestories/masks.htm.
Eogan, George. The Bronze Razor. 1983Oct.
26,2010http//www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/claremuseu
m/riches_of_clare/power/bronze_razor.htm.