HISTORY OF HAIRCUTS

Ancient Egypt. In the hot climate of Egypt it was acceptable for both men and women to cut their hair as short as possible. Nevertheless, heavy and curly wigs were made for special occasions. You could imagine how torturing it was to wear such an oddity in the heat! Women's wigs were often decorated with fanciful braids, gold ornament and ivory hairpins. Men shaved bare their faces, though they could occasionally wear thick false beard. 

Ancient Greece
A classical women's haircut of that time was the long hair packed at the back of the head in chignon. Many women preferred to dye their hair with henna and powder their haircut with gold powder. Fashion women often decorated their heads with natural flowers or precious diadems. Men were not that specially interested with haircuts. They preferred logic, rhetoric and sports events. Therefore, they cut their hair short, never wore wigs, and from time to time shaved bare with pleasure. 

Ancient Rome
Spartans and stern Romans, as is known, tried to imitate the ancient Greeks in many respects. High society women used curling tongs for curling their hair and sprinkled in abundance their haircut with golden hair powder. The "blond" color was then very popular: the Romans not only redyed their hair with blond color, but also wore wigs made of slaves' hair. Later, haircuts became more fanciful: very curled hairs were fixed high on the head with wire frame. Hairdressers were in high demand during the ancient Roman period.

The eighteenth century was a century of elegant wigs, very long haircuts and long curls. Pomaded twisted wigs with curls were an indispensable attribute to the fashion of those days. Voluminous long haircuts were made though extreme methods: hairs were combed with frame made with twigs. Typically, their hair was insufficient and so, they used hair borrowed from people and horses. Heads were covered with hats, mini-gardens, caravels and with cages containing birds. The imagination had no limit. It could take the entire day to make such a hair and the poor hairdresser had to stand on special stilts so that his hands could reach the head of the fashion woman. Such expenses require a complete self-denial. A complex styling would not allow one to move or sleep normally, thereby creating a great strain at the spine. However, this is not yet all. Heads of ladies were an ideal breeding ground for lice and other parasites because haircuts were worn for weeks and months. The court etiquette allowed scratching the heads but with an appropiate elegance. For this purpose, ladies and cavaliers wore a dainty stick at the waist. It was usually made of species of tree or ivory. Besides, there was the trap for parasites, a tiny carved box containing a rag soaked with blood. However, the parasites were smarter, preferring fresh and natural things. 

Victorian era
This is the Queen Victoria's era. This period was opposed to the idea of any kind of excessiveness. Fashion during this era was characterized with the return to natural beauty, healthy appearance, tidy looks, modesty and dignity. However, the Victorian era was also considered sanctimonious and hypocritical. Hairdoes looked neat: hair was smoothly combed and packed in knot or twisted into curls, intercepted at the base. Ornaments on the head were the least. Hair grids, ivory hair combs, black bows and lace capes were popular. The hair was also braided and twisted into tight plaits that were densely pinned up with hairpins at the back of the head. Neatness and tidiness was the motto of those times, and therefore, carrying a loose hair was considered a sign of vulgarity. Men mainly had short haircuts, wore moustache, beards and whiskers.

The golden Twenties of the past century.
The society fairly got a bit tired of puritan standards and all sorts of bans. The turbulent twenties declared fashion for short hair and playfully packed by waves, which symbolizes an independent, free and active woman. Stars of the silent film set the tone: make-up once again became a fashion, although powder, blush and lipstick were misused lesser, let's say, in the eighteenth century. Men wore hair parted at the centre of the head and greased with perfume oils and brilliantine. 

The Forties
Women still aspired not to lag behind from their screen idols. Romanticism was in fashion. Hair with soft long curls was dropping down the shoulders. Sunbathing was becoming popular at this time. The great fashion designer, Christian Dior was dictating the tone. His ideal was a slender, elegant woman - a real lady. However, because of the war that gripped Europe, the choice of a haircut was dictated again by practicality. Women had to be contented with a simple piece of soap. Shampoos became an unprecedented luxury. The practicality of haircut had great significance: a carefully packed hair in knot and covered with headscarf did not so easily get soiled and never disturbed work. 

The Fifties. Deprivations of war years behind
Women were happy returning to their usual duties. This is an era of "glamour housewives", who are ready to show the world it is possible to look like a goddess even working at home. Women start to visit the hairdressing salons every week, to make ideal haircut for themselves. The thick black eyelashes, eyebrow pencil, dark lines of eyes and blazing lips, coupled with attractive pale face were in fashion. Haircuts often resemble a helmet. Coco Chanel is making a stake on "natural look": laconism and restraint in fashion. The symbols of this era are the luxurious Sophia Loren and the shining and slightly cold beauty of Grace Kelly. 

The Seventies
A thin waist combined with luxurious voluminous haircut and glaring make-up was the women's look of those days. Watch the "Charlie Angels" TV cult series in order to know the style of that time. A call arises approximately at the same time with the punk culture. Everyone embraced the punk hairdos indifferently: hair dyed with fluorescent colors, half-shaved heads, scalps decorated with tattoos, mohawk haircut. 

"Era of extremity" or the Eighties
Confrontation of two styles: the "disco" style such as attached shoulders, "banana" jeans and type of "explosion at macaroni factory" hairdos and the perfect classical style. This period abolished some restrictions, gave more freedom of choice in fashion tendencies. People no longer had to strictly abide by an established image. There were many options. On the other hand, powerful couturiers made a woman perfect in clothes with rigorous visible lines and haircuts with carefully packed hair. The "long bean" haircut was very popular then. It is packed in a certain way and smoothly twisted down. This hairstyle personified an image of a woman occupied with social life. A good hairdresser became an important part of a woman's look. The revolutionarily configured part, on the other hand, dropped out in pursuit of the ever-changing Madonna's style so as to show off unusual provocative haircuts, combined with untraditional, eccentric clothing.

Within the Nineties, beauty standards were so conditional that every style seemed acceptable. Jennifer Aniston's haircut in the Friends TV series became extremely popular. It is a haircut of long sleek hair, cut by a "cascade", and bearing streaks. The Meg Ryan's short stylish haircut and its variations were also very popular. It seemed the whole world has redyed with the blond colour. Scattered golden curls, capriciously pouting sensual lips and a passionate look all remind us of Brigitte Bardot's style. Men remained minimalists: they willingly shaved off their manes. Hair more than an inch were already considered as being long. New trends in fashion promoted the development and emergence of new cosmetic products for men: before, men were satisfied with only one shampoo, but now they are being offered a complete set of hair care products. Modern stylish hairdos are mainly built on the principles of natural beauty, that is, a healthy and well-groomed hair only, regardless of their length and nothing else.


(copied from : http://www.luxemag.org/hair/history-haircuts.html)