Wearing wigs is not just a trend in the world of fashion today. It is certainly nothing new, history tells us that different styles of wigs have always been important in fashion. The more splendid the era, the more eccentric and pompous the hairstyles. In some cultures; wigs served for protection against the weather and in wars, wigs were sometimes worn to impress the enemy.

In ancient Egypt, men and women shaved their heads and replaced their hair with wigs. Removing the hair was more comfortable in the hot Egyptian climate. Also shaving the head allowed them to maintain cleanliness and to avoid the danger of lice infestation. The Egyptians wore wigs after losing their hair due to old age. Ironically, although the Egyptians shaved their heads both male and female, they did not think bald was beautiful which is why they wore wigs!

During the Roman Empire wigs were popular among the women. They wore hairpieces to increase the volume and effect of their hairstyle. In the Greek culture, wigs with braids were created.

In the middle ages, wigs lost their importance. The custom at that time was that young women wore their hair long and married women covered their head with a scarf or cap. Only the woman’s husband had the right to see her head uncovered.

In the Renaissance period, the female hairstyle gained importance again and was enhanced with hairpieces, braids and golden taps. The more ornate, the better.

The French were instrumental in creating and wearing wigs. King Louis XIII had lost all of his hair as a young man and it was during his reign that the Allonge wig for men was created and became an important part of every wardrobe. Wigs at this time were made from human and animal hair. During Louis XIV, the French Royal House employed 48 wig makers in the court! The famous hairstyle, a la Fontange was named after a mistress of King Louis XIV. There were countless variations based on the original style which were created with the help of hairpieces and false locks.

A flowering period for wigs was during the eighteenth century. Wigs were enormously important and were viewed as a status symbol for men and women. At this time, wigs were made mainly of Yak hair. The Yak hair was a natural white and was colored white, pink or blue, with rice powder.

In the mid to late 1700’s women’s wigs were towering, the higher the better. Men wore bag or braid wigs, these had the two hair-rolls at both sides. With the French Revolution, wigs lost their importance. They came back into prominence in the early 1800’s and were very popular once again. There were artistic hairstyles created with side locks and flower like loops. In the beginning of the 20th century, more and more freely arranged hairpieces were used. Short hair cuts came into vogue around the 1920’s causing the hairpiece trend disappeared almost overnight.

Since that time, wearing wigs had lost it’s importance. Today with Baby Boomers dealing with hair loss and thinning hair, the demand for wigs is once again on the rise. Fortunately there have been great advances in the manufacturing of wigs so that there are many materials as well as colors and styles to chose from. Fantasia salon is on the cutting edge with regard to hair replacement. If you need a wig due to hair loss or thinning hair or just want a wig for fashion or fun, call today for your free consultation!