From the Egyptians to the Germanic tribes – each time had not only own culture, also the body care changed. It was always also an expression of a self-image of the culture and had certain peculiarities.
Antiquity Egypt
The Egyptians about 3000 to 300 BC are one of the oldest cultural peoples. Their high level of culture was also shown in clothing, elaborate hairstyles and personal hygiene and cosmetics. Men wore shaved or short head hair to clean-shaven. Black wool wigs, caps made of leather or felt were common. Women had wigs in addition to their own hair. In the early period the pageboy head was common, later came the long hair with middle parting, many single braids or curled hanging curls (heated curlers made of clay can be considered the precursor of electric curlers), headband with lotus flower, balsam cone. For distinguished Egyptian women there were artfully coiffed wigs (braids on lattice). The hair color was black or dyed red with henna. Body care: Baths and massages with fragrant oils, care with perfumed ointments. Cosmetics: yellowish made-up faces, strongly emphasized eye shape (eyeliner in the corner of the eye), green colored eyelids, traced lips, palms and fingernails dyed red with henna, were considered the ideal of beauty.
Antiquity – Greeks
Ancient Greece created the foundations of Western culture. In the period about 1500 -150 BC, heyday 5-4 century BC (classical heyday), were architecture, poetry and knowledge, in all fields of science witnesses of the high level of culture. But the measure of all things was the human being. He strove for harmony and health of body and mind. Clothing and hairstyle, body care and cosmetics, as well as sport were in the sign of this striving. Poets and scholars wore long head and beard hair at that time. Athletes and soldiers were seen in short, curly hair and clean-shaven. Fashionable young men had half-length, wavy hair and were also clean-shaven. Women during the Archaic period (1500 – 500 BC) wore long open wavy hair with a headband or held by a barrette. The classical period (from 500 BC) emphasized the back of the head, knotted hairstyles with center parting. The hair was held with ribbons and nets. Diadems were also seen, as well as calamistrum waves and “bleaching attempts” (bleaching with saffron). In the Hellenistic period (from 300 B.C.) hairstyles were elaborately knotted and oriental influenced. Body care included baths, massages with fragrant oils, gymnastics, abundant sleep and diet. It was fashionable to make up the face snow-white with lead white makeup (poisonous) and to emphasize the lips in menning red. There was a great preference for fragrances obtained from natural essences.
Antiquity – Romans
About 500 BC – 500 AD: The Romans took over the culture of the Greeks. Their position of power found expression in strong self-confidence, lavish lifestyles and luxury. In the time of the Republic (about 500 to 30 BC), men had a full hairstyle and a trimmed full beard. Women had knotted hairstyles with nets. This is only one of the three hairstyle forms which women wore in many variations at that time. During the imperial period (from about 30 BC) the man had the main hair cut short, coiffed from the vertebra, waved or curled. Also clean-shaven in the “tonstrina” (shaving room). The women here wore either a titus head (short, apronless curly hairstyle) or braided hairstyles with snake curls and pinned up neck hair. The top of the head formed a tiara of thick calamistrum curls. Blond was a fashionable color, with bleaching attempts having little success. Therefore, wigs of blond Germanic hair were worn. Body care: Baths in goat’s and donkey’s mare’s milk were supposed to keep the skin soft and supple. In addition, people took sweat baths, had themselves massaged and anointed. Superfluous and annoying body hair was removed by the epilator (slave). Cosmetics: Many valuable recipes for facial care have been handed down. They used precious oils, honey, bran and fruits. Powder and lip makeup were also used by men.
Middle Ages Romanesque
About 900 – 1250 AD, the art style of the early Middle Ages is Romanesque. Its characteristics are the round arch, heavy, massive columns and mighty walls. In this period, men wore short-cropped hair and usually had a beardless face. With the 11th century, the nobility influenced the fashion more.The half-length main hair was cut in the form of the pageboy head, slightly wavy or curly. The chin beard was trimmed round or pointed. Monks wore a tonsure and short shorn hair. Compared to men, women’s hairstyle was based on their status: girls wore open hair held in place with a pelmet (headband or flower wreath), sometimes with a veil. There were also differences among married women. For these braided or twisted their long hair, sometimes colored ribbons were incorporated and the braids pinned up. In the second half of the 12th century the hair was covered. The women wore mural crowns with giving. Personal hygiene: public bathing houses were established, which at that time also served for entertainment (music, hospitality, etc.). The bather performed haircuts, shaving, hair and nail care, tooth extraction and wound care.
Middle Ages – Gothic
The new architectural style “Gothic” is an expression of the deep religious attitude of the people. It emphasizes the vertical. Pointed arches, pillars and tracery are its characteristics. In addition to large cathedrals, such as those in Freiburg, Ulm and Cologne, council houses, guild houses and town houses were built. Hairstyles also characterized their style at this time about 1250 -1450 AD. Men had half-length, slightly wavy or curly hair. However, here the hairstyle form was hardly changed since the Romanesque period. The chin was shaved smooth. For women, the hairstyle played a subordinate role. For example, girls wore long wavy hair or braided hairstyles. In comparison, married women covered the hair with fanciful hoods such as the hennin, the horned hood, butterfly hood or turban hood. Forehead and beating hair was plucked or shaved out to accentuate the high, smooth forehead. The most popular hair colors were blond and black. The color red -as a sign of witch- was frowned upon. At that time, public baths lost their prestige. Due to vicious bathing customs and the spread of diseases, they were partially closed. Thus, in addition to the bathhouses, barber shops were established where shaving, haircutting and wig making were performed. Bathers and barbers performed wound and dental treatments.
Ancient-Medieval-Germanic
In the period about 1600 BC-800 AD, men and women wore different hairstyles. There were also some differences in personal hygiene and cosmetics at that time compared to today. Men had long hair as a sign of the free man, whereas slaves and dishonorable wore shaved hair. Typical tribal hairstyles at that time were braids, sweben knots, ponytail hairstyle. The beard was worn clean-shaven in the Bronze Age and as a full beard in the Iron Age. With braided wool nets pinned on the neck, insertion combs and hanging braids, women could be recognized in the Bronze Age (1600-800 BC). In the Iron Age (from about 800 B.C.), loosely falling hair and center partings were the order of the day. The body was cleaned with soap in warm or cold baths and then groomed with lanolin (wool grease from sheep). Annoying body hair was removed with tweezers even then. Devices for nail care and ear spoons were also available. Colored means for decorative cosmetics were not known until the time of the encounter with the Romans.
