admin Ancient civilizations began making wigs and hairpieces by hand thousands of years ago. Although modern industrialization created machine-made wigs, handmade wigs are still prized for their quality and beauty. The influence of ancient civilizations is seen today in the raw materials, manufacturing and styling of handmade wigs and hairpieces.
History of Handmade Wigs
The ancient Egyptians are the earliest known civilization to wear wigs. Because of the heat of the desert, long hair was undesirable. Wealthy Egyptians wore wigs that did not look natural because they wanted others to know they could afford them. Greeks and Romans wore wigs that resembled the fair hair of German slaves. Wigs were in and out of fashion during the middle ages and came under attack during the Protestant reformation. Powdered wigs for judges lived on in the 18th century and wigs came into fashion again in the twentieth century with the rise of movie stars. Today wigs remain popular in women’s fashion and among people suffering hair loss.
Raw Materials
The raw materials used to make handmade wigs have changed little over the centuries. Human hair has always been a popular choice for wig makers. It was once harvested from slaves and peasants but today human hair is sold or donated. Synthetic materials have also changed little. Horse and ox hair are still used today to make wigs because it is easy to work with. The netting inside the wig has changed the most. It was once made from palm and hemp fibers but is now made using a fine-mesh silk.
Manufacturing Process
Handmade wigs are time-consuming to make. Modern handmade wigs sell for thousands of dollars, and wig makers have to undertake an arduous process to create one. They have to inspect the hair for louse eggs and make sure each individual hair is facing the same direction. Any hair shorter than three inches is discarded. The hair is hand washed, re-straightened and mixed with hair of similar shades to produce a more natural coloring. The individual hair is knotted to a custom-made foundation that is created using fine silk mesh, ribbons and measurements of a customer’s head. It takes tens of thousands of hair knots to finish a wig and the knotting process alone can take more than 40 hours.
Styling
Styling handmade wigs can include anything from ribbons to jewelry to dyes. Ancient Romans pioneered the style of dyed wigs by using walnut oils to make hair appear blond. They also began the fashion of curling the hair on wigs to create elaborate styles. Curls are still the most popular style today. Wig makers simply wet the hair on a finished wig and curl the hair using pins or rollers. It is dried in a warm oven to set the curls and is protected by a hair net until ready for wear.
