Hairstyles Past and Present

 The way we choose to style our hair depends on what type of person we are, and on our likes and dislikes. People, especially women, use their hair to express themselves through different hairstyles. Whether a person's hair is cut and styled in a traditional fashion, or spiked and died purple, it says something about who they are. Humans have been using hairstyles this way since the beginning of time. What our hair looks like and the way we wear it has always been an important sign of status, wealth, and importance.

In ancient Roman times, women were very hair-conscious. In fact, their hair styles changed so often, that a woman would have her portrait bust made with a removable headpiece. That way if the fashion changed, she could change the headpiece on the bust. She most certainly would not want to be remembered as having a hairstyle that was not the most popular, or at the height of fashion.

Roman women utilized curling tools, pins, hair accessories, and even wigs. They would make wigs from the cut hair of captured Celtic women, or dye their own with special plants or berries. They would often make it red, or blonde. They would use things like egg whites or gum Arabic to set their hairstyles the same way we would use a setting spray. Often, their serving women must have wished for themselves a better life. They endured some very difficult Roman ladies and were forced to deliver the perfect hairstyle to them. One of the most popular hairstyles of Roman ladies was to have the hair braided and then pulled back into a bun. Curtaining their foreheads and the sides of their faces were masses of tight curls.

In the 1900s, with the Victorian style and impression still lingering, women would grow their hair incredibly long. It was usually left flowing and wavy down their backs. They would decorate the front by pulling up some of their long locks, and pinning it, or placing dainty flowers in their hair. From this elegant period in time until now, there is a long list of hairstyles, including short, tight curls, cute 50s bobs, and ironed out 70s hair.

Trying to describe today's women and the most popular hairstyles would be impossible. There is really no one particular hairstyle that can be accredited to our women. Basically, women of today are a collage of great hairstyles and cuts. We wear what we feel expresses us the most, and what we truly like. You can find bobs, layered haircuts, straight and wispy hairstyles, and so many others. No matter what the time period, one thing is for certain. Women love their hair, and love to have a hairstyle that they feel expresses a bit of who they are. From the ancient civilizations to the modern and technological times, good hairstyles still top the woman's 'must have' list.