Inspired by the awesome thread @XiranJayZhao made about Chinese make up, I wanted to make a special history thread this evening about

ANCIENT ROMAN HAIRSTYLES

Prepare your scissors and learn how to style your hair like a true roman matrona
1/?

Much like today, hairstyles for the Romans were an expression of personal identity and were tied to one's gender, profession and wealth. Female hair was considered very erotic, so it was appropriate for women to spend a lot of time combing the hair to create flashy hairstyles 2/?

Shampoo and conditioner weren't available at the time. Apple juice and vinegar; yolk, vinegar and iris flowers; honey, vinegar (of course), olive oil, vanilla and cinnamon are some examples of Roman hair care concotions. Yum! 3/?

Of course, hairstyles changed over the centuries, as Roman fashion evolved with their society. At first, Roman women followed the Etruscan fashion, combing their hair in what is called tutulus - a sort of cone on the top of their head 4/?

During the Republican and Augustan era, a very fashionable style was the nodus: the hair was parted in three, with the hair from the sides tied in a bun while the middle section was looped back on itself, creating an effect not unlike the Pompadour style. 5/?

The hairstyles from the Flavian and Antonine era are the most famous and elaborate. Cypriote curls became a must: masses of shaped curls like arching crowns, done by aid of fillets of wool and toupees. The rest of the hair was braided in an rbis comarum, a fancy bun 6/?

There were a number of hair accessories. Elegant pins and golden circlets were the most common. In ancient times, married Roman women used to cover their hair with a special veil called rica 7/?

Dies were common amidst the Romans. The gods were often portrayed as having blond hair (a very rare colour for the Romans, who were mostly dark) so Roman women often poured golden dust over their hair, or used henné or a mixture of lemon and privet to lighten their hair 8/?

Wigs were also used, often made with the hair of conquered civilisations - such as the Germans, in which case they counted as spoils of war - or gained from trade - black wigs from India were very common 9/?

Now, some random pictures of beautiful Roman hairstyles! 10/?

And from this beautiful fresco, here how Roman hair looked in full colour 11/?

Found this interesting? Take a look at my other threads about Italian history and culture! 12/12 https://twitter.com/i/events/1300196333505179648