The dressing and decoration of hair by human beings is as old as civilization itself. Even in the very earliest times women had combs. In fact, the most primitive people somehow managed to make combs of one kind or another, of wood, bone, and metal.

But what about hair styles? It is a curious thing to notice how important the style of hair worn by men and women has been down through the ages. Savage tribes in all parts of the world have developed peculiar hair styles which have great significance for them. The Chinese originally wore their hair in a knot at the top of the head. But when the Manchu conquered their country, they were forced to wear the pigtail as a sign of slavery. Eventually this style became popular among the Chinese and they kept it.

As civilization advanced, hair styles became more and more varied. In time, no two people wore their hair the same way. In certain countries the hair hung down loosely; in other places it was the custom to brush it up high on the head.

It is only in fairly recent times that the custom developed for women to wear their hair long and men to wear it short. Up until the Middle Ages men wore their hair quite long and treated it with the same care as women did. They curled it and wore ribbons in it. During the Renaissance they wore wigs to make their hair look longer.

Henry VIII of England finally decided to do something about this extreme style and ordered all men to wear short hair. But to make up for it, he allowed them to wear long beards and to curl their moustaches. When James I came to the throne however, men returned to the custom of wearing their hair long.

In France, Louis XIV had 40 wigmakers working for him personally. Naturally, all the gentlemen of France competed with each other for the longest, curliest wigs! Later on, people divided themselves into two camps: those who believed in short beards and long hair, and those who believed in long beards and short hair.

The style kept changing back and forth until the nineteenth century, and short hair for men has remained in fashion until recently. Today longer hair is gaining in popularity and some men and youths are wearing the “shaggy dog,” or unkempt, look.