Here at Top Hair Wigs it’s no secret that we love hair. Whether we’re talking Brazilian human hair wigs, Kemet hair products or anything in between—if it has to do with hair, we love it. So this month we thought it might be fun to take you guys on a little journey into the past to look at the history of wigs…

Wigs were first worn by the ancient Egyptians to shield their shaved heads from the blazing sun. Both men and women shaved their heads in ancient Egypt so wigs were worn by both genders. Wigs were made of either human hair, sheep’s wool or vegetable fibers; the type of wig one wore was a sign of their social status as well as their role in society and politics. Wigs were a part of daily wear for the ancient Egyptians.

While other ancient cultures such as the Greeks and Romans wore wigs as well, wigs fell into disuse for about a thousand years before being revived in the 16^th century. When wigs reemerged, they were used as a means of compensating for hair loss or improving one’s personal appearance. The resurgence began with the royalty of the time and soon became the fashionable look across all classes and genders; men’s wigs were just as fashionable as women’s wigs at the time.

The 18^th century saw yet another shift in the use of wigs. By this century, wigs were almost solely a men’s fashion accessory. Men’s wigs were powdered to give them a distinctive white color and women were mainly powdering their own hair grey. During this century wigs were smaller and more formal. Many professions adopted wigs as a part of their official costumes (which we might call uniforms today).

By the 19^th century the wearing of wigs as a sign of social status was long since forgotten and men had almost completely ceased wearing them. This is when we began to see wig use start becoming what it is today, mostly a way for women to accessorize their existing hairstyles and fashion choices.

Today, wigs are worn for one of two reasons: either to cover baldness or simply for fun. Celebrities like Cher and Rihanna have been known to switch up their looks on a daily basis using wigs and hairpieces galore. Cancer patients who have lost their hair due to treatments find a small bit of solace in the use of wigs. Balding men often wear toupees to mask their hair loss. Whatever your reason for looking for a wig today, Top Hair Wigs has every style and type of wig you could ever want; and at great prices too! Check out our large inventory of 100 percent human hair wigs and synthetic wigs today.