Download Roman Hair and Beards

What type of hairstyles are popular
among women today?
 What type of hairstyles are popular
among men today?
 Do hairstyles change popularity? Why or
why not?
 What influences hairstyle?
 What does a beard say about a man
today?


Roman women originally
dressed their hair with great
simplicity. One of the
simplest styles of wearing the
hair was allowing it to fall
down in tresses behind, and
only confining it by a band
encircling the head.
Simple hairstyles for married
women changed during the
reign of the Emperor
Augustus when a variety of
different and elaborate
hairstyles came into fashion.
 The clothing fashions of
Roman women remained
relatively simple and
unchanging and as women
had no special dress that
distinguished their status the
wealthy women wore
luxurious materials, highly
elaborate hairstyles, makeup and expensive jewelry.

 During
the rule of
the Flavian
emperors (69-138
BC) hairstyles
were raised to a
great height by
rows of false
curls.
Various accessories were used to create
elaborate and striking hairstyles. The
accessories used to create the
elaborate hairstyles were as follows:

Perfume was applied to provide
pleasant smelling hair

Curling tongs were used to create
hairstyles

A variety of different combs and
hairbrushes were used

Hairnets were worn made of finely
woven gold wires

Wire supports were used to create
hairstyles

Hair pins were used to create hairstyles

Ribbons were used to enhance
hairstyles

Garlands of flowers

Precious jewels were thread into the
hair and jewels were featured in tiaras
and head dresses

Gold and pearls were also popular as
hair accessories and to create intricate
hairstyles

As the Roman Hairstyles
for women became
more elaborate and an
important sign of status it
became necessary for
slaves to create the
latest fashionable
hairstyles. These slaves
were highly skilled and
valued. The Roman slave
hairdressers were called
ornatrices.

The Roman Hairstyles
for men changed over
the years. In early times
the Romans wore their
hair long but after the
introduction of barbers
into Italy about B.C.
300, it became the
practice to wear their
hair short.
A full head of hair was
prized by Roman men
and Julius Caesar went
to great pains to hide his
thinning hair.
 It is said that of all the
honors decreed to
Caesar by the senate he
was best pleased with
that of always wearing a
laurel crown, because it
covered his baldness,
which was considered a
deformity.

Julius Caesar with his laurel wreath
conspicuously covering up his thinning hair

The leading figure
during the period of
the Roman Empire
was of course the
Emperor and if he
adopted a new
hairstyle then this
was quickly adopted
by other Roman
men.
The Emperor Nero (5468 CE) adopted
elaborate hairstyles
with curls framing his
face.
 Roman curling tongs
were used for this
purpose.
 Nero set another
fashion in hairstyles
and started to wear
sideburns.

Barbarus – Beards were deemed
improper for much of the Roman
Republic and it was associated with
outside peoples, hence the word:
“barbarians”.
 But Remember, for men, the emperor
can dictate the hot fashion trend of the
time period.


The Emperor Hadrian
(117-138 CE) was the
first emperor to wear
a short beard which
then became quite
common among
Roman men.


In his later years the
Emperor Constantine
wore false hair of
various colors which
was carefully
arranged and
perfumed.
Wealthy Roman men
followed his lead and
dyed their hair in a
variety of dark and
light shades and the
wearing of wigs also
became fashionable.