The History of Hair Coloring Roll up, roll up! The history of hair coloring Welcome to the fantastical festoonery of follicle hues – the kaleidoscopic world of hair dye, or, as I often refer to it, the solution to avoid monochrome mirror shocks every morning! Now, I know you’re classed as a living, breathing, 21st-century humanoid (with possible alien ancestry). Still, have you ever wondered how your many-times-great Egyptian grandmother spruced up her locks? As you quizzically arch your perfectly tinted brows, let’s pull up the curtains on hair coloring’s rich, vibrant hair color and, at times, amusing history. Sit on my time machine, set the dial to ‘Past’, and put your safety helmet on. No, that’s not an ancient alien hat you’ve grabbed; it’s henna, an old friend from Ancient Egypt, remember? Henna was their version of weekend salon trips, giving them the luxury of rich, thick hair and fiery hair that even the Sun God, Ra, would be jealous of. Let’s fast forward to the Romans; these folks gave “chalk and talk” a whole different meaning as they star-rolled their way into the chalk wave, dusting their hair for that distinctively distinguished look. Alas, no chronicle of hair dye would be complete without saluting the DIY masters of the Ancient Chinese, who birthed their dye from plants, minerals, and a secret recipe they guarded more fiercely than my grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe. Teetering at the precipice of more color-bomb adventures, I reckon that should suffice for your taster of our tinted tale. Keep your seatbelts fastened as we swish through the medieval marveling moments next! Ancient Dyes and Colorful Roots Ah, ancient dyes and colorful roots! Let’s dive headfirst into the early days of hair coloring like Cleopatra diving into a pool of fruity pebbles. Shall we? First up, Egyptian henna. These folks were trendsetters in 1500 B.C.! Kings and queens fancied themselves reddish-brown locks using henna, a dye extracted from the Lawsonia inermis plant. So, the next time you admire your henna tattoo, thank the Egyptians for kick-starting this fabulous fad. The next stop was ancient Rome, a place where hair chalk was all the rage. The phrase “Roman hair chalk” may sound like a party trick, but a mix of minerals and vinegar was applied to the hair to achieve a red, gold, or blonde hue. Caesar and his buddies were rocking the Ombré look thousands of years ago. Now, let’s teleport to ancient China, where hair coloring techniques were next level. The art of coloring hair in China dates back to the Tang Dynasty when they used plant extracts and oils to darken their natural hair color. Talk about stating the trends before #hairgoals even became a thing. So, there you have it! A tint through time across Egypt, Rome, and China. Hair coloring has always been a way for humans to express themselves uniquely. And to think, your great-great-great-great-great-great grand-aunt might have been using the same techniques as you – mind-blowing, right? As we continue our vivid voyage through history, let’s splash into medieval magic. Hold your hairbrushes, dear reader; it will be a hair-raising ride! A Dash of Medieval Magic Ah, the medieval times – when folks had a blast in their stinky castles, eating questionable meat and stirring up a brew of unique hair potions. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, especially regarding hair coloring! So stroll down the cobblestone streets with us as we explore the magical world of dyeing locks in ye old days. During the Renaissance, people must have been tired of the same old brown and blonde hues because they started getting creative with their hair experiments. Crushed rocks, animal blood, and even mustard-yellow saffron were some of the ingredients used as pigments. Talk about the original DIY hair salon! Speaking of homemade hair potions, the medieval world could easily rival a modern-day Pinterest board. Their obsession with dyeing their tresses led to many concoctions, mixing plant roots, leaves, and insects to transform their coifs. Some might even say they were modern ombre’s founding fathers and mothers. As centuries passed, achieving fashionable hair colors and styles became too arduous. Wigs made their grand entrance, and boy, they wig their way through history (pun intended). For the flair-seeking nobles and royalty, powdered wigs were a style statement. So, if you’ve ever wondered where your grandma’s pink wig came from, thank a medieval royal or two. So there you have it, our dash through the medieval magic of hair coloring. Consider yourself educated in the hair-raising antics of our ancestors. And next time you’re frustrated with a bad dye job, just remember how far we’ve come. Now go forth, young apprentice, and rock that hair with medieval flair! Splashes of 18th and 19th Century Style So, having left the Middle Ages far behind, we slide down the slippery timeline right into the laps of the fashion-forward 18th and 19th centuries – the era of powdered wigs and fresh blooms in bonnets and a little revolution, if you will. Remember Marie Antoinette? Queen of France, fashion icon, and, let’s not forget, guillotine enthusiast. Before giving exclusive interviews to the guillotine, she made conversational headways with her extravagant, powdered wig hairstyles. What made it trendier, you ask? The fact that these pompous hairpieces were often tinted with daring shades, Adele rolling in the deep reds or passionate pinks. As we enter the 19th century, the tone of rebellion began to dye… I mean, die down. Hair trends started questioning, “To be natural or chemical was the question!” While on the one hand, “au naturel,” a French term picked up by English folks meaning “in the natural state,” became a mantra for the hardliners who refused hair enhancements gracefully, the rebel brigade couldn’t just get over the ‘being a spectacle’ bug! The rebel gang invited the chemical world with open arms, daring to tread where none had walked before. They embarked on a bold journey of experimentation using newly discovered chemicals,...