Ancient Greek Hairstyles For Women

Ancient Greek hairstyles for women began with color. Many ancient, Greek women had dark hair so this proved problematic since Helen of Troy and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, both sported blonde hair. These legendary and mythical figures came to inspire the type of hair that many Greek women idealized. This was no different than other periods in history when women throughout history had come to imitate female figureheads and celebrities through fashion and hairstyle. Greek women sought to imitate the blonde likeness of Helen of Troy and Aphrodite by soaking their hair in vinegar and sitting in the sun until it turned light or in some cases using urine because of the bleaching compound of ammonia. Certain tribes in Africa have also used urine to color their hair going back thousands of years. Greek women would also wash their hair in normal water mixed in with olive oil as a conditioner to give the hair more texture and a soft sheen.

Ancient Greek hairstyles for women also determined who you were in Greek society. Short, cropped hair usually meant you were a slave with free working women or servants wearing longer hair that was tied back so as not to get in their way while working. Greek noble women would also wear their hair long, but only servants and their husbands would see their hair let down and this custom would reach all the way into the renaissance period. Greek girls would usually be the only ones to wear their hair in long streams down the back. Sometimes free working women would wear the same hair styles as noble women for special occasions.

Upper class women often curled their hair or wore the chignon style that had become so popular in recent decades. Chingons when it came to ancient Greek hairstyles for women hung low and sported on the back of the head and usually curled long or hung in tendrils that fell below the ears. Such a style could be seen during most of the Victorian era when women were fascinated by the neo-Greek revival of hairstyling. Greek buns were also popular in the ancient world so were braids which required longer hair. With longer hair came hair accessories such as diadems (crowns) which were usually made of rare metals and trimmed with jewels. These thin head pieces held back the hair throughout the day. Other hair accessories were made of ceramic, bone, wood or metal hair pins or combs that came to decorate ancient Greek hairstyles for women, almost similar to the way women adorned their hair in 18th century Europe. Ancient Greek hairstyles for women also depended on the occasion; if it was day a woman might only use a simple comb and hair pin to hold hair in place while more formal occasions warranted the fancy crowns and fancy ornaments to accentuate the hair.