Wigs in Reading
Wigs were out of favour until the 1500s when they were used to compensate for hair loss. It was easier to shave the head to keep lice away and to use an animal hair wig instead. Wigs were worn by royalty and were worn by both men and women in order to make them look better. In some cases, human hair wigs were used. Wigs were longer than shoulder length, even in men. Wigs were sometimes worn using human hair wigs that were cut off the dead. People worried because they were cut off of victims of the plague. Human hair wigs had a risk of lice as well. Men’s wigs were powdered in the 1700s and women did not wear wigs at that time. All this changed in the 20th century, when human hair wigs were used by women, especially after the 1960s.
