Many people are perplexed as to how the ancient Egyptians were able to preserve the characteristics of the mummies, particularly the hair, to remain the evidence of their civilization even after the passage of thousands of years. The image of the Egyptian Queen Tiye attracted the admiration of millions, particularly when it was shared on social media platforms. While women in ancient Egypt had additional concerns regarding how to care for their hair naturally.

Queen Tiye lived around 1398 BC. Her father, Tjoya, also known as Toya or Tjoyo, was a regional priest in the city of Akhmim and served as the captain of the royal chariots. He also possessed a sizable plot of land and was regarded as one of the richest Egyptians of the period.

Following her marriage to Amenhotep III, Queen Tiye gave birth to at least seven children, among them Amenhotep IV “Akhenaten,” the grandmother of King Tutankhamun.

How did ancient queens care about their hair and skin if we are seeing a queen with a team of people working for her to maintain her beauty?

Even though the queens wore wigs, the fact that the hair was wrapped in beeswax and other fatty materials, since beeswax was exceedingly valuable and was exclusively used by kings and nobles, indicates that the Egyptians utilized essential oils to keep their skin and hair fresh.

Henna, which is often used to tint nails and lips, was also used by the Egyptians to dye their hair red. According to a historical study, the Egyptians have been using henna to cover gray hair since 3400 BC.

According to Kozo Takahashi of Minnesota State University, there is also a deluge of evidence from paintings showing different red-haired members of the 18th family.

Additionally, women’s hairstyles were more distinctive than men’s. Old Kingdom women loved short haircuts and generally chose smooth hairstyles with natural waves. But New Kingdom ladies (1550–1070 BC) wore wigs, knotted their hair, and added roses and linen ribbons to the style.

The stylized lotus blossom, which later gave way to the use of crowns and wreaths, was the most popular headpiece decoration. Crowns composed of gold, turquoise, agate, and malachite have been found on an ancient Egyptian body dating to 3200 BC. Simple, low-cost flower and berry patterns were employed by the poor to tie their hair back. Egyptians also wore headbands or secured their hair with ivory and metal hairpins. Beads can be used to attach wigs or hair extensions. Children sometimes decorated their hair with amulets of little fish, purportedly to protect them from the perils of the Nile.

Hair loss treatment

Ancient Egyptians experienced hair loss in a similar way to how it does today, and they were motivated to seem young for as long as they could.

The Egyptians treated baldness with a variety of treatments, mostly for men. Men are thought to have applied oil from caribou, lions, crocodiles, snakes, and hippos on their scalps in 1150 BC.
Getting back to the natural hair care items the Egyptians utilized, studies show that they used essential oils like rosemary oil, sweet almond oil, and castor oil to promote hair development. They also employed fenugreek seeds, which are still employed by herbalists and pharmacologists today.
ancien gel capillaire égyptien
Ancient Egyptians used a grease-containing chemical to straighten their hair, according to a 2011 report on mummy examination. According to the study’s experts, the Egyptians employed the product to make sure their hair stayed in the style they desired for life or death.

The University of Manchester in Britain’s Natalie McCrish, an expert in archaeology and Egyptology, led the study. She and her team examined hair samples from 18 mummies, the oldest of which was nearly 3,500 years old and included men and women between the ages of 4 and 58.

Others were naturally preserved by the dry sand they were buried in, while some were mummified intentionally.

Nine of the mummies had hair that was covered in an unidentified fat-like material, as was discovered by light and electron microscopy. The scientists employed the gas chromatography method. They discovered that the coating contains biological fatty acids, such as palmitic acid and stearic acid, which they used to separate the various components in the samples.

Macerich thinks that the hair was held in place with greasepaint, a styling technique. Given that it can be found in both natural and synthetic mummies, one might assume that it was both a necessary component of the embalming process and one of life’s cosmetics.

The absence of resins and embalming ingredients from the hair samples suggests that the hair was shielded during mummification and then styled separately. These substances were utilized to prepare the artificially mummified carcasses. They might have taken particular care to the hair because they understood that it doesn’t deteriorate like the rest of the body, claims Macrish.