The Evolution of Hair Systems
With today's technology, hair systems have evolved to cover up every type of hair loss but in the most inconspicuous way.
It is interesting that hair loss has had such a bad rap. Even Julius Caesar was noted by historians to be uneasy about his baldness, trying to hide it by brushing his hair up and toward his face, willingly wearing the honour of the laurel crown whenever possible to hide his baldness.
The first hair systems were found in ancient Egypt
Because ornate wigs were first found in the tombs of the pharaohs, it has been thought that wigs and toupees (a partial hair replacement usually worn on the top of the head) were worn only by the powerful as a status symbol. The ancient Egyptians also wore hairpieces attached with beeswax and resins to shield their shaved heads from the sun. Wigs were mainly found in ancient Western cultures, including those of the Greeks and Romans, but not in the Far East, where wigs were mainly part of costumes.
The first wig-makersâ guild was formed in 17th century France
A wig-makers' guild of skilled professionals was established in France in 1665 because 17th century wigs were increasingly long and showy and expensive to produce. They were made from natural human hair, but around the time of the plague, and this caused uneasiness, as wearers wondered if the wig was made from the hair of someone who had died from the plague. The hair of horses and goats was often used as a less expensive alternative.
During the 18th century, the trend in hairstyling for women, depicted in paintings of Marie Antoinette, included very high hair extended upward with artificial hairpieces, other objects, hair from animals and elaborate themes all held together with lard; the lard eventually became rancid and attracted vermin as the women slept, originating the term 'ratâs nest'.
The 19th and 20th centuries and the demise of the word "toupee"
The wearing of wigs as a symbol of social status was largely abandoned in the newly created United States and in France at the beginning of the 19th century, although wigs continued to be worn in the military and the court system. Only the first five American presidents, from George Washington to James Monroe wore wigs. By the early 20th century, wigs fell out of fashion and were often worn mostly by old women who had lost their hair.
Most wigs are made by hooking hair one strand at a time (hence the term strand by strand) into a fine lace or netting. Modern base materials for human hairpieces usually consist of a combination of skin like thin material such as polyester mesh, silk, monofilament, silicone or thin polyurethane. Because the hair is pulled through and knotted strand by strand, similar to rug hooking, the term 'wearing a rug' became synonymous with wearing a toupee and was the butt of jokes in mainstream pop culture in the 20th century. Laurel and Hardy used slapstick toupee humor during the 1920s and â30s. Before that, Thaddeus Stevens, a 19th-century U.S. congressman known for his quick humour, once ripped off his toupee and handed it to a woman who had asked for a lock of his hair (collecting locks of hair was like collecting autographs).
According to the U.S. Patent Office, even the name has evolved: The first toupee patent was filed in 1921 and the first hairpiece patent was filed in 1956. Toupees are now referred to as hairpieces or hair systems to avoid the negative and humorous associations with the word 'toupee'.
20th century hair systems become mainstream for men
By the 1950s, hairpiece manufacturers started to build credibility by successfully advertising hairpieces to men in major magazines and newspapers. The craftsmanship had also evolved, pioneered by Max Factor, the Hollywood makeup artist whose hairpieces were almost invisible, with each strand of hair sewn into a piece of fine flesh coloured lace.
By 1959, Time magazine estimated annual U.S. sales of toupees at $15 million. By 1970, Time magazine estimated that 2.5 million out of 17 to 20 million balding American men wore toupees, mostly because of improvements in toupee technology and craftsmanship and a desire to appear younger. The mid 1970s gave rise to the Hair Club for Men and founder Sy Sperling's famous tagline, "I'm not only the Hair Club president, I'm also a client," to prove how well made and natural looking his hairpieces were using his "Bio-Matrix Strand-by-Strand Technology."
It wasn't until 1998 that the adhesive cyanoacrylate was FDA approved as Derma Bond, a medical-grade adhesive, and embraced by the hair replacement industry as a long lasting, better way to adhere a hair system to the head than traditional weaves, which caused traction alopecia (hair loss due to the pulling of the attachment) and irritation from other tapes and adhesives that were being used. This type of adhesive allows skin to breathe and hair to grow and was perfect for very active lifestyles and for a lower maintenance, more permanent bond. Still, the hair system business was never geared toward women.
Fast-forward to 2013 and undetectable hair systems
With today's technology, non-surgical hair replacement procedures focus on the simulation of a realistic, natural looking undetectable hairline. Using a new thin, light and breathable material has elevated the technology of hair replacement and hair systems.
In the last few years there has been emphasis on solving women's hair loss and thinning hair issues, and because of the newest technologies women can now wear hair systems rather than full wigs if their hair loss is confined to the top and crown of their heads or integration units when thinning occurs all over the head or at the part line.
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