How They Did It - Haircuts and Hairstyles in Ancient Rome

A documentary about Ancient Roman hairstyles and video was sponsored by Harry’s. Click here to get free shipping and $5 off a Harry’s Shave Set! In this video we explore the history of Rome when it comes to the rise of barbers. We begin with discussions of how barbers were first brought in from Sicily in the 300s BC and soon became so popular that they were found throughout the city. Then we look at ancient roman hair styles for men and hair styles for women over the years. This was at first largely influenced by the Hellenic world but eventually developed its own Roman character. For men we mostly look at the treatment of facial hair and for women we look at their ornate hair styles which peaked in the Flavian period. Then we turn to Roman barbers to talk about who they were and what their tools were for shaving and cutting hair. This includes ancient roman razors, tweezers, pumice stones, hot metal rods, wax, and chemical concoctions.