7 Unbelievable Fashion Facts From The Past

18th Century Hairdos and Hygiene

Both men and women in the 18th century held their hairstyles in place with large amounts of hair pomade made from beef fat and then covered it with powder, usually made from wheat or rice flour. As bathing was considered dangerous and hair styles were too excessive to be washed, parasites like lice often took up residence in people's hair. While wealthy men could just take off their wigs and kill parasites by baking them in the oven, women with their lavish hairdos had no such easy counter-measures available. Thus, long-handled silver claws, designed to scratch the itches, were often laid out with the silverware for guests to use at fancy dinner parties. Bon Appetit! [Photo via]