A Brief History of Man & His Beard
A Brief History of Man & His Beard
Whoever thought that shaving is a modern phenomenon was seriously mistaken. Read on, and you'll find that shaving body hair has been around since the very beginning of the human civilization!
Whoever thought that shaving is a modern phenomenon was seriously mistaken. Read on, and you'll find that shaving body hair has been around since the very beginning of the human civilization!
Believe it or not, manscaping has been around since the time of the Neanderthals.
Contrary to how the early Neanderthals are depicted (read: like hairy hermits), archaeologists have unearthed pictorial evidence that suggests that they might actually have been the first to embrace what we today call shaving. They would remove all their body hair, and sport shaved heads. However, it wasn't for vanity's sake - it was for safety. Absence of body hair made them less prone to ticks, lice, and other creepy crawlies. It also protected against frost bite.
How did they remove their body hair, you ask? Sharpened rocks, or seashells. It must surely have been painful.
The Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians were among the first to invent modern techniques for hair removal. From using seashells as tweezers, to using pumice stones, the Egyptians did it all. In fact, they were probably the first to start waxing. They would use a sugar-based substance to remove hair, in much the same way as we do.
These razors, made of copper, would often have embellishments and carvings on them. However, there are not many other references to hair removal in Indian texts.
Only the uncivilized would sport body hair, and facial hair was seen as a mark of the lower class. Hairless-ness was considered a symbol of high class and purity. They would either pluck the hair individually, or singe them off with fire, or sometimes even used depilatory creams made from substances like arsenic.
This stigma towards facial hair might have followed us into the present, with clean shaven faces being considered the standard for respectable politicians and businessmen.
Jean Jacques-Pierre invented the first straight razor in 1760 which helped reduce the damage of shaving. It was a definite upgrade from sharp rocks, that's for sure. Soon after, shaving creams and powders came into existence.
Modern day manscaping is a free and wild art.
From the hair-free expression of the 90's to artful grooming today, Shaving has had a roller-coaster history. The beard is no longer is no longer simply utilitarian, it is a lifestyle choice. It's about looking, and feeling good.
Explore Bombay Shaving Company's shaving Regimen, artfully designed for the suave, modern gentleman.