Hair Restoration Methods Throughout History

A thick mane of hair was considered a sign of youth, strength, and masculine attractiveness throughout history. Even so, men have always battled thinning locks and receding hairlines. They were just as concerned with their appearance and self-esteem in yesteryear as guys are today.

Historical Hair Loss Remedies

Some of the ancient “cures” for baldness ranged from amusing to bizarre. They were a waste of money and effort. Some of them contributed to lethal heavy metal overdoses. Here are some other radical treatments used around the world.

Hair Restoration Methods: Egypt

The earliest of these concoctions were recorded in Egypt. Of course, many Egyptian men in those days shaved their heads and wore elaborate wigs. Although, others weren’t content to watch their shiny locks gradually thin.

So, they appealed to their medicine people for a magical cure. One such gross mixture included porcupine quills, alligator meat, hippo fat, chopped snake, and cat. These desperate guys boiled these ingredients together into a slimy goo.

Then, the medicine people instructed them to rub this stuff on their scalp for at least four days. None of the hieroglyphics recorded showed that anyone regrew their hair. Chances are they probably attracted a plethora of flies around them.

Other so-called magical cures were taken internally. These often-included various vegetables, honey, iron, and lead. It’s one of those many cases where their treatments were often deadly.

Hair Restoration Methods: Greece

Ancient Greece is not only the birthplace of Western philosophy but also of early medicine. Hippocrates is called the Father of Western Medicine, and he was interested in male hair loss.

Although he didn’t know about hormones or genetics, he theorized that male hormones were responsible for receding hairlines.

Since Hippocrates was balding himself, he experimented with several herbal mixtures. He must have thought that spicy heat would stimulate follicle growth. One of his recorded recipes was a flaming blend of cumin, horseradish, nettles, and a dollop of pigeon dung.

The secret ingredient to Dr. Hippocrates’ scalp lotion was opium. Absorbing opioids in the skin can be dangerous, but that was unknown in ancient times. It’s another example of the drastic measures that men took to be attractive.

Hair Restoration Methods: Rome

The likeness of many Roman leaders was immortalized in marble, so they wanted to look their best. A receding hairline wasn’t their idea of stately glory, and they tried various botanical rubs. While some of these treatments may have nourished their scalps, they didn’t grow hair.

These useless cures didn’t help the follicle challenges of Emperor Julius Caesar. If you look at pictures of his iconic marble statues, you’ll notice his solution. Caesar may have invented the infamous comb-over that exists to this day.

Hair Restoration Methods: Great Britain

Fast forward a few centuries, and you’ll find that men still haven’t found a way to replenish their gorgeous locks. Some 17th-century British physicians believed that thinning hair could be reversed with exercise and fresh air. Such advice was a healthy habit, but it couldn’t do anything for baldness.

Of course, there have always been medical swindlers peddling their “snake oil” for any ailment under the sun. In addition to their fake cures, some advised men to anoint their bald spots with animal dung.

Hair Restoration Methods: American Colonies

Many fellows across the ocean were also perplexed with hair loss and sought a cure. They tried almost every new concoction brewed up locally and from Europe. Some just gave up trying and covered their thinning mane with a heavily powdered wig.

Hair Restoration Methods: 19th Century America

If you were fighting hair loss in the late 1800s, you would have tried any number of fake hazardous cures. American men spent thousands of dollars searching to restore their locks in those days. One of the most notorious counterfeit treatments was Hall’s Vegetable Sicilian Hair Renewal.

Pharmacies and traveling salespeople sold countless bottles of this useless sludge. What the naïve customers didn’t realize was that the main ingredient was lead. They did not regrow hair, but many unfortunate consumers died from lead poisoning.

Early 20th Century Hair Restoration Methods and Technology

Advances in science, medicine, and technology also influenced searching for a baldness cure. Some researchers believed that heat and light could stimulate hair follicles to regrow. The Thermocap introduced by Allied Merke Institution was a revolutionary invention in 1925.

Customers wore the bulky cap for 15 minutes daily to treat their scalp with blue light and heat. It was a noble experiment, but it didn’t work. The good news is that it would later inspire low-level laser therapy for successful hair restoration.

Hair Regrowth in the 21st Century

Men and women have come a long way to find viable treatments for male pattern baldness and thinning hair. AZ Hair Restoration in Raleigh, NC, is your best treatment option.

You can enjoy a thick, attractive mane again without trying any radical cures from the past. Our methods are safe, proven to work, and will boost your self-esteem. Call today to see how we can help.