Roman Hair and Shaving

Publicus Ticinus Maenas is fashionably credited with bringing professional "Sicilian" barbers to Rome circa 300BCE, at which time an iron razor was used kept sharp by whetstone and water. It appears that oil and hot water were not adjuncts to a shave in those early days.It is suggested that Gaius of the Jullii ,known as Caeser, set the trend for depilation by tweezer ie: the removal of individual facial hairs one by one.

I have just taken delivery of a razor by Merkur of Solingen , namely a straight (cut throat) razor. In the past I have enjoyed being shaved by skillful Neapolitans armed likewise .Having just practised with plenty of shaving soap and hot water I can assure all members that Iaido is a safer pursuit. I would be interested to hear if members have referential material .Suetonius regales us with tales of the screaming clients of nostril pluckers, but I wonder do we have more depilatory history?

Publicus Ticinus Maenas is fashionably credited with bringing professional "Sicilian" barbers to Rome circa 300BCE, at which time an iron razor was used kept sharp by whetstone and water. It appears that oil and hot water were not adjuncts to a shave in those early days.It is suggested that Gaius of the Jullii ,known as Caeser, set the trend for depilation by tweezer ie: the removal of individual facial hairs one by one.

That takes far too long for the impatient modern man. not to mention painful (but women don't seem to mind.)

I have just taken delivery of a razor by Merkur of Solingen , namely a straight (cut throat) razor. In the past I have enjoyed being shaved by skillful Neapolitans armed likewise .Having just practised with plenty of shaving soap and hot water I can assure all members that Iaido is a safer pursuit. I would be interested to hear if members have referential material .Suetonius regales us with tales of the screaming clients of nostril pluckers, but I wonder do we have more depilatory history?

I would be scared sick if someone came anywhere near my face with one of those.

Are they similar design to the old iron razors used by the Romans? I seem to recall the ancient razors being more rounded...shell shaped? than straight, but I am uncertain.

Are they similar design to the old iron razors used by the Romans? I seem to recall the ancient razors being more rounded...shell shaped? than straight, but I am uncertain.

You are correct. Somewhere in my bookshelves (as usual, I forget which book) I have a photograph of just such a semi -circular razor. I seem to remember it was made of bronze, which takes a better edge than iron.

EDIT: Here we go: http://razorland55.free.fr/lune04.htm

It seems that romans used various means to get rid of facial hair. Shaving, waxing, plucking and cuting with razors. It was dangerous and painfull. They used also several means to stop bleeding. Sometimes several methods for shaving and stoping bleeding were used something that amused the public.

Hadrian was deified for good reason for bringing the end of this torturous custom.

I couldnt resist adding this artefact:

http://www.gentlemans-shop.com/acatalog/Ma...Razor.html#a518

mammoth bone! Apeman shaving.

I see that "psilothron" and "acidi" (sp?) are mentioned as strong depilatory creams/ungents for those too horrified of the iron blade and tweezer, could any of our linguists suggest the nature of the first item (the second seems to hint at caustic exfoliation)?

It seems that romans used various means to get rid of facial hair. Shaving, waxing, plucking and cuting with razors. It was dangerous and painfull. They used also several means to stop bleeding. Sometimes several methods for shaving and stoping bleeding were used something that amused the public.

Hadrian was deified for good reason for bringing the end of this torturous custom.

Is there any record of them using burning to get rid of unwanted facial hair? I know this is done in some places in the tropics (Brazil, I think?). I hear it's really not that painful if it's done right.

I see that "psilothron" and "acidi" (sp?) are mentioned as strong depilatory creams/ungents for those too horrified of the iron blade and tweezer, could any of our linguists suggest the nature of the first item (the second seems to hint at caustic exfoliation)?

Ancient Nair! Did it remove most of your skin as well, just like it does today?

As you might imagine I was hoping the linguists might furnish a clue as to what this toxic mix might include. Ivy gum extract mixed with goats fat is the best suggestion I have garnered so far.Ivy extract was a medieval sunburn "remover" .

Sunburn remover? Wouldn't that make the situation...so much worse?

Sunburn remover? Wouldn't that make the situation...so much worse?

Its a quote from Culpepper, I couldnt help but think of Mr M Jackson and his cosmetic escapades.I suspect te "late" context is so one appears to be a "careful housewife" unblackened by the sun (ie: not given to manual work outdoors).Ivy btw is strongly anti-mucilaginous (anti slime) and had a folk context as an asthmatic remedy (mucus on the trachea). The ability to dissolve protein is foremost here (hair being mostly such).

Given that depilation has such a prolonged history (and indeed seems to be a most serious factor in cultural and religious milieu) I am vexed that I cannot presently find references to any formulae.

This link is quite interesting:

http://www.euromonitor.com/Cosmetics_and_toiletries_in_Iran

but the depilation is mechanical -though I have to suggest that if one has leisure to heat and oil the skin (and possibly use resin/beeswax) the process might be less painful.

Heres formic acid and lemon -now this makes (painful ) sense:

http://www.amyantiaging.com/chemical-Depilatories.html

It seems the romans didn't care much for bodily hair. Was that merely a fashion, or was it to appear less 'animal-like', or perhaps to seperate themselves from the barbarians? I always read they dry shaved with sharp iron razors and I'll take Pertinax's recommendation on faith.... My own experience of dry shaving (due to circumstance on rare occaisions) is that it doesn't get a good result and whilst it doesn't actually hurt, its none too comfortable. Armpits, arms, legs, chest? Thats a lot of boldily hair and generally men are hairier than the ladies, so they must have gone to some effort to look their best. I'm not suprised there was a fashion for greek style beards!

Is there any record of them using burning to get rid of unwanted facial hair? I know this is done in some places in the tropics (Brazil, I think?). I hear it's really not that painful if it's done right.

I got shaved with a flame in Turkey. Actually, the barber shaved me with a blade, and used a burning cotton pad wet with alcohool on a metal wire to burn the hair on the cheeks. It is not painfull at all. I did not feel a thing, but the smell of bruned hair.

Although depilation seems to have been a desired goal, baldness (then as now) seems to have pricked the vanity of man . I find that Hippocrates suggests a mix of horseradish , beetroot , goat dung to be applied to the scalp.Whilst this confection might stimulate the follicles to pass more blood to the root of the hair I have doubts about the olfactory attractivness of the subject.

What's this i hear about this dropax "made of various resinous waxes for the removal of hair" was ths used like waxing today with a cloth to rip away the hair?

It would make sense that this would be quickest solution to the hair problem given the bad quality of Roman razors. Shaving might be quicker but you would have to come back to the tonsor (barber) every day. Wouldn't they?

on a side note doesn't Caesar using tweezers just fit his personality soooo well? So dandyish that he wanted to get every single hair.

Trajan's column depicts many bearded legionaries in contrast to the emperor himself who is shown clean-shaven. I've always found this very striking. I don't know if it is intended to show the fact that soldiers had no time to shave during war or if having a beard had actually become fashionable in the army by then.

Trajan's column depicts many bearded legionaries in contrast to the emperor himself who is shown clean-shaven. I've always found this very striking. I don't know if it is intended to show the fact that soldiers had no time to shave during war or if having a beard had actually become fashionable in the army by then.

Maybe the soldiers were not truly Romans, but Germanic mercenaries hired to fill in the army? Or was this practice done later in the Empire?