The early 19th century was marked by the aftermath of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
This period saw a departure from the elaborate styles of the late 18th century, with men opting for simpler, more natural looks.
Shorter, neatly trimmed hair became fashionable, often accompanied by sideburns and clean-shaven faces.
This clean-cut style was influenced by military trends and remained popular throughout Europe and North America.
As the 19th century progressed, hairstyles became more diverse and expressive.
The mid-19th century saw the emergence of longer hair for men, influenced by the Romantic movement and the Victorian fascination with nature and the past.
Men grew their hair longer and styled it with a middle part, often using pomade to achieve a sleek, polished look.
Beards and mustaches also became fashionable during this time, with many men sporting full, bushy beards or elaborate mustache styles.
Gentlemen used different kinds of waxes and oils to keep their hair in shape, including wood frames used at night time to preserve the form of their mustaches.
At the end of the century, many decided to use a clean-shaven face and short hair. Amongst all the products used to condition or fix the hair, the most popular was the Macassar oil.
Made with a mix of coconut oil, palm oil, and oil from flowers called “ylang-ylang”, advertisements promised, “to strength and stimulate hair growth”.
Because of the popularity of this unguent, housewives began to cover the arms and backs of their chairs with an “anti-macassar” protection, which was a cloth designed to prevent soiling in the fabric.
Another product used during this time to style the hair was the pomade. Originally derived from the French word “pommade,” meaning “ointment,” pomade was initially made from bear fat or lard mixed with various fragrances.
By the late 19th century, the formula for pomade had evolved to include ingredients like beeswax, petroleum jelly, and various oils.
These new formulations made pomade easier to apply and less greasy, leading to its increased popularity among men as a styling product.
During this period, advancements in chemistry led to the development of synthetic dyes for hair coloring.
Dyes were marketed for both women and men, as covering up grey hair with “natural” appearing color was an aesthetic ideal for both genders. Dyes for the beard were also available.
Physicians criticized many hair tonics and dyes, warning that they contained toxic ingredients such as lead, or at best, were just expensively packaged household ingredients.
In an article condemning the quackery of patent medicine makers, the September 1877 issue of Scientific American listed an analysis of the ingredients, for their readers’ “information and amusement,” in products such as Buckingham’s Dye for the Whiskers and Ayer’s Hair Vigor.
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons / Britannica / Library of Congress / Pinterest / Flickr).