Towering hairstyles were a massive fashion statement back in the 18th century – and we mean massive. And to keep those hair-raising towers in shape, you needed something special: a thick pomade made from lard, or rendered mutton fat, liberally applied like modern hair gel.

The downside? Pretty gross, actually – because not washing it out for days led to nasty odors and even infestations of bugs. Beauty might have been showy, but it definitely wasn’t sanitary.

Advertisements
Advertisements