Hairdressing

Hairdressing, care and arranging of hair, including cutting, setting, styling, tinting, bleaching, straightening, waving, and other procedures. Professional salons usually offer manicuring, facial massage, make-up, eyebrow-shaping, and the making, cleaning, and styling of wigs and hairpieces. The styling and adornment of hair has often indicated social status, e.g. the Chinese braid, the elaborate Greek knot, and the fantastic creations of French aristocrats in the 18th century. Hair styles sometimes have religious significance, too, as shown by the shaved heads of Catholic nuns, monks, and Orthodox Jewish married women, or the long hair of Sikhs and Rastafarians. Earlier civilizations indicated mourning by unkempt hair strewn with ashes, and joy by annotating the hair with perfumes or unguents, as well as feathers, jewels, flowers, ribbons, or combs.

See also: Cosmetics.