Why Powdered Wigs Became a Trend

For nearly two hundred years, powdered wigs, also known as perukes, were the ultimate fashion statement. This stylish headgear wouldn’t have become so widely adored, however, had it not been for a venereal disease, two self-conscious kings, and inadequate hair care.

The Syphilis Connection

The story of the peruke begins in a way many tales do—with syphilis. By 1580, this venereal disease had grown into one of Europe’s most disastrous epidemics since the Black Death. Surgeon William Clowes reported an overwhelming number of syphilis sufferers flooding London’s hospitals, with new cases arriving daily. Lacking antibiotics, victims endured the full horror of the disease: painful sores, severe rashes, blindness, dementia, and hair loss. Baldness became rampant across the land.

In that era, hair loss was a direct path to public shame. Long, flowing hair was a symbol of status, and a bald head could ruin one’s reputation. When Samuel Pepys’s brother contracted syphilis, the diarist noted, “If [my brother] lives, he will not be able to show his head—which will be a very great shame to me.” Hair was considered that important.

The Wig Solution

The syphilis epidemic led to a boom in wigmaking. People concealed their baldness, and the painful sores that marked their faces, with wigs crafted from horse, goat, or even human hair. These perukes were also dusted with powders, often scented with lavender or orange, to mask unpleasant odors.

Wigs Become a Necessity, Not Fashion

At the age of 17, Louis XIV noticed his hairline receding. Concerned that baldness could damage his reputation, he enlisted 48 wigmakers to help him maintain his image. Five years later, his cousin, King Charles II of England, followed suit as his own hair began to gray (it’s believed both suffered from syphilis). Nobles and other aristocrats quickly followed the kings' example, adopting wigs, and this new trend spread to the upper-middle class. A European fashion revolution had begun.

As the demand for wigs grew, the prices soared, and perukes became a symbol of wealth and status. A basic wig could cost about 25 shillings, equivalent to a week’s wages for a common Londoner. However, larger and more intricate wigs could run as high as 800 shillings. The term 'bigwig' was coined to describe the wealthy elite who could afford these extravagant hairstyles.

Wig Out

Even after the deaths of Louis and Charles, wigs continued to be fashionable. Perukes remained a staple of society due to their practicality and enduring popularity.

During that time, head lice were rampant, and getting rid of them was both painful and time-consuming. Wigs, however, provided a solution. They kept lice from infesting people's natural hair—since the hair had to be shaved for the wig to fit—and instead, the lice took up residence in the wigs. Cleaning a wig was far simpler than treating a person's hair: You would send the soiled wig to a wigmaker, who would boil it and remove the lice and eggs.

By the late 1700s, however, the wig fashion was on the decline. French revolutionaries rejected the peruke, and British citizens abandoned wigs after William Pitt imposed a tax on hair powder in 1795. Short, natural hairstyles became the trend, and that look would dominate for the next two centuries.