The worst men's grooming trends of all time

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/08/living/esquire-mens-worst-grooming-habits/

Photos at the link!

(Esquire) -- Evans vacuum cap/Crosley Xervac head vacuum

When: Early 1900s

Baldness sucks, but it did so just a little bit more at the turn of the 20th century, with the promise of this product. By suctioning your head three to four minutes a day, it promised to de-clog the congested blood that was causing hair to fall out. The FDA Act of 1906 that began to regulate cosmetics put a halt to the product catching on, but the concept was periodically rehashed up till the 1950s.

Jheri curl

When: 1970s and 1980s

Back in the day, if you wanted to sport your curls correctly, the most popular style was only achieved with a chemical grease that made it look like your hair was always sweating. Unless you were in the movie "Coming to America," then you used Soul Glo.

Strigil

When: Roman Empire

Ah, those crazy Romans. They could build aqueducts that spanned Europe to bring far-flung water to multi-level baths with saunas and heated pools. But they couldn't wrap their heads around soap, which historians believe the Babylonians invented 2000 years prior. Instead, they cleaned by slathering on scented oils and then scraped them off using this curved metallic tool.

Vitabrush

When: 1942

A vibrating brush that promised to stop dandruff, scalp itch, and make men's hair more attractive was probably itself more attractive to women during WWII America than any head of hair.

Perukes

When:1500-1800

A nasty syphilis outbreak sometime around 1520 started the trend of Perukes, or male wig-wearing. Turns out guys in 16th century Europe really didn't want everyone to know that their syphilis had left them bald, so, you know, they just put a wig on it and hoped for the best.

Perukes were long to cover open sores and powdered to mask unsavory smells. Oh, what a glorious time to be alive! They later became a fashion statement, making it all the way up to the French and British royalties. Syphilis wasn't cured until the early 20th century, but the French Revolution and a British tax on wig powder effectively killed the peruke by 1800.

Original mum

When: 1890s-1940s

The very first deodorant was a cream applied with fingertips. It was a technological step toward a better smelling tomorrow but just too messy.

Macassar oil

When: 1830s-1920s

Today, "Mac #######" is used to refer to people obsessed with their Apple computers. One hundred-fifty years ago, we presume it was used to describe men who styled their hair with Macassar oil, the first conditioning/styling product for men's hair. This is so because while it kept hair healthy and shiny, it also left stains on upholstery, leading to the creation of the antimacassar -- a small cloth used to prevent your oily head from imprinting itself on the sofa.

Hairline brush

When: 1950

If you could translate the words "bad idea" into mid-century modern design, it would be this brush that promised to shine your bald spot with a felt pad and brush your remaining hair at the same time.

Clam shell razor

When: The Stone Age

No, this is not the name of an all-girl punk band that were once political prisoners in Russia. Rather, the way men shaved before metal was discovered. They'd sharpen the shell and scrape or pluck the hair out, because the other option, aside from not caring, was fire.

Flowbee

When: 1986

Turns out that Mr. Evans idea of vacuuming one's head to encourage hair growth was actually better at cutting it. The company, which did a good job at convincing lazy people they could use a suction tube to cut their hair, is still going strong today...among pet groomers.

Trados nose shaper

When: 1916

Just think. If this strap that reformed ill-shaped noses had worked, they might've been able to make one for the entire face.

Testone radium energizer

When: 1910s

Proof that we should take the application of new technologies slowly: People once thought strapping 20 micrograms of refined, measured radium to your balls would increase sexual energy.

Stick-on facial hair

When: 1960s

Today, beard implants, yesterday, beard stick-ons, which one could always blame on the LSD when the glue wore off.

GLH hair in a can

When: 1990s

Insecurity met aerosol and an infomercial back in the '90s and unleashed GLH (Good Looking Hair) on the world. Troubling though, is that this company is still in business.

Breath spray

When: 1970s-1990s

Dork.

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Some interesting info there, I did not know that about the Peruke for example.

[Darnell 8,478]

All Hail The FlowBee !!!

tis great for dog grooming at home...

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I like the jock strap with radium to make you manly.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

You forgot merkins.

Not really grooming, per se, but still......

Or maybe it was/is grooming?

[TBoneTX 45,288]

I like the jock strap with radium to make you manly.

Guy I know had a radioactive seed implanted in either his prostate or a testicle to nuke cancer. Whatever the anatomic location was, it worked.

Speaking of jock straps, bringing back the codpiece is an idea with merit. Guys could store their pocket change, combs, and other items in there while being fashionable (?).

[Pitaya 2,577]

Codpiece - Fashionable?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

This thread is sexist, demeaning, and I am insulted that this kind of posting is allowed to go on here

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Some interesting info there, I did not know that about the Peruke for example.

Is it just me or , every time you are scrolling down and you see a mod's profile, other than regular posters like Charles or TboneTx, --Is it like you hit the brakes and think..Oh ####### who did what.

Then you realize they are just posting

Penguin's does that to me every time

Edited April 10, 2014 by The Nature Boy

[Teddy B 17,252]

Speaking of jock straps, bringing back the codpiece is an idea with merit. Guys could store their pocket change, combs, and other items in there while being fashionable (?).

Looks dashing T-Bone.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I was reading a 19th-century French-language New York newspaper, and they had an ad for a tonic that would "restore the hair of your youth!" It would rid you of grey and baldness, and the ad said many times "this is not a dye!" The ad explained this was all through the magic of mercury!

I saw another ad that advertised a natural cure for syphilis: sarsaparilla!

Edited April 10, 2014 by Harpa Timsah

[TBoneTX 45,288]

I bought a cured ham. Wonder what it had?

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I bought a cured ham. Wonder what it had?

Life.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Looks dashing T-Bone.

This dog looks like he wants to tell his owner that he needs deodorant powder for his sack of jewels.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

The strigil with the oils sounds a strange idea but after doing some experimental archaeology a few years ago I can say that it seems to be pretty good at unblocking pores. The frigidarium (cold pool of the Roman baths) was no fun though!

The clam shell razor comment is a bit patronising to Stone Age peoples too. Some of them were so good at working stone they could make obsidian blades sharper than modern surgical instrument's.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Hotter Otter