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The Reason why “Pubic Wigs” were a “Thing” in the Past
There was a time when having a “bush” under there was associated with health, beauty and even wealth.
In the middle of the 15th century, pubic wigs were invented, which later became known as “Merkin”. An accessory used mostly by high-class women and sex workers, despite being of very different social classes, they had the same reason to use them. Sexually transmitted diseases were more than present in everyday life in those times. Lice were also very common, so prostitutes would shave their hair and then put on a “Merkin”.
A possible origin of the word merkin is malkin, an insult dating back to the 12th century for lower-class women (which may ultimately have originated as an affectionate form of the name Mary).
What materials were used to make the wigs?
They were made using natural fibers, such as horsehair, goat hair, or hair from human corpses. During that time it was extremely lucrative to be a grave robber or human body parts dealer.
