Why did people Wear Wigs ?

• In the 17th century onward wigs became a fashion accessory but it was originally a medical reason

• Sexually Transmitted disorders were very frequent and no treatment really existed.
• As a matter of fact syphilis was commonly diagnosed but more evolved stages could develop (Secondary and Tertiary forms), and the former has a plethora of possible manifestations (The Great Pretender). Indeed, until penicillin was found to cure the condition, the study of dermatology was  essentially the study of syphilis and examination questions to become a dermatologist in France were ONLY on this topic.

• So wigs were worn because of unsightly hair which was caused by irregular patches of lost hair (“Moth-eaten”) as a manifestation of secondary syphilis. In French it is called alopécie en clairières”, in English it translates “glade-like alopecia”: a glade or clearing is an open area within a woodland.

A quick note of how rampant  STD’s were, the condition was diagnosed in Louis XIV of France when he was a teenager: purulent urination is called “hot piss” in French (chaude pisse) and is a manifestation of Blenorragia (Gonorrea)