Ancient Egyptian Priests Removed All Body Hair

In ancient Egypt, serving the gods required more than devotion—it demanded absolute physical purity. Priests went to extraordinary lengths to achieve this, removing every single hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes. This wasn't vanity or fashion; it was a religious obligation that separated the sacred from the profane.

The Greek historian Herodotus documented this practice in the 5th century BCE, writing that Egyptian priests "shave themselves all over their body every other day, so that no lice or any other foul thing may come to be upon them when they minister to the gods." This wasn't a one-time ritual—priests repeated this process every two to three days throughout their service.

Why Remove Every Hair?

Ancient Egyptians believed that hair could harbor impurities, negative energy, and physical parasites that would make priests unworthy to approach the divine. Cleanliness was spiritual preparation, not just personal hygiene. When you're mediating between mortals and gods, there's no room for anything that might carry contamination into sacred spaces.

The practice served multiple purposes:

• Parasite prevention: Lice and other pests were common in ancient times, and priests couldn't risk bringing them into temples
• Symbolic purity: A completely hairless body represented a blank slate, purified and ready for divine service
• Mental focus: The removal process itself was a form of meditation and preparation
• Visual distinction: The hairless appearance set priests apart from ordinary Egyptians

The Painful Reality

This wasn't a quick shave. Priests used bronze razors, tweezers, and early forms of waxing or sugaring to remove hair. Eyebrows and eyelashes had to be plucked individually—a painful process that must have taken hours. Some scholars believe priests used abrasive pumice stones or early depilatory creams made from mixtures of oil and minerals.

The commitment was intense. Imagine plucking out every eyebrow hair, every eyelash, then shaving or removing hair from your entire scalp, face, arms, legs, and everywhere else. Then doing it again three days later. And again. For years or decades of priestly service.

Beyond the Priests

While priests had the strictest requirements, many ancient Egyptians practiced extensive hair removal. Both men and women often shaved their heads and wore elaborate wigs for formal occasions. The wealthy used similar techniques to remove body hair, considering it a mark of sophistication and cleanliness.

But priests took it to the extreme. Their role as intermediaries between humans and gods demanded the highest standards. Every hair removed was an act of devotion, a physical manifestation of spiritual commitment.