How did ancient civiliations deal with hair and nail growth?

by dewarr

The Romans and Egyptians had scissors, but it isn't immediately obvious that they could be used for such tasks at the time.

6pawprints

Ah, hello! I just graduated with my degree in Classics! I actually asked a professor about this in regards to body hair. Hair removal in the Classical times was quite popular since there was a preference for youthful beauty. The ancient Greeks did pluck their undesired body hairs out. Also, according to James Robson's article Beauty and Sex Appeal in Aristophanes, found in Eugesta: Journal on Gender Studies in Antiquity, 2013, Issue 3, another form of hair removal at the time would have been singeing the hair with a lamp.