The Wig Nobody Wanted to Talk About

For centuries, wig makers in Europe crafted more than just hairpieces for balding heads. They also made a much smaller, much more private version meant to sit somewhere else entirely, and almost nobody talks about it today.

This tiny accessory is called a merkin, and it's essentially a wig for pubic hair. It dates back to at least the 1400s and was a fixture in certain professions for hundreds of years afterward.

One major driver was pure hygiene. Pubic lice, commonly called crabs, were rampant in eras before modern medicine, and shaving was the easiest treatment available at the time.

But shaving created a new problem, especially for sex workers whose livelihood depended on appearance. A full, natural bush was considered a sign of youth and health, so going bare wasn't exactly good for business.

The merkin solved that instantly. Sex workers would wear one to maintain the appearance of natural hair, letting them keep working without anyone knowing they'd shaved at all.

Then came a darker use during the 16th and 17th century syphilis epidemic. The disease caused hair loss, sores, and warts, and merkins became a convenient way to hide the visible symptoms from clients.

Early versions weren't exactly glamorous either. Makers used horsehair, goat hair, and even beaver fur, turning what sounds like a punchline into a surprisingly practical piece of medical and social history.