Brush up on hair facts..

TALES FROM THE FRINGES OF HISTORY

- TOM STICHBURY

All tressed up: Scientists believe humans evolved to have hair on top of their heads to cope with different climates. Barnets help us brrr-ave the cold - by insulating our noggins - and also hot weather, providing a surface that sweat can evaporate from.

To dye for: Folk have been dyeing their locks since ancient times. In Egypt, for instance, they used henna for a nice reddish-brown hue. The Greeks and Romans opted for a more unusual approach, relying on a formula fashioned from leeches that'd been fermented in a lead vessel. They really were suckers for a makeover.