Puff and powder

So, in my convalascence, getting back to being well rested and being able to eat solid foods, I visited my local library. I found some delightful stories that I've read before, though have forgotten the details of--if you like adventure and romance and fun and history, read something by Patricia Veryan. You won't be sorry.

Anyway, the books that I've been reading are set around 1746, when everyone powdered their hair. Such a weird practice! I mean, why would anyone purposely make their hair look white? I mean, there are already too many hairs of that particular shade on my own head for my liking--why would I want to make them all that color? And we could just chalk (no pun intended) it up to crazy English people, but these same kinds of people (though a generation removed perhaps) came to found our own country. They wore wigs (usually cropping their own hair to do so) and powdered their hair (with some distressing health effects eventually) and thought they looked stylish... I don't get it.