Meaning of "hair pads"

[All Potted Out]

Dear Teachers,

I read this:

"During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, hair was curled with hot tongs and arranged over pads on top of and on either side of the head."

Does this mean that they accutually used some kind of pads to arrange their hair? Or the pads refer to the hair itself?

[Conchita]

They apparently used horsehair pads or even cage frames!

The following quote gives us an amusing glimpse into Elizabethan hairstyles (!):

[All Potted Out]

Can I ask what horsehair pads are? Are they a kind of wig made of horsehair? It seems they don't exist in my culture. I did a little search with google and they seem to be related to cars in today's society.

[Conchita]

It does seem that horsehair (from the mane or tail) was used to make wigs in the past -- as well as for padding furniture. It isn't so popular nowadays, though I believe it is still used.