The Venus of Willendorf, a prehistoric statuette with finely braided hair, is proof that hair braiding has been practiced for at least 30,000 years. For most of that history, no government license ...

The 40,000-year-old Hohle Fels Venus, for instance, is from southern Germany, and the famed Venus of Willendorf, which is 30,000 years old, hails from Austria.