The Mummies' Secret to Everlasting Curls

The mummies' secret to everlasting curls: Scientists find hair of Ancient Egyptian noblewomen perfectly preserved after 3,000 years thanks to unique balm made of beef fat, castor oil, beeswax and pine gum .

The hair (top right) of mummified remains (left) was analysed by scientists from the Kurchatov institute in Moscow to discover how it was so well preserved. Scientists found evidence of a hair balm made of a combination of beef fat, castor oil, beeswax and pine gum and with a drop of aromatic pistachio oil as an optional extra. Modern technology such as positron emission tomography (PET) and computer tomography imaging (bottom right) enables scientists to 'unwrap' ancient mummies without breaking into their cocoons.

The hair of mummies was analysed by scientists from the Kurchatov institute in Moscow to discover how it was so well preserved. The individuals lived around 3,000 years ago

Egyptian noblewomen living 3,000 years ago used a special balm on their hair and it aided in preserving their curls for millennia (pictured, the hair which survived)

The Russian scientists believed that a different balm was used to preserve hair fashions of the time(pictured) and a different concoction was deployed on the rest of the body

Computer tomography images of ancient Egyptian mummies from the Russian institute which is analysing the remains

Ancient Egyptian mummies that lived around 3,000 years ago were subjected to a host of tests to find out more information about their embalming

SOURCE: By WILL STEWART IN MOSCOW FOR MAILONLINE and JOE PINKSTONE FOR MAILONLINE - PUBLISHED: 09:38 BST, 9 July 2019 | UPDATED: 09:39 BST, 9 July 2019