Guatemalan Hairstyles

• Guatemala is a country with beautiful vistas, natural hues and environmental influences that make their way into the textiles and fashions of the Guatemalan people. The clothing and fabrics are vibrant and filled with colorful exotic patterns. Guatemalan women predominantly wear their hair long, and it is sometimes pulled into a bun. The clothing and head gear is all hand woven by the women of the country and features patterns associated with each locality.

Panuelo

• Guatemalan people closely identify with their Mayan heritage and the traditions of their ancestors. Guatemalan women wear thick black hair long and sometimes covered by a panuelo or handkerchief. Older women may have the hair tied in a knot but it will be loose in young women and girls. The word panuelo means bandana or scarf in Spanish. They are beautifully colored and ornamented according to each region.

Cinta

• The cinta is essentially a sash made for the hair. The cinta features colors and patterns that reveal the social status of the woman who wears it. Cintas can be 4 or 5 feet long and are braided into long hair. The finished braid is wrapped around the head like a hat. It may be wrapped numerous times until it resembles a brightly colored disc on the head. Cintas are traditional parts of the native costume, but are also practical ways to keep hair clean.

How to Wrap a Cinta

• The Cinta will first go around the top of the head once and then the two ends will be braided or wrapped around the length of the hair as it is pulled away from the face. At the end of the hair the remaining cinta may be wound around and then pulled up with the hair and wrapped around the crown of the head. Depending on the length of the cinta it may be wrapped around numerous times, creating the look of a hat. The finishing touches tell where a woman is from and what her social standing is in the village. Options are knotted or twisted fabric that is either straight or tilted when it is finally wrapped around the crown of the head. The headdress is traditionally worn only by women and created by women.