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EveryHairstyle

Faith and religious orders

Styles required or chosen for religious reasons: kesh, the tonsure, the payot. 23 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.

Hair has a place in almost every faith. Some ask believers to keep it uncut, like Sikh kesh and the locks of the Rastafari; some to shave it, like Buddhist monks and nuns and Hindus making offerings; some to leave a part, like the Jewish payot and the Hindu shikha; and some to cover it, as many Muslim, Jewish and Christian women do. These customs are described here with respect and as their communities understand them.

Kept, shaved or covered

Sikhs keep kesh, uncut hair, as one of the five Ks and cover it with a dastar. Many Hindu men keep a shikha, and Hindus shave their heads at temples, at a child's mundan and in mourning. Buddhist monastics shave at ordination. Many Orthodox Jewish men grow payot, and married women cover their hair. Many Muslim women wear a hijab, and Muslim men shave or trim their hair at the end of the Hajj. Rastafari grow locks under the Nazirite vow.

Faith and rules

Religious hair practices have often met rules of schools, armies and employers. Sikh soldiers have long served in turbans in the Indian Army and, after legal campaigns, are allowed to in the American and Canadian forces. Rastafarian students have gone to court over locs in Jamaica, Ghana and Britain. Rules on headscarves in schools and public jobs are debated in several countries, with arguments about religious freedom on one side and secularism or neutrality on the other.

Famous faith and religious orders hairstyles

KeshUncut hair, one of the five KsDastarThe Sikh turbanTonsureReligious shaving of the headPayotThe Jewish sidelocksShikhaThe Hindu crown tuftDreadlocksThe locks of the Rastafari and of sadhusHijabThe headscarf of many Muslim women

Still to be written: Head covering for Jewish women.

Further reading

KindCutBraidUpdoPonytailLocsNaturalCurlsShavedFringeStyledWrappedAdorned
Hair typeStraight hairWavy hairCurly hairCoily and kinky hairFine hairThick hairAny hair
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy length
🇻🇳 VietnamKhăn vấn A traditional Vietnamese head wrap coiled tightly around the hair.Wrapped · Any hair · 1744 🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreChristian head covering A cloth veil worn by Christian women for modesty and worship.Wrapped · Any hair 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair Patka South AsiaPatka Square cotton head covering worn by Sikh men and boys.Wrapped · Any hair 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreBuyao A Chinese hairpin with dangling ornaments that sway when the wearer moves.Adorned · Any hair 🇬🇧 United KingdomSnood A net or cloth bag that holds hair at the back of the head.Wrapped · Any hair · 1590 🇮🇳 IndiaKesh The Sikh practice of keeping hair uncut as a religious observance.Natural · 1699 🇺🇦 UkraineUkrainian wreath Traditional floral headdress for Ukrainian girls and unmarried womenWrapped · Any hair 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDastar A turban worn by Sikhs to cover uncut hair and signify faith.Wrapped · Any hair · 1699 🇮🇳 IndiaHead shaving in Hinduism A ritual act of head shaving in Hinduism for purification, mourning, and devotion.Shaved · Any hair 🇯🇵 JapanKanzashi Traditional Japanese hair ornaments made from metal, wood, silk, or folded fabric.Adorned 🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreMantilla A traditional Spanish lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders, often with a comb.Wrapped · 1500 🇮🇳 IndiaTonsure A religious practice of cutting or shaving scalp hair to signal devotion, humility, or clerical status.Shaved · Any hair 🇸🇩 Sudan and 4 moreDreadlocks A hairstyle of rope-like hair strands formed by matting or twisting.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1970 WorldLong hair Head hair grown to a considerable length, often past the shoulders.Styled · Any hair WorldPayot Sidelocks worn by Orthodox Jewish men based on religious law.Styled · Curly hair 🇯🇵 JapanChonmage Traditional Japanese topknot worn by men, historically by samurai and now by sumo wrestlers.Updo · Straight hair · 1603 🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePolish plait A matted hair formation viewed as both a medical condition and a folk amulet in Eastern Europe.Styled · Coily and kinky hair · 1600 🇪🇬 EgyptSidelock of youth Ancient Egyptian braided side hair worn by royal children.Braid · Any hair 🇮🇳 IndiaShikha A traditional Hindu tuft of hair kept at the crown after shaving the rest of the head.Shaved · Any hair 🇯🇵 JapanNihongami Traditional Japanese hairstyles characterized by elaborate updos, side wings, and wax styling.Updo · Straight hair EuropeRoman hairstyles Ancient Roman hair fashions reflecting status and identityUpdo · Any hair 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreHair extensions Cosmetic additions of human or synthetic hair attached to natural hair for length and volume.Styled · Any hair · 1950

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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