Qs for those who cover their hair for religion/spiritual path, etc.

[facets]

I know that some women cover their hair in public for religious and/spiritual reasons. Off the top, I think of Muslims, Orthodox Jews, some Rastafarians, Ifa & American Voudoun. There are probably others I'm missing, apologies in advance.

I have some questions for those cover their hair:

Why?(relig., personal pref,etc.?)

How do you cover it? ..What type of scarves, fabrics, styles of wraping, tying, pinning etc?

Do you think it affects your hair's condition, growth (for good or for ill) etc,? If yes, how so?

If you've achieved (or are close to) your ideal length/size, do you ever regret not showing it off in public or do you enjoy having that secret to yourself/family/husband?

Any other reflections(esp. photos, links) about covering hair are welcome.

**
my answers:

*At this point, it's mostly because I like the look & feel comfortable. When I was practising more and going to synagogue, I always always imagined covering my hair after getting married. Well, my husband is Muslim and I'm Jewish. I'm not orthodox anymore (obviously) but I cover my hair in public most of the time. Dh doesn't pressure me either way, it's mostly a habit, personal preference, even when I'm loving my hair, I feel like it's nobody's business anyway.(I'm medium modest nowdays with my clothing too.)..I also watch & listen to Islamic programs and understand sympatize w/ that motivation. I also love the African wrap styles.

*I wear silk scarves mostly, decent ones on top so it's not like I simply rolled out of bed or anything. Sometimes I'll do more of a West African style wrap with cotton fabric and a silk scarf underneath. If I'm going to an Islamic event then I'll cover my hair, neck and breast area with a larger scarf, hijab-style to go with my djellabas/jilbabs. I also had the cap and pullover style, in 2 pieces(amira?) but I prefer the pinned scarves.

*Since I'm sure to wear silk closest to my hair, I think it's good for my hair, esp in the winter. Years, ago I used to wear cotton against my hair and that caused breakage and sucked all of the moisture and oil. Also, it involves less manipulation of my hair...One downside is that I have to plan out my washings a bit more since I like to air dry. So, I do it during the day when I don't have outside plans or on the weekend.

*Before I started coloring like a fool and ruined my hair again(I BCd a couple months ago..need to update my pics) my hair was in wonderful condition. I had a good sized fro(i'd taken out my loc extensions).
I still covered it a lot and both my mom and MIL asked why I covered it all of the time since it was so nice, etc etc. I also braided it a lot & covering was simple and great maintenance.

Honestly, I do miss having admiration from strangers so it's that vanity that keeps me from covering full-time. lame, i know. OTOH, I love not always being under the critical eye of others, the 'nunyabizness' of it all. I feel like I'm no longer playing the Female Hair Olympic competition games. It's sort of a dignified sidestep.

 

[facets]

 

[pistachio]

Those are some beautiful head wraps. i've always wanted to wear silk scarves on my head like the Jewish or muslim women do, but I don't wanna feel as if I'm trying to perpetrate or offense their religions.

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

So muslim women are supposed to cover their hair ONLY after they are married? and also only when they are out in public? very interesting. thanks for sharing.

what about african women? I always assumed african women wore the hair coverings just as an accessory to match their beautiful outfits. anybody know?

 

[facets]

Those are some beautiful head wraps. i've always wanted to wear silk scarves on my head like the Jewish or muslim women do, but I don't wanna feel as if I'm trying to perpetrate or offense their religions.

I think it's(scarf wearing) something in the Afro-diaspora culture too regardless of specific religion, maybe I'm wrong but it really feels that way. I'm also thinking of older AA Christian women who always wear hats to church.

For some reason, I remember that in some colonial areas the african/mixed women were *required* to cover their hair? I can't think of the source.

**more pics** these are E. African women (Christian, Jewish, & Muslim)**

 

[facets]

So muslim women are supposed to cover their hair ONLY after they are married? and also only when they are out in public? very interesting. thanks for sharing.

what about african women? I always assumed african women wore the hair coverings just as an accessory to match their beautiful outfits. anybody know?

Orthodox Jewish is after marriage. Muslim is puberty, sometimes a bit before depending the individual, culture.

Orthodox J. wear theirs in public and around non-relative men(say if you're hosting friends at your home, you'd still cover). I believe it's the same for Muslimas. For both if you're if at an all female gathering, you don't have to cover.

Also some O.J.s do wigs instead of scarves, which is odd to me but permitted.

As far as I know, African Muslims, cover for religion but have diff styles.. some Malian women wear wraps and loose-fitting clothing but the neck & collarbone is revealed.

 

[zillaxy]

being an african muslim woman, i can honestly say head cover is seen as a fashion statement for most. and although muslims are supposed to cover their hair, a lot of them cover it in ways that are definately NOT islamic but coving is def. an absolute must.

with regards to length, can't speak for evry african but fulani people(my tribe) who always cover their hair have very long and beautiful hair. i'm not sure if its coz its protected from the elements or becoz of genes.

and yea christains in my state always cover their hair too... don't think its just a religious thing.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

Muslim women cover their hair because it's an obligation once they reach puberty or a certain age, so weather your married or not you should cover a certain way when you start menstruating or have reached a certain age. and also if we are in our own homes or w/family and friends you don't have to cover up. HTH's

So muslim women are supposed to cover their hair ONLY after they are married? and also only when they are out in public? very interesting. thanks for sharing.

what about african women? I always assumed african women wore the hair coverings just as an accessory to match their beautiful outfits. anybody know?

Why?(relig., personal pref,etc.?) Muslim

How do you cover it? ..What type of scarves, fabrics, styles of wraping, tying, pinning etc? I like to wear mine like these:

Do you think it affects your hair's condition, growth (for good or for ill) etc,? If yes, how so? For me it doesn't affect it in a bad way and I don't wear satin or silk scarfs before covering my hair, but I do know sisters who have to wear satin or silk scarfs to prevent breakage around the edges, so I guess it depends on the persons hair. I like to make my Khimars out of Georgetter material, beacuse it's light and breathable.

If you've achieved (or are close to) your ideal length/size, do you ever regret not showing it off in public or do you enjoy having that secret to yourself/family/husband? I don't care that others can't see my hair and when I visit my family and decide to take of my hijab and jilbab, their like Wow!

 

[facets]

Muslim women cover their hair because it's an obligation once they reach puberty or a certain age, so weather your married or not you should cover a certain way when you start menstruating or have reached a certain age. and also if we are in our own homes or w/family and friends you don't have to cover up. HTH's

so this is female friends? or both?

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

Female friends, of course.

so this is female friends? or both?

 

[Kamilah]

I have some questions for those cover their hair:

Why?(relig., personal pref,etc.?) I'm Muslim...I practice Islam.

How do you cover it? ..What type of scarves, fabrics, styles of wraping, tying, pinning etc? I guess I'll post some pics so you can see... but I'll have to delete them soon.

Do you think it affects your hair's condition, growth (for good or for ill) etc,? If yes, how so? Depends on the material of the scarf...I'm more for style over function. It does stop my hair from sun bleaching- I guess that's a good thing.

If you've achieved (or are close to) your ideal length/size, do you ever regret not showing it off in public or do you enjoy having that secret to yourself/family/husband? I will enjoy having that only for my husband (err...when I find one)... it makes guys appreciate it more and makes them proud that you save that part of yourself for them. I love the privacy it affords me and even though I miss out on being judged positvely for my looks...I also skip out on the criticism. It's also cool that my non-Muslim friends keep it like a closely guarded secret what my hair looks like. My family isn't muslim, so they are just happy I decided to stop covering my face.

Any other reflections(esp. photos, links) about covering hair are welcome. Perhaps I'll add some when I remove my pics.

this is when I'm being err....a bit trifling...it's a bad new habit, but I'm about to end it. My hair is super thin, so I pull it back in a coiled bun and it's soooo tiny...even though I'm shoulder length!


me normally...

 

[facets]

I have some questions for those cover their hair:

Why?(relig., personal pref,etc.?) I'm Muslim...I practice Islam.

How do you cover it? ..What type of scarves, fabrics, styles of wraping, tying, pinning etc? I guess I'll post some pics so you can see... but I'll have to delete them soon.

Do you think it affects your hair's condition, growth (for good or for ill) etc,? If yes, how so? Depends on the material of the scarf...I'm more for style over function. It does stop my hair from sun bleaching- I guess that's a good thing.

If you've achieved (or are close to) your ideal length/size, do you ever regret not showing it off in public or do you enjoy having that secret to yourself/family/husband? I will enjoy having that only for my husband (err...when I find one)... it makes guys appreciate it more and makes them proud that you save that part of yourself for them. I love the privacy it affords me and even though I miss out on being judged positvely for my looks...I also skip out on the criticism. It's also cool that my non-Muslim friends keep it like a closely guarded secret what my hair looks like. My family isn't muslim, so they are just happy I decided to stop covering my face.

Any other reflections(esp. photos, links) about covering hair are welcome. Perhaps I'll add some when I remove my pics.

this is when I'm being err....a bit trifling...it's a bad new habit, but I'm about to end it. My hair is super thin, so I pull it back in a coiled bun and it's soooo tiny...even though I'm shoulder length!

me normally...[/IMG]

Really pretty Kamilah!! For the record, I *love* niqab, I saw quite a few niqaabi women in Morocco but not many in Paris. A few years ago in the Bay Area I'd notice some here and there but not as many lately.

 

[senimoni]

I used to be so jealous of those who covered their hair in highschool/college , out of pure laziness, not wanting to do my hair.

Kamilah.....you look beautiful with your scarf.

 

[facets]

Female friends, of course.

i thought so, but wanted to ask just in case.

 

[facets]

I remember meeting an older lady who had locks but covered in a high wrap style(sort of E.Badu ish), she said covered when out because she didn't want ppl's negative energy to get into her hair.

 

[StrawberryQueen]

I have some questions for those cover their hair:

Why?(relig., personal pref,etc.?) I'm Muslim...I practice Islam.

How do you cover it? ..What type of scarves, fabrics, styles of wraping, tying, pinning etc? I guess I'll post some pics so you can see... but I'll have to delete them soon.

Do you think it affects your hair's condition, growth (for good or for ill) etc,? If yes, how so? Depends on the material of the scarf...I'm more for style over function. It does stop my hair from sun bleaching- I guess that's a good thing.

If you've achieved (or are close to) your ideal length/size, do you ever regret not showing it off in public or do you enjoy having that secret to yourself/family/husband? I will enjoy having that only for my husband (err...when I find one)... it makes guys appreciate it more and makes them proud that you save that part of yourself for them. I love the privacy it affords me and even though I miss out on being judged positvely for my looks...I also skip out on the criticism. It's also cool that my non-Muslim friends keep it like a closely guarded secret what my hair looks like. My family isn't muslim, so they are just happy I decided to stop covering my face.

Any other reflections(esp. photos, links) about covering hair are welcome. Perhaps I'll add some when I remove my pics.

this is when I'm being err....a bit trifling...it's a bad new habit, but I'm about to end it. My hair is super thin, so I pull it back in a coiled bun and it's soooo tiny...even though I'm shoulder length!

me normally...

You are very pretty!

 

[Cichelle]

Great thread. I don't how I missed it.

I cover my hair these days. I had stopped for a long while, but I've started covering again. My reason: Religious. I'm Jewish.

This is my everyday, quick headwrap that takes a minute to do. It's not lovely or anything, but it's comfortable and great for around the house:

Sometimes I'll do something slightly more elaborate like one of these two:

Occasionally I'll wear hats that can contain my hair like either of these:

I've noticed that when I have my hair covered I don't obssess about something harming it, which is a very good thing. I actually enjoy my hair more when I cover it every day.

I think it benefits my hair to be protected most of the time. But there are larger benefits to me, spiritually and emotionally. It was hard to get back to it, but I've sort of made a deal with myself to do this again for a while.

I'm not at my goal length yet, but I think it is kind of cool to have a hair secret and to feel that close relationship with G-d that comes from tznuit (at least in my experience.) It's really a spiritual thing, so as my hair grows longer, I am not regretting anything about covering it. But I really don't know how I'll feel in the future. There are some issues about covering that I have not resolved within myself. So we'll see how it goes.

 

[facets]

Great thread. I don't how I missed it.

I cover my hair these days. I had stopped for a long while, but I've started covering again. My reason: Religious. I'm Jewish.

This is my everyday, quick headwrap that takes a minute to do. It's not lovely or anything, but it's comfortable and great for around the house:

Sometimes I'll do something slightly more elaborate like one of these two:

Occasionally I'll wear hats that can contain my hair like either of these:

I've noticed that when I have my hair covered I don't obssess about something harming it, which is a very good thing. I actually enjoy my hair more when I cover it every day.

I think it benefits my hair to be protected most of the time. But there are larger benefits to me, spiritually and emotionally. It was hard to get back to it, but I've sort of made a deal with myself to do this again for a while.

I'm not at my goal length yet, but I think it is kind of cool to have a hair secret and to feel that close relationship with G-d that comes from tznuit (at least in my experience.) It's really a spiritual thing, so as my hair grows longer, I am not regretting anything about covering it. But I really don't know how I'll feel in the future. There are some issues about covering that I have not resolved within myself. So we'll see how it goes.

I love it Cichelle! esp the second scarf style(side tie) and the black hat. it's funny... you're not facing the camera but you look really young..like 15 yrs. old or something.

 

[Wishin4BSL]

OT: My SO's sisters (nine of them) all had to cover their heads when hey were growing up and they were Pentecostal-Apostolic. I didn't know that they did that. I didn't know that any Christians did that.

 

[MrsQueeny]

Why?(relig., personal pref,etc.?) Religious and personal. I am a christian. During times of fasting and consecration I cover my hair. Other times I just love only sharing it with my husband.

How do you cover it? ..What type of scarves, fabrics, styles of wraping, tying, pinning etc? I usually where a silk or satin scarf. I usually wear it like this

Do you think it affects your hair's condition, growth (for good or for ill) etc,? If yes, how so? Yes it helps to protect it and to keep moisture in.

If you've achieved (or are close to) your ideal length/size, do you ever regret not showing it off in public or do you enjoy having that secret to yourself/family/husband? No because I don't wear it all the time. Although right now I plan on having it covered for at least 3 months.

Any other reflections(esp. photos, links) about covering hair are welcome. I will have to take a pic with my digital cam and post later. Q

 

[pistachio]

Sometimes I'll do something slightly more elaborate like one:

I particularly like this style! Is there any way you can take a pic of the scarf layed out, or describe it so that I can know what size scarf to buy? TIA

 

[Cichelle]

Excuse the poor pic, but I don't have time right now to take a better one:

This scarf is actually perfectly rectangular, though it doesn't look like it in the picture because of the stretchy fabric. A small part of it is draped over the top of the door. But I would say this scarf is about 32 inches x 67 inches. That's not exact but pretty close.

 

[Cichelle]

I love it Cichelle! esp the second scarf style(side tie) and the black hat. it's funny... you're not facing the camera but you look really young..like 15 yrs. old or something.

Ahhh...to be 15 again. Well, actually, I wouldn't want to be 15 again but I suppose I don't mind looking fifteen once in a while.

 

[facets]

OT: My SO's sisters (nine of them) all had to cover their heads when hey were growing up and they were Pentecostal-Apostolic. I didn't know that they did that. I didn't know that any Christians did that.

I was asking my husband if any Christians covered outside of church. (His family is Catholic and he's studied a lot abt different religions.) He says there are some Bible verses saying women are supposed to cover their heads. He was telling me what he remembered of them & I was surprised. If no one beats me to it I'll try to post them later.

 

[MrsBKJ]

wonderful thread!

Why?(relig., personal pref,etc.?) I'm muslim and it's part of my religion


How do you cover it? ..What type of scarves, fabrics, styles of wraping, tying, pinning etc? I wear a hijab...sometimes Amira sometimes just a regular one, I have silk ones but mostly mine are georgette...I wear a cap underneath so you cant see my hair. At work i wear it just knotted under cuz i work with women only but when I'm out and about I wear it so all my neck etc is covered also and if i'm out on the street I wear a niqaab...


Do you think it affects your hair's condition, growth (for good or for ill) etc,? If yes, how so? I'm not sure if it affects my hair really, it does keep my hair hair tidy and sleek and it allows me to leave my hair alone for a couple of days!!!


If you've achieved (or are close to) your ideal length/size, do you ever regret not showing it off in public or do you enjoy having that secret to yourself/family/husband? No not at all...my family are the only ones who see my hair and they are so wonderful and supportive about my hair goals i dont need anybody else to admire it...my mums "ooohs and aaahs" are enough! lol



Any other reflections(esp. photos, links) about covering hair are welcome.
I love covering my hair...it defines me...firstly as a Muslim and secondly as a woman, it is part of me...i feel naked without it...I LOVE IT!!!!! And IM PROUD!!!!!

 

[mango387]

kaygeebee, I have a question that is similar to your original post, so I hope that you won't mind me asking it.
I was raised Baptist. Before I left the denomination, I never asked a question that I have been dying to get a clear cut answer to...I know that Paul speaks of women covering their head while praying (if I am not mistaken), but why did non-deaconness cover their heads with those white lace "doilies(sp?)" at some funerals that I attended? I understand the coverings during communion preparation, but not the same ones worn at funerals on females as young as five years of age.

 

[mango387]

I was asking my husband if any Christians covered outside of church. (His family is Catholic and he's studied a lot abt different religions.) He says there are some Bible verses saying women are supposed to cover their heads. He was telling me what he remembered of them & I was surprised. If no one beats me to it I'll try to post them later.

Sorry, I wrote my previous post before skimming all of the prior posts. Anyway, I am a Christian who grew up in a very traditional Baptist church in the South, and the women over forty wore hats that were out of this world. Their hats, according to a few of them, were in keeping with that scripture that I think you are referring to: I Corinthians 11:4. I still feel that being a black woman is fun partially because we even manage to make our obedience to whatever faith we believe in beautiful .

 

[kaykaybobay]

Since i'm Muslim I wear a scarf. I only have to wear it out in public or around males who arent family. I dont wear one in my own home. When I was married lol I didnt wear it either. I wear pretty much silk scraves various colors or patterns to match my out fits I like to be color coordinated hehe. I tie mine in the back sometimes I guess like late 60's 70s style if you know what the looked back or I kind of tie it then wrap the long ends around to be bun like. I dont mind wearing one. Since I belive in wearing it for my religion I have no problem, most of my pears wear one, some dont so I have no issues with it. I do get alot of do you have cancer?? or are Are you Bald? lol

 

[Ms. Cleo]

I grew up in the Pentecostal church (Church of God in Christ) and adult women had to wear hats in church (the head must be covered during worship), unless you were in the choir. Women also could not wear short sleeves, anything above the knee, pants, shorts, makeup, excessive jewelry, or shoes with the toes and heels out (sandals). And bare legs were a no-no. Of course things have changed.

I love head wraps, scarves, and hats. I think they are wonderful. I wear head wraps with the big bun on the back sometimes.

 

[pistachio]

Excuse the poor pic, but I don't have time right now to take a better one:

This scarf is actually perfectly rectangular, though it doesn't look like it in the picture because of the stretchy fabric. A small part of it is draped over the top of the door. But I would say this scarf is about 32 inches x 67 inches. That's not exact but pretty close.

Thank you So if I get one then I guess I'd be better off going to a fabric shop since I don't think I can find one that big around here. Thanks for taking time out of your day to take, and post the pic