Jewish men’s side curls are mainly a religious practice, not just a fashion choice, and they are called payot (also spelled payos/peiyot), meaning “corners.”

Core Religious Reason

In the Torah (Hebrew Bible), there is a commandment: “Do not round the corners of your head,” which traditional Jewish law understands as a ban on removing the hair at the sides of the head.

Over centuries, many observant Jewish communities chose to fulfill this by specifically growing out that hair into visible side locks, which naturally often look like curls.

Key points:

  • The curls are called payot, literally “corners/sides/edges.”
  • The rule is tied to the same verse that also prohibits destroying “the corners of the beard,” so it applies to men.
  • The exact length and style are customs, but the underlying idea is not shaving off that hair entirely.

Who Wears the Curls (and Who Doesn’t)

Not all Jewish men have curls; it’s most visible in certain Orthodox and ultra‑Orthodox groups.

You’ll especially see payot among:

  • Hasidic Jews (various sects, often with long, noticeable curls).
  • Other Haredi (ultra‑Orthodox) communities.
  • Yemenite Jewish men, who call them simanim (“signs”), using them as a visible marker distinguishing them from non‑Jews.

Many non‑Orthodox Jewish men do not grow payot at all, or they keep the side hair short enough that it doesn’t stand out.

Style, Identity, and Symbolism

Beyond the basic commandment, the curls have taken on symbolic and cultural meaning.

Common themes:

  • Religious identity: Payot signal that the person is committed to traditional Jewish law and community norms.
  • Modesty and humility: Some sources associate the side curls with modesty, even describing them as partially covering the ears to help avoid inappropriate speech or sounds.
  • “Signs” of belonging: In places like historic Yemen, the long curled sidelocks clearly marked someone as Jewish in the wider society.

At the same time, Jews—like anyone else—also have a range of natural hair types. Curly hair itself can be genetic, especially among communities from Middle Eastern and North African regions, but that’s separate from the religious practice of deliberately grown side curls.

A Quick Mini‑FAQ

  1. Do all Jewish men have curls?
    No. The visible side curls are mainly in Orthodox/ultra‑Orthodox communities; many other Jewish men don’t grow them.
  1. Are the curls always long and ringlet‑like?
    No. Some keep them short and tucked behind the ear; others grow long, prominent spirals. Different groups have different customs.
  1. Is it just a tradition or an actual law?
    The core idea—don’t remove the hair at the “corners” of the head—is treated as a religious prohibition. The exact style (how curly, how long) is tradition and community custom.
  1. Is this about fashion or trend?
    While payot do appear in media and pop culture discussions today, within the communities that wear them they are primarily about religious duty and identity, not fashion trends.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.