# Payes (hair curls) and Yarmulkes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/payes-hair-curls-and-yarmulkes/171165>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 25, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/payes-hair-curls-and-yarmulkes/171165 "2003-04-25T18:32:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/payes-hair-curls-and-yarmulkes/171165/1 "2003-04-25T18:32:24Z")

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My mother saw a Jewish man and his children in her place of business today. All of the men were wearing yarmulkes, with the two fake hair curls on each side (which I have found out are called “payes”).

Is there any reason, religious or otherwise, Jewish persons wear payes under their yarmulke? Do they always wear payes with a yarmulke?

;j

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/payes-hair-curls-and-yarmulkes/171165/2 "2003-04-25T18:36:58Z")

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Jewish law forbids shaving certain parts of the head. One of those places is the place of the sideburns above the cheekbone. Therefore, a Jewish man is required to have a sideburn (minimally) to the bone.

Certain communities (most notably certain Chassidic ones) have the custom to allow these to grow very longer, with some being very long. To keep them from hanging all the way down, they are sometimes looped around the ears.

Yarmulkes are worn by almost all Orthodox Jewish men, regardless of whether or not they have long _peyos_.

Zev Steinhardt

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**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/payes-hair-curls-and-yarmulkes/171165/3 "2003-04-25T18:43:23Z")

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My mother belives the men had fake _peyos_. Is this a common practice for men with small sideburn hair, or is she just ignorant of Jewish custom (like me)?

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/payes-hair-curls-and-yarmulkes/171165/4 "2003-04-25T18:50:33Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by mobo85 \*  
> \*\*My mother belives the men had fake _peyos_. Is this a common practice for men with small sideburn hair, or is she just ignorant of Jewish custom (like me)? \*\*

I’ve never heard of anyone having fake _peyos_ (of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not done…). In any event, if one does not have hair (i.e. he is naturally bald), he is not required to have _peyos_ at all (fake or otherwise).

BTW, not to doubt your mother’s veracity, but how does she know that they’re fake?

Zev Steinhardt

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**Author:** ![yoyo3500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5daacb/32.png) [@yoyo3500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyo3500)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/payes-hair-curls-and-yarmulkes/171165/5 "2003-04-25T18:57:52Z")

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Seems to be a Jewish theme in GQ today…

Oy vey!

I’ve seen lots of fake peyos on Purim. I’ve also seen arafat hugging saddam and dancing with Bush and Sharon on Purim…