The Amish community is a traditional Christian group that follows strict religious beliefs. These beliefs include the modesty of dress, which also extends to hair and grooming practices.
Amish Men's Hairstyles are some of the most unique and interesting styles you'll find anywhere.
Amish men typically wear their hair in a simple style that’s easy to maintain and usually doesn’t involve the use of styling tools or products. In fact, there are a variety of different looks to choose from when it comes to Amish Men's hairstyles.
Are you curious about Amish men's hairstyles and rules? Let's take a deeper look at male Amish hairstyles, and other Amish hair traditions.
What this article covers:
- Amish Hair Traditions
- Do Amish Men Cut Their Hair?
- Do Amish Men Style Their Hair?
- Amish Beards
Amish Hair Traditions
Just like bike baskets, Amish hair rules are part of the daily lives of the Amish people. There are many hair traditions that the Amish follow. These traditions date back to the 17th century and have been passed down through generations. Are Amish hair traditions different for men and women? Do Amish shave? Let's find out.
Amish Men’s Hair Traditions
Here are hair rules that men must follow.
Short Hair
An Amish man's hair must reflect their service to God and shouldn’t be styled extravagantly. Longer hair for men is seen as vanity. For this reason, men always keep their hair short, never longer than the bottom of the earlobes.
Natural Hair
Since Amish men perform more physical roles in the community, short hair allows them to easily perform their duties. Men aren’t allowed to dye their hair, even if the color is natural looking. They must also shave every two weeks in order to maintain a clean-shaven appearance.
After cutting their hair, they leave it in its natural state without styling products.
Wearing Hats
Hats are an integral part of Amish men's hairstyles, and men always wear them outside. These hats are known as scribblers and they help protect the men from the sun as they work. They’re also a sign of humility and obedience to God.
Amish Women's Hair Traditions
Like men, Amish women heavily follow Bible instructions regarding their hair and other aspects of their lives. That’s why they make faceless Amish dolls as ones with faces are considered to be going against the graven images commandment. Here are the Amish women's hair traditions.
Long Hair
Amish women never cut their hair. Why don’t Amish women cut their hair? This practice comes from the Bible in 1 Corinthians 11:15, where St. Paul states that women should have long hair to keep their "glory".
No Product Use
Although women keep long hair, they don't dye or style it extravagantly as these are worldly acts. All women wear their hair in a bun, which begins at the crown of the head and is secured with a snood. A snood is a cloth-like net or band that holds the hair in place. The bun itself should be neat and tidy, without excessively long strands poking out. It must also not be adorned with any jewelry.
Head Coverings
If you're keen on Amish practices, you've probably noticed that women wear head coverings. The white coverings are known as prayer Kapps. The Amish believe that a woman must always be ready to pray, and covering the head is a spiritual command that they must obey in order to pray. Women only take off their head coverings when washing or combing their hair.
Generally, head coverings represent submission to one’s husband if married or submission to one’s father for the unmarried.
Do Amish Men Cut Their Hair?
Yes, Amish men cut their hair and wear it in simple styles. While most Amish orders prefer the bowl cut due to its simplicity, some conservative orders such as the Swartzentruber Amish have their hair longer in the back.
All Amish haircuts are basic and easy for moms to do at home. Also, all hairstyles are kept simple to avoid drawing attention to oneself as this is considered a form of vanity.
Do Amish Men Style Their Hair?
Amish men don’t “style” their hair, but they do cut it. These haircuts are always neat and practical. They can’t augment it to get a desired look. Amish curls must grow naturally.
Amish Men’s Haircuts
While Amish men always keep their hairstyles simple, there are a few different looks you may see them rocking.
The Bowl-Cut
The bowl-cut is the most common hairstyle for Amish men, as it offers an easy way to keep their hair short and neat. It's a classic style that has been around since the 19th century and is still popular today among Amish communities.
The bowl cut got its name from the way the cut was executed in the early days. A bowl, placed on top of the head, was used to guide the cut.
You'll notice that Amish men's hair strands aren’t separated, but combed down together, creating a uniform look.
The William Penn Cut
The William Penn style is worn by the more conservative Amish orders. The man’s hair is cut longer, to the shoulder, and combed down. It's very similar to the bowl cut, except that it is longer at the back and combed slightly differently.
This style gets its name from William Penn, an early Quaker leader who was an advocate for religious freedom and democracy.
Amish Boys' Hair
Amish boys look up to their fathers to learn how to dress and style their hair. The hairstyles for boys are the same as those for adults. However, the length of the hair is often shorter on younger boys, since they tend to have finer, less textured hair than adults.
Unlike men, Amish boys aren’t required to wear hats, but you'll often see them wearing them just like their fathers.
Amish hats are made from straw or wool. The type of hat that men and boys wear depends on the weather and occasion.
Amish Beards
The Amish beard is referred to as the Shenandoah beard and has other names including the Lincoln and the chin curtain.
Did you know that there are Amish beard rules that all men ought to follow? These rules stem from the Bible in Leviticus where men are instructed to not trim their facial hair.
Growing Beards
Amish men are expected to grow out their beards and like women, married men should never shave off their beards. Since they cannot wear rings, beards symbolize marital status for men in the Amish community.
During engagements, men can keep their beards just slightly trimmed for neatness.
For married men, beards are a sign of commitment to the religion. That said, unmarried men are allowed to cut their beards but must grow them once they marry.
Trimming Beards
The Amish beards style is very unique and covers the entire chin area. On top of that, the religion encourages men to grow their beards to about 6 inches or more. The men shave their cheeks clean and keep their sideburns. However, some men trim their sideburns down.
Mustache
The Amish style of grooming is pretty similar to the 19th-century style. However, you'll notice that, unlike 19th-century men, Amish men don't have mustaches. Why don't the Amish have mustaches?
In the 20th century, mustaches were a signature look among the military and armies demanded that you must have one to serve. Military men often bullied and harassed citizens. Therefore, the Amish shaved off their mustaches to differentiate themselves from "warmongers."
Just like every other Amish style, the Amish beard shouldn't draw attention to the individual. Therefore, it must be kept free from any ornaments or embellishments.
Neckbeard
The Amish neckbeard is a popular style among the Amish that follows the same guidelines as other facial hair. It's basically a full beard with no mustache and it should be trimmed to your collarbone.
The neckbeard is seen as an extension of their "plain" dress, which they believe honors God. Also, this look gives them a more mature and dignified appearance.
Conclusion
The Amish follow strict guidelines when it comes to their grooming and hairstyles. Men wear the bowl, brush or William Penn cut or straight style and must follow strict beard rules.
They must never trim their beards too short, wear a mustache or embellish it with decorations.
Ultimately, Amish men's hairstyles shouldn’t draw attention to them but reflect their modesty and commitment to their faith.
Did You Find Our Blog Helpful? Then Consider Checking:
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- What Do the Amish Wear?
- Why Can't Amish Women Have Buttons?
- Why Do Amish Women Wear Bonnets
- Do Amish Make Their Own Clothes
- Do Amish Wear Shoes
- Mennonite vs Amish Clothing
- Old Order Amish Beliefs
- Amish Folk Culture
- Amish Bedroom Rules
- Amish Shunning Rules
- Amish Sunday Rules
- Amish Dating Rules
- Traditional Amish Wedding Dress
- How Do You Know If an Amish Woman Is Married
