Full wig
Covers the whole scalp. The default for everyday wear.
Why hair is covered
In traditional Jewish practice, a married woman covers her hair in public as an expression of tzniut — modesty — and of her married status. The custom is ancient and is discussed at length in rabbinic literature. Different communities keep it differently: some women wear a scarf (tichel) or hat, some wear a wig, and some combine them.
The wig, or sheitel, became a widely accepted option in parts of Europe from roughly the 18th century onward. It has been debated by rabbinic authorities ever since — some encourage it, some permit it, and a few discourage it — and practice still varies by community and family custom today. This page describes the custom; it does not rule on it.
“Two women can keep the very same halacha and make completely different choices about how their hair is covered.”
Styles of sheitel
Fall / half-wig
Covers the back and crown and is worn under a hat or headband, with the woman’s own hairline showing or hidden as her custom requires.
Human hair
Styles like real hair and lasts longer, but costs more and needs more upkeep. “European hair” is the premium tier and is prized for its fine texture.
Synthetic
Holds a set through rain and humidity and costs far less, but cannot take much heat and wears out sooner. Popular as a second, “knock-around” sheitel.
Lace top / hand-tied
Individual hairs knotted onto a sheer lace base so the parting looks like skin. The most natural — and the most delicate.
Multidirectional
Hair knotted so it can be parted anywhere and brushed in any direction, rather than falling only one way.
The sheitel macher
A sheitel macher (“wig maker”) is the specialist who fits, cuts, colours, washes, and sets sheitlach. Many women see the same macher for years. A typical relationship looks like this:
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Consultation and fitting
Head measurements, cap type, hair length, colour, and budget are settled.
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Custom cut
The wig is cut and thinned on the wearer so it frames her face and moves naturally.
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Wash & set on a schedule
Every few weeks the macher deep-cleans the wig and re-sets the style. Human-hair sheitlach especially need this.
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Repairs and refresh
Re-knotting thin spots, replacing worn lace, re-colouring, and eventually retiring the wig.
A moment worth knowing about
In 2004, a widely reported halachic question arose over whether some human hair used in wigs — hair collected at certain temples in India — might be connected to religious offerings, which would make it forbidden to benefit from. Many women set their wigs aside while rabbis investigated. The episode reshaped how the industry documents where its hair comes from, and “certified” or clearly-sourced hair became a bigger selling point afterward.
Common questions
Does wearing a wig defeat the purpose of covering hair?
This is exactly the point rabbinic authorities have debated. Those who permit it hold that the wig is itself a covering over the woman’s own hair; those who discourage it worry it can look like uncovered hair. Communities follow their own poskim.
How many sheitlach does one woman own?
Often two or three: an everyday wig, a nicer one for Shabbat and occasions, and sometimes a synthetic one for rain, travel, or the gym.
Do unmarried women wear them?
The custom of hair covering generally begins at marriage, so sheitlach are worn by married women. Wigs for other reasons — hair loss, medical treatment — are a separate matter.
Is a synthetic sheitel “lower quality”?
Not necessarily — it is a different tool. Good synthetic fibre keeps its style effortlessly. It just cannot be heat-styled freely and has a shorter life.