Welcome to Gaia! ::

I have questions...answers of which you may add to the FAQ as I am sure others will have these questions too....
[Divash and Poppy answered them ably]
1) In the rules you state that this is for both secular and religious coverers of heads. So, just to make sure, is it OK to be, say, a hippie wearing a bandana who just likes bandanas? And doesn't care for organized religion?

2) What if I don't always have a head covering (in real life)?

3) Does my avi have to have her head covered at all times?

4) Is it OK for my avi to be showing skin? Can I dress her in a bikini and still post in this guild?

5) Are men allowed to join?

agreed.

1. Completely true. Some women do cover their own hair by the use of false hair, or a wig made from someone else's hair. It's even rabbinically permitted for a woman to have a wig made from her own hair! It counts as "not her hair" because it's detached. I also know women who don't just cut their hair short, but actually shave their heads or get a buzz cut. It helps the wig stay on with adhesive instead of with pins, and I hear that it's a bit cooler, especially in the heat of summertime. This isn't just Israelis, but Jewish women all over the world.

There are rabbis who insist, in fact, that a woman wear a wig rather than a scarf or hat. Their reasoning is that a woman might come to remove her scarf in order to fit in more with the non-Jewish world, but would never remove her wig because it's harder to get on and off and remain natural looking. I happen to disagree, only because I know what my hair looks like after it's been corralled up in a scarf all day. No way would I ever take my scarf off in public!

2. The point isn't to avoid enticement or attractiveness. The point is that her OWN hair is just like her own breasts or her own... other bikini areas. It's her beauty, and it's on reserve for only herself and her husband. One can have a very beautiful wig, but it's not considered "nakedness" as her own hair is, once she's married. There are many women that I know who don't have stunningly lovely hair of their own, but their wigs are truly gorgeous. Some have a few wigs in different styles or even slightly different colors. "My Shabbat wig," "My evening wig," "My everyday wig," are phrases I hear a lot.

Personally I'd avoid wigs. Not because I think they're immodest in any way, but because frankly, they feel annoying to me. If I'm getting to keep my own hair off my neck and out of my eyes, the last thing I want is to put someone else's hair onto my neck and into my eyes! My scarves, caps, hats, and snoods were the best thing that ever happened to me in terms of stopping the itching of having long hair.

domokun that would be annoying- have you tryed garnier fructis smoothing misk? its a great product and not very expensive. i use it when i dont want to straignten my hair, like on shabbos, but want it to look straghtend- you need to wash your hair after using it cause a lot of people dont like how it feels if you leave it in, but it smealls great and works nicely

Update, for those keeping track:

The Asian hair straightening process worked very nicely and I love the way my hair behaves so well now. The color and the cut, which were done by different people (other than the one who straightened my hair), I'm not enjoying as much, but oh, well. At least the hair is not so frizzy now, and behaves beneath my caps. It doesn't sneak out as often now. Plus, when I do take off my head covering once I'm home for the day, it looks like nice hair, instead of a tangled tangle of tangly tangles.

Also, my hair didn't get all dry and brittle while I was on my cruise for the past week, despite multiple dunkings in both the salty ocean and in the chlorinated pools on the ship. I used a detoxifying shampoo after each swim, followed by a conditioner in the shower, then a leave-in conditioning spray and also a leave-in conditioning oil, and I allowed my hair to dry naturally rather than using a blow dryer. I babied it a lot, and it feels silky now. I protected it from the sun (along with the rest of my skin) by wearing a swimsuit I found at http://www.primomoda.com which is a wonderful website for Islamic clothing. I especially love their sportswear and swimwear because they protect my body from immodesty and my skin from sunburn and sun-induced cancer (though they NEED to make their sportswear from a stretchier fabric!).

Final verdict: I'll definitely straighten it again when the current straightened bits grow out.