In Palestine and the Near East, women typically had long hair. In the New Testament era, cutting one's hair could be seen as a sign of being a pagan priestess, leading to disgrace (see 1 Corinthians 11:15). The apostle Peter advised Christian women not to focus excessively on elaborate hairstyles (1 Peter 3:3). When a woman married, she often altered her hairstyle to reflect a more mature look, with some using curling tongs and hair oils.
Dark hair is commonly mentioned in the Bible, though gray hair was respected as a sign of maturity. Some people used black and red hair dyes, and tradition holds that Herod the Great dyed his graying hair with henna.
In Jewish culture, beard and hair trimming followed specific rules. Israelites were instructed not to cut the hair on their temples or trim the edges of their beards (Leviticus 19:27). This practice helped distinguish Israelites from the idol-worshipping Canaanites and others (Deuteronomy 12:29–30). Beards set Hebrews apart from Egyptians, who were usually clean-shaven but sometimes wore false beards for ceremonies. Shaving or cutting the beard of captives was seen as a severe humiliation, while a shaved head was a symbol of purification after completing a vow (Leviticus 14:8–9; Acts 18:18). Shaving a beard was the usual sign of mourning (Isaiah 15:2). It could also symbolize the approach of doom (Isaiah 7:20; Jeremiah 41:5; 48:37).