Can a woman cut her hair to conceal a defect?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu 'alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Respected Sister,

In principle, the Fuqahaa (scholars of jurisprudence) have ruled that it is impermissible for women to cut their hair. If a woman cuts her hair she will be sinful and accursed. 

There are two main reason mentioned for this prohibition:

1.      Imitation of kuffaar(Non-Muslims)

2.      Imitation of men.

Hence, it is impermissible for women to adopt the hairstyles of kuffar and non-Muslim women in any circumstance. With regard to the imitation of men, certain scholars understand the prohibition to be in the mere act of cutting and not only in the styles of men. Hence, cutting the hair in itself is prohibited even if it does not resemble the hairstyles of men or kuffaar.[1]

However, a woman may trim her hair slightly at times for a genuine reason such as: 

1.      At the completion of Umrah or Hajj.

2.      If her hair grows beyond her hips, she may trim it till her hips.[2]  

3.      If she has split ends, she may trim her hair slightly with the sole intention of enhancing the growth of her hair in future.[3]

4.      She may trim her hair or in this case, she may even shave her head due a genuine medical reason.[4]

It should be remembered that it is better for a woman to not cut her hair altogether, unless there is some genuine reason.

You state you wish to cut bangs to cover the discoloration on the side of your face. Bangs is generally a hairstyle that falls over the forehead. It will not be permissible for a woman to trim her hair from the front.

You further state you wish to do so to feel confident when getting married. However, adopting a certain hairstyle will only cover up the problem temporarily. It will not be possible to completely and permanently hide such a defect merely by a hairstyle from one's husband. Hence, we advise you to consider some medical treatment to treat the discoloration. If medical treatment is not possible, one may try adopting some beauty products that may cover up the defect. 

And Allah Ta'āla Knows Best

Abdullah Noorgat

Student Darul Ifta

South Africa 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

(2021-01-06)