I myself, am a keshdari Sikh, which means I have never cut my hair but I don’t wear it in a turban nor have I taken amrit (been baptized). It’s less about religion and more about keeping society happy while performing femininity. The way women practice kes in Sikhism is policed in a gendered way. Which forces Sikh women, both who chose to be Sikh and are born Sikh, into being constantly policed on what they do with their hair. Yet, keeping too much hair, makes you not feminine enough. It’s the reason why many Sikhs don’t have a problem with waxing or shaving, but cutting hair on the head would not be socially acceptable. It’s less about religion and more about keeping relatives and society happy while enacting an acceptable morally pure version of feminine behavior. But the way women practice kes in Sikhism is policed in a specifically gendered way. With any religion, people practice it to the degree they want to or are comfortable with. Some women, do not cut the hair on their head, some do not cut or trim any hair at all, while others cut their hair.
One of the most distinguishing features about Sikhs is the practice of keeping long uncut hair ( kes).
