Halacha requires that a woman cover ervah – the inherently erotic areas of her body – in front of her husband when she is niddah (see Appropriate Dress). Poskim discuss whether a married woman’s hair, defined as ervah in the Talmud, should be also be covered for her husband while she is niddah. Hair is clearly different than other forms of ervah, as can be seen by the fact that unmarried women do not cover their hair although they do fully cover other areas defined as ervah.

Rav Moshe Feinstein rules that a woman who is niddah does NOT have to cover her hair in her husband’s presence if she would normally uncover her hair in front of him in her home in a non-sexual context. While some poskim rule differently, the halachic advisor to this site follows the view of Rav Moshe, who also says a woman who is niddah can comfortably dress in her home in front of her husband and family as she normally would, even if that standard is different than how she would appear in front of others.

Updated 11 August, 2023.