Many poskim (halachic authorities) have choice words to say about men growing a fringe, long hair in the front, or even long hair in the back. A key problem mentioned by many poskim is that of chatzitzah, separation, that long hair can be a chatzitzah between the tefillin shel rosh, the tefilin worn on the head, and the head itself, due to the amount of hair. Even in the event where it would not be considered a chatzitzah, sometimes the extra hair actually does not allow the tefilin to be worn in the proper way.
In addition, it raises the following issues: 1) Derech shachatz vega’avah, it is considered arrogant and inappropriate, 2) Chukat hagoyim, dressing and acting in the manner of non-Jews, and 3) Lo yilbash, the prohibition for a man to dress in the way of a woman.
Therefore, a man who has let his hair grow long should hasten to cut it, so much so that poskim say that he may cut it even during the days of sefirah, the Three Weeks and the Nine Days, since having long hair is a more serious prohibition than that of cutting hair on those days.
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D’atra & member of the Badatz of Crown Heights, 1 Minute Halachah, #243, crownheightsconnect.com
