Q. A non-religious Jew who has long hair in a way that is inappropriate for a Jew (e.g., ponytail – or even not to that extent), and now he wants to be chozer beteshuva, may he get a haircut on days when doing so is forbidden, such as sefira or Chol hamoed, in order to look normal?

A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that one may be more lenient to take an essential haircut during the Sefirah period than in Chol Hamoed. However, it may be unnecessary to have a complete haircut done in both cases, since just trimming off the ponytail or the areas of excessive hair growth (especially where he should don teffilin), may be meantime sufficient.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a