In the olden days the Malayali as rule shaved his head, face and

body all over leaving only a small oval patch of hair on the top of the
head in front called 'KUDUMI' .This patch of hair was allowed to grow
long and was twisted to a knot and hanged over the fore-head in front
or to one side, usually the left. This way of wearing the hair was
universal and was distinctive of the west coast Hindu.
Some of the CHERUMANS and similar low castes shaved their head
completely and left no trace of any hair on their person.
The devil dancers and their likes in the ancient times wore the hair
long; the hill tribes also used to wear their hair long but with the
advent of civilization they too took to KUDUMI.
The Namboodiri was also seen with a beard, but the singular reason
was that it was a period of mourning (diesta) for him . Other castes
were also forbidden from shaving when in mourning.
Women grew their hair long. They used many natural herbs and oils
available in the soil to nourish their hair. Women wore their hair
plaited in the middle and either drew tight to the ears and tied in a
chignon or else twisted up in front in a sort of cone. The latter was
the common custom in the south, except among Namboodiris.