Why do young boys in ancient Egypt wear one lock of hair upon their heads, and why do they shave it off at an older age?

Dr. dig responds:
Hairstyles in the ancient Egyptian world were worn according to age and profession. Hair was curled and plaited and sprinkled with perfume. Wigs were also worn.

Children may have had their heads shaved to keep head lice at bay. In the ancient world, there were not the strong shampoos that killed parasites such as lice that we have today. The only deterrent was to shave the hair off completely.

As a result, children's hairstyles took on a symbolic role as well. Young boys wore sidelocks, to represent youth. When children reached the age of adulthood (when they were less likely to contact parasites such as head lice) then they were allowed to grow their hair longer, or wear wigs.