There is a popular belief that Jews have worn sidelocks (payos) since ancient times, with the Chassidic community often regarded as the faithful preservers of this supposed original heritage.

Payos, as we recognize them today, is a relatively recent phenomenon and was not part of the original customs or dress of the Jewish people.

Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses) and his brother Aharon could not have had payos. The Rambam explicitly explains that a Kohen (priest) is forbidden from allowing his hair to grow more than 30 days if he is serving in the Temple. Violating this rule carries the punishment of death. Long hair, including the growth associated with payos, would fall under this prohibition.
Moshe, who initiated the service in the Mishkan (the portable Tabernacle), and all the Kohanim involved in the sacred duties, could not have worn payos without violating this law. Furthermore, there is no record of long, extended payos in any Jewish texts (Seforim) prior to a few hundred years ago.

Today, payos are most commonly associated with Chassidic Jews. Historically, however, the earliest documented wearers of payos were some of the Yemenite Jews. Even before them, it is challenging to find Jewish sources referencing sidelocks. Interestingly, similar hairstyles can be found among ancient Egyptian pagans, who practiced various forms of religious hair customs. It is likely that Yemenite non-Jews adopted these traditions, and the concept of payos may have later been absorbed by some Yemenite Jewish communities.