In a Changing Military, the Army Eases Its Rules for Womens Hair The New York Times

Table Of Content

• Male Army Haircuts and Hair Styles
• What Are the New Army Grooming Standards?
• Haircuts and hairstyles
• The Army Is Expanding Allowed Hairstyles For Women
• Short Authorized Hairstyles for Female Soldiers
• What Hair Styles are Accepted in the Military?
• In a Changing Military, the Army Eases Its Rules for Women’s Hair

Also, soldiers must keep mustaches below the lowest part of the nose. According to an information paper posted by Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel Lt. Gen. Gary Brito’s office, the update is part of the Army’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. The updates reflect the Army’s commitment to fostering an environment that promotes and facilitates diversity, equity, and inclusion. Inclusive policies foster the ability to recruit and retain the top talent. Army uniforms embody the professionalism and commitment to the Army Values.

Male Army Haircuts and Hair Styles

Whether you’re wearing your military uniform or civilian clothes on duty, you need to follow the rules set for hair as your appearance can impact your performance. Leaders will decide if a hairstyle is appropriate by looking at the guidelines in the rules and whether you can wear your headgear and protective equipment properly. In other changes this year, hair highlights are now allowed in natural colors, lipstick and nail polish allowed in "non-extreme" colors for women, earrings allowed for women in combat uniforms, and clear nail polish allowed for men. Additional Army hair regulation updates remove the requirement that hair must present a tapered appearance.

What Are the New Army Grooming Standards?

It’s important to note that these styles should have a diameter no greater than 1/2 inch and maintain a neat, professional, and well-groomed appearance. In the military, there are certain hairstyles that men must avoid. According to AR 670-1, braids, cornrows, twists, dreadlocks, and locks are not permitted while in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty. The goal is to ensure a unified and consistent look across the military community.

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Haircuts and hairstyles

The color of their hair must also be uniform and not detract from their professional appearance. That’s why they don’t allow guys to wear braids, cornrows, twists, dreadlocks, or locks while they’re in uniform or on duty in civilian clothes. Those hairstyles are not allowed because they can interfere with wearing the right gear to protect yourself. As for hair and grooming standards, a series of recommended grooming standard changes were brought to Army leadership last month after being voted on by a review panel comprised of representatives throughout the Army.

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Along with supporting a Soldier's identity, the Army approved the use of additional colors of lipstick and nail polish, including the wear of clear nail polish by male Soldiers. Females also have the option to wear an American manicure, a two-tone nail style that maintains a natural appearance. Under the current regulation, Soldiers are only authorized to dye, tint, or bleach their hair.

Short Authorized Hairstyles for Female Soldiers

Though there has been recent talk of loosening beard policy, the Army has not yet revised its longstanding policies banning beards and restricting mustaches as of the latest round of updates. Highlights also can’t be unnatural colors, such as purple, blue, green, pink, bright red, fluorescent or neon. You can serve part-time as a Soldier in the Army Reserve or the Army National Guard. By serving part-time, you are able to continue your college education or work a civilian job, while earning an extra paycheck and maintaining many of the benefits of military service. The top hair must still conform to army regulations, i.e., it must not be excessively bulky or fall over the ears or eyes. There is more as far as prohibited hairstyles and authorized hair accessories go.

What Hair Styles are Accepted in the Military?

Among the revisions that will be included in the new AR — last updated in 2017 — include changes that have already been announced such as the Army Green Service Uniform and the Expert Soldier Badge. U.S. Army hair regulations and grooming standards are comparable to other branches of the Armed Forces. A recent update to grooming standards is the removal of female members having to observe a minimum length of 1/4 inch from the scalp. Soldiers can wear hijabs when they have an approved religious accommodation request.

In the facial hair section of the regulations, the word “Fu Manchu” will be removed, for example, as it “has been considered offensive to Asian Culture,” the slides say. “In an effort to stop hair damage and loss stemming from hairstyles like the bun, the Army approved healthier hairstyle options that are more inclusive of various natural styles,” said Clark. The Army plans to authorize the wear of highlights if it presents a natural appearance and is not a prohibited color, Sanders said.

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It’s assumed that when each soldier maintains a “clean-cut” appearance that the military unit as a whole is well organized and detailed. Teresa Tennyson is a retired army officer who served in several countries in the Middle East. As an Arabic lingual and cultural specialist, her assignments included combat deployments and a diplomatic tour. Veterans with wartime service who were honorably discharged can also wear uniforms, according to Paragraph 23-4 of AR 670-1. The regulations restrict ceremonial attire to service and dress uniforms only. Women must wear braids and ponytails down the center of their backs.

Approved hairstyle changes include no minimum hair length for female Soldiers, allowing multiple hairstyles at once (i.e. braiding, twists or locs). Soldiers will be able to wear ponytails if unable to form a bun, and may wear long ponytails while conducting physical training, in the combat uniform or when female Soldiers wear equipment such as, but not limited to, combat helmets. The grooming standard changes make it easier and safer for women to secure natural hair of all types in garrison and combat headgear. Previous hairstyle regulations that required soldiers to wear long hair in a tight bun damaged soldiers’ hair and scalps.