The US Army has issued new grooming, appearance, and uniform rules, the latest in a series of directives this year aimed at reinforcing discipline and professionalism.
The updated standards encompass hair, cosmetics, nails, jewelry, insignias, and “body composition,” with soldiers required to comply within 30 days.
This directive applies to the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve.
Under the move, male troops are barred from wearing cosmetics, nail polish, braids, locs, twists, cornrows, or shaved-in hair designs.
Meanwhile, female service members are not permitted to wear lipstick, colored nail polish, false eyelashes, or tattooed makeup, although braids and twists are allowed under certain conditions. Makeup must be conservative, and only natural hair colors are permitted.
“What sets the US Army apart is our professionalism, and that’s a direct reflection of committed soldiers who adhere to and enforce the standards,” Sergeant Major Michael Weimer said.
Tightening Facial Hair Rules
The latest US Army directive followed earlier moves tightening shaving policies.
In July, the military reaffirmed its clean-shaven requirement for soldiers on duty. Temporary medical exemptions now need both a treatment profile and approval from a colonel-level commander, while permanent religious exemptions remain.
The policy also detailed how leaders and medical staff should support soldiers with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a shaving-related skin condition, but warned that separation is possible if standards cannot be met.
One month later, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expanded the policy across all services, capping medical shaving waivers at one year.
Medical officers must recommend treatment plans, and commanders retain final authority. Troops still requiring waivers after a year will be discharged. The memo did not clarify available treatments or whether special operations and Arctic units will continue to receive exemptions.
“The department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos,” Hegseth stated.
Review Drives Changes
The changes trace back to a March directive from Hegseth ordering a comprehensive review of military grooming and health policies.
The review brought together military leaders, medical experts, and service representatives to examine how existing standards affected readiness and unit cohesion.
Pentagon officials said the resulting rollout was staged over several months to allow commanders and soldiers time to adjust.
The aim, they noted, was to set a single clear standard across all branches of service, close loopholes in policy, and reinforce the culture of discipline that underpins combat effectiveness.
