Military Branches Are Updating Their Hair Requirements For Women

Two of the six military branches have announced that they have made changes to their grooming regulations for women.

The Air Force released new standards in Air Force Instruction 36-2903, February 10 set to be effective upon publication.

Among the new set of regulations, women in the Air Force will now be allowed to “wear their hair in up to two braids or a single ponytail with bulk not exceeding the width of the head and length not extending below a horizontal line running between the top of each sleeve inseam at the underarm through the shoulder blades.”

Air Force women can also wear bangs that touch their eyebrows. However, they cannot cover their eyes.

Changes to the hair requirements for women in the force comes after thousands of Air Force servicewomen provided feedback on the results of abiding by grooming codes, including hair loss, migraines, and damaged hair.

“As I outlined in Action Order A: Airmen, this decision is a commitment to supporting the Airmen We Need and sustaining the culture and environment of excellence that will continue to make the Air Force an attractive career choice for Airmen and families,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.

“I’m thankful for the feedback and research conducted from several women leaders, the Women’s Initiative Team, the Air Force uniform board, and our joint teammates.”

Days after the Air Force went public with their new grooming regulations, another branch, Army, announced that it had updated theirs as well in a push for inclusion.

According to the U.S Army’s updated grooming policies, soldiers will now be able to wear lipstick, earrings, nail polish, locs, and ponytails.

As long as women wear nail polish colors that are deemed “acceptable” and male soldiers wear clear nail polish, there will be no cause for violation.

The new policy lifts the current limitations on soldiers “braiding, twisting, locking, or cornrowing their hair, although it does set out some specifications for doing so,” CNN reports.

Included in the new regulations, soldiers can have highlighted hair just as long as they are natural color and not bright, fluorescent, or neon color, which are prohibited.

“I believe we took a good step forward with these changes. I’m proud of the effort that went into this, but the conversation isn’t over. We are a learning organization, and it won’t be another 5 years before the grooming standard is addressed again,” Sgt. Maj.in t Of the Army Michael A. Grinston tweeted.

The changes were made by 17 committee members, including 15 women, mostly people of color.

The Army’s grooming regulations will go into effect in late February.