AR 670-1: Army Leaders to Announce Hair Regulation Changes in 2021
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Previous hair regulations disproportionately impacted soldiers with textured hair, including women of color. The changes originated from a panel of 17 Soldiers women and two men -- who assessed a list of proposed grooming and appearance modifications connected to the professional appearance, health and wellness, diversity, and inclusion of Soldiers. Soldiers will also be allowed to have a uniform hair color blend (also known as highlights) as long as it presents a natural appearance. However, purple, blue, pink, green, orange, bright red, fluorescent or neon colors, and some others will be prohibited.
Non-Retired Former Soldiers and Uniforms
A wide-ranging set of changes to the uniform and grooming regulations is set to hit the Army, with many new details covering everything from ponytails to earring allowances. The issue of hair standards specifically was reignited on social media last week, with men and women alike calling for change and describing what they view as broken and antiquated policies that put unnecessary burdens on women who serve. The Army announced new official hair and grooming regulations on Jan. 26. Women are now also cleared to wear earrings — gold, silver, and diamond — in their combat uniform, a move which had never been done before, Sanders said.
Short Authorized Hairstyles for Female Soldiers
Panel findings determined that females attending Ranger, Special Forces, or Sapper training were often encouraged to cut their hair to abide by health and hygiene recommendations while training in an austere environment, Sanders said. The undercut is a less common Army haircut; it adheres to regulations involving a longer top section of hair, with the sides and back cut very short or shaven. The military crew cut haircut involves a slightly longer length on top that gradually tapers down to a shorter length on the sides and back. 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.
Ponytails and Braids
The Army also repealed its ban on “multiple hairstyles” so women can combine cornrows, twists, braids and locs. Female Soldiers will soon be authorized to wear earrings with their ACU. Earrings can either be screw-on, clip-on, or post-type earrings in gold, silver, or diamond and must be unadorned and spherical without exceeding 6 mm or 1/4 inch in diameter. "It doesn't necessarily have to be a color that is typically seen on a certain ethnic group. It just has to be a natural hair color" that presents a neat and professional image.
The recommendations were identified after a July directive from then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper which ordered a review of hairstyle and grooming policies for racial bias. 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.
One of the updates will authorize no minimum hair length for all personnel, to include making it an optional style for female Soldiers. Under the current policy, a Soldier's hair length can be no shorter than 1/4 inch from the scalp unless otherwise exempt due to a medical condition or injury. The push to change the Army's grooming standards proves that the force is evolving and making a concerted effort to make everyone feel included, said Master Sgt. Quintana Mitchell, the uniform policy NCO for G-1. The U.S. Army is committed to implementing policies that promote inclusivity throughout the ranks. To ensure a standard of equity and based on a July 2020 DoD-directed review, the Army has updated the grooming and hairstyle policies. The updates directly supports the Army’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
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Highlights in soldiers’ hair are also now in the mix for those who want to add a little color, but they can’t be too stark and have to blend naturally. There is more as far as prohibited hairstyles and authorized hair accessories go. The slides go on to list the psychological impacts of hair loss and how a person’s quality of life is impacted by something like TA which can result in additional challenges like anxiety, depression, and poor body image. “That image reinforced the same European standard of professionalism and beauty that had become mine as a girl; the natural me was not good enough,” Peters wrote. It’s unclear which of the changes will be finalized and implemented in the new year.
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The discussion about change comes amid an intense focus from service leaders on improving the Army culture and increasing diversity and inclusion within the force. Senior Army leaders are discussing making long-awaited changes to hair and grooming regulations and they plan to announce the finalized changes in January 2021, Task & Purpose has learned. In addition, the revised regulation will not contain potentially offensive language used to describe several hairstyles – for example, “Mohawk, eccentric, faddish, Fu Manchu, dreadlock” – which will be replaced with alternative verbiage. “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.
Army Buzz Cut
The most significant changes are new regulations increasing the variety of acceptable hairstyles for female soldiers. According to the updated policy, extreme colors and nail shapes, such as a coffin, ballerina, and stiletto nails, are prohibited while in uniform or on duty in civilian clothes. 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. Female Soldiers with medium-length hair will have the option to wear a ponytail if the individual's hair length or texture prevents them from securing it into a tight bun, Sanders said.
In 2016, Andrews began a campaign to change Army Regulation (the wear and appearance of uniforms and insignia) to include locks – formerly referred to as dreadlocks – as an authorized hairstyle. By 2017, the then-District of Columbia National Guard first lieutenant’s proposal was accepted, changing an Army-wide policy that impacts 2 million active-duty, reserve-component and National Guard Soldiers. Male soldiers can also wear highlights if they follow the standards listed above.
The new regulations were a huge win for women who have said the formerly-required bun got in the way of equipment like helmets, and made it difficult to perform their jobs. A soldier’s medical exemption to the Army’s beard policy must specify the maximum length of the beard. Soldiers can not use medical exemptions to grow shaped beard styles like goatees and handlebar mustaches.
Hair regulations are meant to reinforce uniformity in the military, but many women — specifically Black women — have said that the stringent regulations don’t take into account different textures and lengths of hair. "Having grooming standards that show sensitivity to the cultural and ethnic diversity already present in our Army would go a long way." If wearing the APFU as a complete uniform, retirees must abide by the standards of AR 670-1, but they can add approved retired shoulder-sleeve insignia and identification badges. Soldiers with religious accommodations can grow their mustaches to connect with their beards, but they must trim or groom mustaches to keep them above upper lip lines.
They can not wear earrings on other parts of the ear while in uniform or on duty. According to Paragraph 3-2 of AR 670-1, mustaches can not extend past the corners of the mouth (imagine a vertical line drawn upward from the corners of the mouth). "If we care about people first and the Soldier as a whole, we have to care about the many aspects to who they are as well. This is a small, but significant change that positively impacts a considerable size of our force." The lack of hairstyle options as a result of a Soldier’s hair length or texture can often stress an individual as they try various techniques and devices to secure their hair to maintain a neat appearance, Mitchell said.
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