US military enforcing new grooming, appearance standards

(NewsNation) — The United States military has announced an updated grooming and appearance policy for service members.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a memo stating that "the grooming standard for the U.S. military is to be clean-shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance."

A second memo details the new policy for the U.S. Army, which soldiers are required to abide by within 30 days. The new guidance changes the requirements for hairstyles, jewelry, nail length and makeup use.

Key changes, according to the Army, include new definitions for hairstyles, including authorized lengths, styles, and accessories for both male and female soldiers.

The new policy also addressees standards for cosmetics, fingernails, and jewelry. Men can no longer wear clear nail polish, and lipstick and fake eyelashes are banned for women, along with colored nail polish. Only natural hair color is permitted.

The Army details the policy updates in a graphic posted to its website (Photo: U.S. Army)

Individual exceptions are possible but "commanders must apply consistent criteria and appropriately consider the department's interests in safety and uniformity," Hegseth wrote in the memo.

Effective immediately, military departments must implement minimum requirements related to medical exceptions:

• Military medical officers will provide a written recommendation concerning a shaving waiver to the commander who is the final approval authority.
• Service members with an approved shaving waiver will participate in a medical treatment plan.
• Unit commanders will initiate separation of Service members who require a shaving waiver after more than 1 year of medical treatment. I have full confidence in our leaders at all levels to provide an accurate assessment of whether retention is
  appropriate.

In March, Hegseth ordered senior Pentagon leaders to conduct a review of military standards regarding the health and appearance across all services.

"As I stated when directing the Rapid Force-Wide Review of Military Standards, the strength of the military is our unity and our shared purpose," Hegseth wrote. "The department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos."