Pete Hegseth bans false eyelashes, certain fingernail polishes

[Demovictory9]

'The war on wrinkles': Trump's DoD launches crusade against bad grooming - Raw Story

https://www.rawstory.com/pete-hegseth-2673290580/

President Donald Trump's Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has launched a war against bad grooming, according to a new report.

The battle was launched on the policy field, with Hegseth making numerous changes to the military's grooming standards. The new directives allow military members to receive laser hair removal treatments, which the government would pay for. They also prohibit military members from wearing eyelash extensions, restrict certain kinds of nail polishes, and impose a slew of seemingly arbitrary policies concerning uniform sleeves and cuffs.

All of which is being done “in support of Army readiness," according to the new directive.


Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein described the directive as Hegseth becoming the "self-appointed commanding general of the war on wrinkles."

[SickOfTheOnePct]

1. Yeah

They're restricting some things that have been allowed over the past few years in effort to bring back more uniformity to appearance. Changes to what type of combat boots can be worn as well.

[atreides1]

3. Uh Huh

Because eyelashes and the color of fingernail polish is so important when it comes to readiness?

"With an emphasis on rules that most impact women and minorities, Hegseth wants to establish his own wokeness, a campaign that stresses looks over actual excellence."

Whiskey Pete is trying to find a way to remove as many female and minorities as he can...without the receiver of his tea bagging efforts having to sign an executive order, ending Truman's Executive Order 9981.

And please don't say he can't do it...Trump has the 6 member SCROTUS by the short hairs and is the real Speaker of the House and Senate Majority leader...the SCROTUS has pretty much given him carte blanche when it comes to his EO's!

The uniformity excuse is just that an excuse!

[yardwork]

4. Yes. This is a racist and sexist policy.

Hegseth wants the U.S. military to be white and male, period.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

5. Racist and sexist how?

People who want to express their individuality at work should probably consider a non-military job.

[yardwork]

10. Ummmm.... everybody expresses their individuality.

This policy privileges traditionally white, male expressions.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

13. Again, how so? N/t

[Nittersing]

15. One that I read about

Black men are prone to ingrown hairs and had been allowed to shave less regularly in order to avoid them.

That's been rescinded.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

18. No, it hasn't been rescinded

It changed the approval period from five years to one year.

[Nittersing]

19. ??? Does that mean they have to get approval every year? nt

[SickOfTheOnePct]

24. Yes...

….as part of their annual mandatory physical exam. There are also phases treatment options to try to remove the need for a waiver.

[yardwork]

17. I can give some examples.

Hegseth banned facial hair, which is necessary for the facial hygiene of many men with curly hair. Shaving causes their skin to break out. Some white men are affected by this issue, but most people with tightly curling facial hair are Black or brown.

Many Black women use hair extensions for a variety of reasons, including racist expectations that Black women's hair look "white," i.e., long and straight. As long as those hair extensions are controlled in regulation ways - coiled into a bun, pulled back - it shouldn't matter whether a woman's hair is naturally long and straight or achieved in a salon. But this new policy says it's ok for white women to have naturally long, straight hair, but not ok for Black women to achieve the same look through artificial means.

And so forth. I think the inherent racism in the requirement that manicures be "American" or "French" polish speaks for itself. It's one thing to have a policy that everyone's nails be only X cm long. It's quite another to say this. Why not just say "no polish of any kind?"

[SickOfTheOnePct]

22. Thanks for the response

Appreciate it.

Shaving waivers will still be allowed, but for a shorter period and with additional treatment options.

Women can still have hair extensions, so long as, as you noted, they meet the general requirements for how hair has to be worn in uniform.

Eyelash extensions are now banned, but not hair extensions.

As for the nail polish, I’m with you in that if it’s going to be that limited just ban it completely.

[yardwork]

33. Let's see how it's enforced.

Insisting on the right to wear eyelash extensions in the military is not a hill I'm willing to die on. Compared to other things they're doing, that is minor.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Are we going to run out of white males? I mean Rollins wants 34 million to make

agriculture 100% American and RFK Jr. only wants white guys on his medical panels.

[yardwork]

11. They're definitely in high demand!

[WarGamer]

35. iirc THERE ARE ONLY 2-3 MILLION US FARM WORKERS

[allegorical oracle]

32. The rule could crimp JD's fashion style when he visits the Pentagon. nt

[Demovictory9]

2. More..

https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/hegseths-new-dress-code-of-honor.


---

Shaving, particularly for soldiers who seek waivers to standard policies due to health complications that daily shaving can cause. This is most common for black and brown folks who have curly hair; so common in fact that the directive makes explicit mention of “pseudofolliculitis Barbae,” or razor bumps, which can become infected.

The directive enumerates three phased treatment plans corresponding to mild, moderate and severe cases. A fourth phase provides the option of laser hair removal to soldiers unresponsive to the previous treatments or with chronic issues.


Eyelash extensions are now banned. No real justification is given but I’m sure it’s a coincidence that this also impacts black and brown people the most. Similarly, nail polish must now be “clear or French or American Manicure only,” a sacrifice to the gods of uniformity which feels more arbitrary than purposeful.


Petty changes to uniforms are being directed, from a ban on duty identifier patches, to shorter boots (“8-12 inches”), to important contingency plans on how to wear one's sleeves (“the cuffs will remain visible, and the sleeve will rest at, or within 1-inch of, the forearm when the arm is bent at a 90-degree angle”; though “Commanders may prohibit rolling of sleeves and folding of cuffs.”)

[Totally Tunsie]

6. ...and THAT's just the men!

(kidding, kidding!)

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Good thing he's not running the appearance of Fox News.

[Midnight Writer]

9. Folks like Trump and JD Vance would not pass muster in this man's Army.

Hegseth himself had a make-up table installed in his office. How manly is that?

[yardwork]

12. But that's white male makeup! That's ok.

[ret5hd]

28. Malicious Compliance:

every male service member shows up next week with a tangerine orange spray tan, diapers under their oversized pants, eye shadow, mascara, etc…just like their leaders!

[CTyankee]

14. Please tell me that this never happened before, and certainly not in a Democratic administration...

Maybe I shudda known this could happen once Trump got his gang installed...

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

16. Cancel culture!!!

[jmowreader]

20. I can't figure out Figure 7.12

It shows pictures of “authorized and unauthorized coyote tan boot styles.”

The “authorized” style is a normal combat boot like everyone in the Army has.

“Unauthorized” is a low-cut hiking boot that would have never been authorized. I’m like, why are they showing us this when you could never wear that kind of boot in uniform in the first place?

I also looked at the nail polish chart. I’m surprised OD Green is on the “nice” list. The “naughty” list contains faddish colors that have always been banned.

So…except for the shaving stuff and the lash extension ban, nothing has really changed.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

23. Air Force folks

Were taking the hiking shoe thing to the extreme - they were very common, this the new requirement based on measurement.

[jmowreader]

25. That makes sense, thanks

Having worked with Air Force members many times in my career - my job training was on an Air Force base and we worked together after that - I assure you most Air Force people are only kinda in the military.

Funny story: when I was at Goodfellow AFB for training we had two parts to it - Common Core, where we learned basic stuff both Army and Air Force analysts used, and Target Block where Army people learned about infantry and artillery and Air Force people learned about fighters and bombers. There were two weeks between the two. I got assigned to help reorganize the medical clinic’s files. One day I was walking back from the clinic to the chow hall and all my Air Force classmates were digging a ditch under the supervision of a sergeant. I asked what was up.

“We make them dig ditches like the Army does so they know how good they have it in the Air Force.”
“Sergeant, I’ve been in the Army four years and have never dug a ditch.”
“What do you do if you need a ditch?”
“We call the Engineers. They bring out a backhoe.”

[Wifes husband]

34. I was actually in the Air Force

Last edited Thu Jul 17, 2025, 07:49 PM - Edit history (2)

I do not believe this story.

This is not the type of duty an Air Force Sergeant would assign to airmen. We never assigned 'busy work" to anyone. There is always a vehicle to clean or something to paint, or a floor to wax.

Also, the statement that the Air Force is only 'kinda in the military ' is offensive. There are too many airmen working too many hours on flight lines and maintenance shops keeping those planes in the Air to justify 'kinda in the military '

[CTyankee]

21. The secretary of defense is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$246,400.

We pay this guy to do this stuff?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FOldSchoolCool%2Fcomments%2F6pobvx%2Fcorporal_maxwell_q_klinger_jamie_farr_1980%2F&psig=AOvVaw0ezkkNxirUxiJNXhQM5Q4Y&ust=1752866220973000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBIQjRxqFwoTCPie_-HNxI4DFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

[Irish_Dem]

26. Why does he know so much about nail polish and fake eyelashes?

And why does he care?

[democrank]

27. It would be more to Hegseth's credit if he would ban

fascists in his circle of friends and advisors….if there are any, of course.

[SheltieLover]

29. How about couch fucker's eyeliner?

[WestMichRad]

30. And folks, this is not from The Onion or Borowitz.

Thank goodness he’s taking such important steps to improve military readiness!

[ecstatic]

31. that is so stupid and petty. What is wrong with eyelash extensions?

I guess it's just part of his push to alienate and discourage young women from joining the military.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

36. For the Air Force...

...which has the highest percentage of women, it's stayed about the same for years, between 20%-22%.

Eyelash extensions have only been permitted since 2021, and I doubt that most women are going to base their decision about joining the AF on whether or not they can wear eyelash extensions.