Facial hair in the military

Facial hair in the military has been at various times common, prohibited, or an integral part of the uniform.
In the Indian Armed Forces, male Sikh servicemen are allowed to wear full beards as their religion expressly requires followers to do so. However, they are specifically required to "dress up their hair and beard properly".
Non-Sikh personnel are allowed to grow whiskers and mustaches, with the only regulation being that they "will be of moderate length". In December 2003, the Supreme Court of India ruled that Muslims in uniform could grow beards, although the rules have since been changed again (via a Supreme Court ruling in 2018) to once again allow only Sikhs to wear beards. Thus, non-Sikhs serving in the Indian Army or Indian Air Force are not permitted to wear beards. However, Army personnel on active duty are sometimes exempt from facial hair regulations for the duration of their tour of duty if their deployment makes access to such facilities difficult. Indian Navy personnel are allowed to grow beards subject to the permission of their commanding officer.
Exceptions for other religions are made in the case of special forces operatives such as the Indian Army's Para (Special Forces), who are allowed to grow beards.
Beards are permitted in the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a sign of their ideological motivation, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah) personnel used to tend to wear full beards, while the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh) personnel are usually trimmed or wear mustaches.
Beards to a certain length were traditionally permitted in the Iraqi Armed Forces; however, a ban was brought into effect in April 2012 due to public associations between beards and certain sectarian militias in Iraq. As a result of the change, Iraqi soldiers must now be clean shaven. Under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, beards were not allowed in the army and in military service, only a mustache.
The IDF prohibits the growing of facial hair unless a special request form has been filed and approved. The requests can be for religious reasons (full beard only), health reasons such as acne (no restrictions on facial hair styles), and on the grounds of "free will", which means the facial hair (mustache, a goatee or a full beard all of which must be well groomed) has to be part of the soldiers identity and part of his self-esteem. If the request is for health reasons, it must be approved by the military doctor and lasts up to half a year. If the request is due to "free will", it must be approved by a unit commander at the rank of lieutenant colonel or above and a recommendation must be made by an officer associated with the soldier at the rank of lieutenant (usually in a combat unit). For religious requests, the soldier is interviewed by a military rabbi to determine if the soldier fits the criteria for an exemption. If approved, a recommendation is made by the officer associated with the soldier and finally approved by the unit commander at the rank of lieutenant colonel or above. In the past, the exemption from shaving on the religious reasons or on the grounds of "free will" lasted for the duration of the soldier's entire service. However, as of 2020, the exemption from shaving has to be renewed every year, and the exemption also expires if the soldier shaves willingly.
Beards are not allowed in the Lebanese Armed Forces. Only trimmed moustaches that don't pass the upper lip are permitted and a special allowance is paid as a result.
Beards are permitted in Pakistan Army. They are allowed only if a special request is approved. The requests are generally for religious reasons or for health reasons, such as acne or skin allergy. Once the form has been approved applicant is not allowed to shave back. There is a special allowance for bigger moustaches but they must be neat and trimmed.
Facial hair is prohibited in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The regulation applies to all personnel regardless of rank and violation can be grounds for disciplinary action.
Soldiers of the First Scout Ranger Regiment were sometimes spotted sporting various types of facial hair during and after training and in combat operations.
In the past, moustaches have been popular with Gorkhali Army commanders and soldiers. Military commanders of Kshatriya order (called Kshetri in Nepal), especially of five Kaji noble families – Thapa, Pande, Kunwar, Basnet and Bista – used to link moustaches to dignity.
However, with changing times, it became apparent that facial hair could break seals on gas masks, and was thus a liability. Currently, moustaches and beards are not within regulations in the Nepal Army.
Moustaches, but not beards, are permitted in the Singapore Army. If a moustache is kept, it has to be kept neatly trimmed and of moderate length. Exception for beards is allowed for those of the Sikh faith.
Beards are not allowed in the South Korean Armed Forces.
The Navy does not allow moustaches alone but does allow full-set beards. Moustaches but not beards are permitted in the Army and Air Force. However, members of the Commando and Special Forces regiments are allowed to wear beards if based outside their home camps.
Beards are not allowed in the Syrian Army. However, trimmed moustaches are allowed.
The Austrian Armed Forces permits moustaches, beards and sideburns, as long as they are neatly trimmed.
The Belgian Armed Forces permits moustaches and beards, but they have to be properly trimmed.
The Armed Forces of Croatia permit moustaches for soldiers and non-commissioned officers. Officers are allowed to wear neatly trimmed beards. Furthermore, beards are not only allowed but fully recommended for members of special operations teams when deployed.
The Army of the Czech Republic permits moustaches, sideburns or a neat full beard of a natural colour. A moustache has to be trimmed so it would not exceed the lower margin of the upper lip. Sideburns may not reach under the middle of each auricle. Hairs of sideburns and goatee may not exceed 2 cm (0.787 inch) in length.
Danish Army personnel are generally allowed to wear any well-kept beard. However, stubble is not allowed. Full beards were popular among units deployed in Afghanistan, as it is easier to maintain when in the field. This also helped to break down cultural barriers between the Danish and the Afghans, as most Afghan men wear full beards, and because many Danes grow red-coloured beards, an Afghan symbol of bravery.
Soldiers who belong to Den Kongelige Livgarde (The Royal Life Guards) are not allowed to have beards when on guard duty. Additionally, Danish soldiers are not required to have short haircuts, though most have.
The Estonian Defence Forces allow active-duty members to grow facial hair, but it has to be trimmed and groomed properly. As of 2021, conscripts are also allowed to grow facial hair.
The regulations of the Finnish Defence Forces (Rule 91) prohibit the growing of facial hair. Reservists can grow facial hair and are not required to shave for short military refresher courses.
Since the Napoleonic era and throughout the 19th century, sappers (combat engineers) of the French Army could wear full beards. Elite troops, such as grenadiers, had to wear large moustaches. Infantry chasseurs were asked to wear moustaches and goatees; and hussars, in addition to their moustache, usually wore two braids in front of each ear, to protect their neck from sword slashes. These traditions were gradually abandoned since the beginning of the 20th century, except for the French Foreign Legion sappers (see below).
The "decree № 75-675 regarding regulations for general discipline in the Armies of 28 July 1975, modified" regulates facial hair in the French armed forces. Military personnel are allowed to grow a beard or moustache only during periods when they are out of uniform. The beard must be "correctly trimmed", and provisions are stated for a possible ban of beards by the military authorities to ensure compatibility with certain equipment.
However, within the Foreign Legion, sappers are traditionally encouraged to grow a large beard. Sappers chosen to participate in the Bastille Day parade are in fact specifically asked to stop shaving so they will have a full beard when they march down the Champs-Élysées.
The moustache was an obligation for gendarmes until 1933, hence their nickname of "les moustaches". By tradition, some gendarmes may still grow a moustache.
Submariners may be bearded, clean-shaven, or "patrol-bearded", growing a beard for the time of a patrol in reminiscence of the time of the diesel submarines whose cramped space allowed for rustic and minimal personal care.
French soldiers of the First World War were known by the nickname poilu, meaning "hairy one" in reference to their facial hair.
Under Nazi rule, the German military permitted only a small, neatly trimmed moustache, though such regulations were often relaxed under field conditions. The latter was particularly true in the case of the Kriegsmarine and Gebirgsjäger. Growth of a full beard was the norm for U-boat crews on active duty, though facial hair was expected to be shaved off soon after reaching port.
The present-day regulations of the Bundeswehr allow soldiers to grow a beard on condition that it is not long and is unobtrusive and well-kept. Beards must not affect the proper use of any military equipment, such as a gas mask. Moreover, stubble may not be shown; thus a clean-shaven soldier who wants to start growing a beard must do so during his furlough.
In the Greek armed forces, only the navy permits military personnel to wear a beard. Neatly trimmed moustaches are the only facial hair permitted in the army and air force.
In the Hungarian Defence Forces (Magyar Honvédség), personnel are permitted to wear facial hair. However, the neck must be shaven, and the maximum length is 1.5 cm. In some cases, unit commanders can prohibit the growing of beards, but not moustaches.
The growing of beards is not permitted in any branch of the Irish Defence Forces with exception of the Army Ranger Wing. Moustaches are permitted with permission. Sideburns are not allowed beyond ear length.
In the Italian armed forces, beards or moustaches are allowed if they are well taken care of; without beards, the sideburns should reach the middle of the tragus. Stubble is permitted outside of ceremonial occasions.
In the Royal Netherlands Army, officers and soldiers may grow beards only after permission has been obtained. Automatic permission is given for certain medical conditions. Mustaches may be grown without asking permission. Beards are worn at times by the Royal Netherlands Marines and by Royal Netherlands Navy personnel. All facial hair in the Netherlands armed forces is subject to instant removal when operational circumstances demand it. Recent operations in Afghanistan under the ISAF have seen a trend of growing "tour beards", both for bonding and as a way of advancing contacts with the Afghan population, who regard a full beard as a sign of manhood. A beard without a mustache is uncommon in the Netherlands.
The Royal Guard (pictured) is required to be clean-shaven or bearded, depending on the style of facial hair that the monarch wears. Most operative personnel (except musicians and union representatives) are not allowed to wear beards (so as not to interfere with gas masks) unless the soldier obtains written permission to grow his beard from a flag officer; or the soldier already has a beard upon his enlistment and requests to continue growing it or maintain it at its exact length. However, during "out of area" operations (outside the North Atlantic area, like in Afghanistan) soldiers are permitted full beards.
According to General Regulation of Polish Armed Forces only neatly trimmed moustaches are allowed without permission. A full beard is allowed only when permitted by a Unit Commander or when based on a written medical statement. However, beards must be neatly trimmed.
Many Polish soldiers tended to grow "tour beards" when deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or Kosovo.
Military personnel in the Portuguese Armed Forces can ask permission to grow a beard or moustache. It was quite common until the First World War for any soldier to have a beard or moustache. With the 21st century Middle East Military Operations, growing a beard has become more common again, both in the Special Forces community and regular young soldiers in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Some Paratroopers use a very distinct moustache.
Military personnel must shave their faces regularly to ensure a clean-shaven appearance. Mustaches must be kept short and to not extend beyond the corners of the mouth. Beards are generally not permitted unless with the approval of a commanding officer for specific missions.
Traditionally, Russian soldiers of Russian Tsardom wore beards, but during the reign of Peter the Great they were completely banned in the army and even for civilians, except members of the clergy. Moustaches were also cut. Although the typical image of the imperial Russian soldier shows him with a beard, they were not universally permitted until 1895. Cavalrymen also met these requirements. Officers and staff, on the other hand, grew whatever hair they wished, and generally kept with the fashion of the time.
Kadyrovite soldiers and Chechen Volunteers were spotted sporting beards both in Chechnya and in Ukraine.
The Spanish Armed Forces allow facial hair, under article 40 of the Royal Ordinances. Dress and grooming standards for Spanish ISAF forces have been relaxed to help the troops blend in better with the local Muslim population.
In the Serbian Armed Forces, neatly trimmed mustaches are the only facial hair permitted. The rest of the face must be clean shaven on all occasions, except when legitimate reasons prevent it (e.g. winter field operations, war operations), but soldiers do have to shave at the first chance that the situation permits. Priests of any denomination are allowed to have beards if their religion requires it, but it still has to be trimmed and well groomed.
The regulations require personnel to be "well shaved" (välrakad). Within the Royal Guard (Högvakten), the royal companies (Livkomp) and other personnel performing ceremonial duties, temporarily or on a regular basis, the regulations are strictly enforced.
Within other units, beards tend to be allowed at the discretion of the company commander or another higher-ranking commander. The general provisions of well-managed appearance are also enforced when it comes to beards.
However, in practice, soldiers are allowed to grow beards during service abroad, for example in Afghanistan.
The motivation for the regulation prohibiting beards is that it interferes with gas masks by making it difficult to achieve a perfect airtight fit. Shorter beards and the use of gun grease or ointment is one remedy, but increases the time taken to put on the gas mask, which in turn puts bearded personnel at increased risk of exposure.
The Swiss Armed Forces permit moustaches, beards and sideburns as long as they are neatly trimmed.
All Turkish Armed Forces personnel are required to be clean-shaven at all times.
Ukrainian Cossacks traditionally have a distinctive facial hair style – the long "cossack" moustache was very popular across Ukraine from the Middle Ages until modern times. The tradition allegedly dates back at least to the time of the prince of Kyevan Rus' Sviatoslav I of Kiev was famous for his military campaigns in the east and south. Sviatoslav had a distinctive moustache and hairstyle (oseledets or chupryna) that almost every Ukrainian cossack had centuries after his time (although Svyatoslav had lived in the 10th century, whereas Cossacks appear on the historical scene only in the 15th century).
The length of the cossack moustache was important – the longer the better. Sometimes one had to tuck them away behind one's ears.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been seen with a beard during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, many soldiers and volunteers were spotted sporting beards and various types of facial hair.
Some cossacks wore beards as well, but this type of facial hair was not very popular in Ukraine in general and in Ukraine's military in particular.
The Royal Navy has always allowed beards, and since the 1850s has permitted its members to wear only a "full set" (i.e. a full beard and moustache). A beard or moustache may not be worn without the other and the beard must be full (i.e. cover the whole jawline) and joined to the moustache. The individual must seek permission from his commanding officer to stop shaving and if, after a fortnight without shaving, it becomes clear that the individual cannot grow a proper full set, the commanding officer may order him to shave it off.
Until the mid-19th century, facial hair was unusual in the British Army, except for the infantry pioneers, who traditionally grew beards. A small minority of officers wore moustaches. During the 1800s, the attitude to facial hair changed as a result of the Indian and other Asian wars. Many Middle Eastern and Indian cultures associated facial hair with wisdom and power. As a result, facial hair, moustaches and side whiskers in particular, became increasingly common on British soldiers stationed in Asia. In the mid-19th century, during the Crimean War, all ranks were encouraged to grow large moustaches and full beards during winter.
After the Crimean war, regulations were introduced that forbade serving soldiers of all ranks from shaving above their top lip, in essence making moustaches compulsory for those who could grow them, although beards were later forbidden. This remained in place until 1916, when the regulation was abolished by an Army Order dated 6 October 1916. It was issued by Lieutenant-General Sir Nevil Macready, Adjutant-General to the Forces, who loathed his own moustache and immediately shaved it off. However, there is considerable evidence in photographs and film footage that the earlier regulations were widely ignored and that many British soldiers of all ranks were clean-shaven even before 1916.
After that time, the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force generally allowed moustaches only. Exceptions were beards grown for medical reasons, such as temporary skin irritations, or for religious reasons (usually by Sikhs or Muslims). King's Regulations state that, "If a moustache is worn, it is to be trimmed and not below the line of the lower lip", giving rise to the fashion for handlebar moustaches, especially in the RAF where they are still sometimes seen. These were once very common, and the archetypal RAF fighter pilot of the Second World War wore one. Although also technically against regulations, the "full set moustache" (i.e. a large moustache linked to mutton chop side whiskers, but with a shaved chin) is also still sometimes seen, and the battalion bugle majors of The Rifles, or the other rifle regiments which preceded it, are expected to wear them by regimental tradition.
Infantry pioneer warrant officers, colour sergeants and sergeants traditionally wear and were permitted to wear beards; although not compulsory, most do wear them. In some Scottish and Irish infantry regiments, it was either permitted or is expected, by regimental tradition, for the drum major, pipe major, and/or commanding officer's piper to wear a beard. The goat majors in Welsh regiments also traditionally wear beards. Members of the royal family, who are expected to wear military uniforms on ceremonial occasions even long after their formal military service is complete, have sometimes worn beards with Army, RAF or Royal Marines uniform (e.g. King Edward VII, King George V, Prince Michael of Kent and Prince Harry). Beards were also permitted to special forces when on covert intelligence operations or behind enemy lines.
On 12 August 2019, the Royal Air Force announced that all personnel would henceforth be permitted to wear beards, and on 28 March 2024, the British Army followed suit. As with the Royal Navy, all beards worn by members of the British Army and RAF must be a "full set". Unlike the Royal Navy, moustaches without beards are also still permitted. The Royal Marines is now the only service that still prohibits beards.
In the event of conflict in which the use of chemical or biological weapons is likely, service personnel with beards may be required to shave a strip around the seal of the respirator.
Beards and sideburns are banned in all military and police forces since the early 20th century. A clean-shaven face is considered part of the spirit of order, hygiene and discipline. Stubble is also considered unacceptable and controlled with severity. Well-trimmed moustaches are allowed in most of these branches, although in some cases this is a privilege of officers and sub-officers, and it's not allowed to be grown while on duty.
Before the end of 20th century the Navy became a singularity within the Argentine Armed Forces, as Adm. Joaquín Stella, then Navy Chief of Staff, allowed beards in 2000 for officers with ranks above Teniente de Corbeta (Ensign), according to Section 1.10.1.1 of the Navy Uniform regulations (R.A-1-001). Adm. Stella gave the example himself by becoming the first bearded Argentine admiral since Adm. Sáenz Valiente in the 1920s. Non-commissioned officers can wear beards, from Suboficial Segundo (Petty Officer) rank and upwards. Protocol still requires officers to appear clean-shaven on duty, thus forcing those who choose to sport beards to grow them while on leave. Both full beards and goatees are allowed, as long as they proffer a professional, non-eccentric image. Nowadays, bearded Argentine naval and marine officers and senior NCOs are a relatively common sight.
The Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy and Brazilian Air Force permit moustaches, as long as they are trimmed to just above the upper lip. However, only third sargeants and above may wear moustaches. Beards are generally not allowed except for special exceptions, such as covering a deformity. In such cases, a beard is permitted under authorization.
From 25 September 2018, the wearing of a beard was authorized for all CAF members upon attainment of their operationally functional point (OFP) or having completed developmental period one, whichever came last. However, commanders of commands and task forces and commanding officers retain the right to order restrictions on the wearing of a beard to meet safety and operational requirements. This includes restrictions pertaining to operations and training where, in a chemical biological radiological nuclear (CBRN) environment or CBRN training environment, a beard can be ordered to be removed to ensure force protection on operations or training. Such restrictions will be as temporary as feasible (e.g. as long as the entire duration of an operational tour in a CBRN environment or as short as a single training day for CBRN operations). Where current CAF equipment capabilities cannot ensure force protection or the ability to effectively employ safety systems while wearing a beard, beard restrictions for members using that equipment for operational or safety reasons may be put in place by a commanding officer. In no case was a beard permitted without a moustache, and only full beards could be worn (not goatees, van dykes, etc.) Beards are also allowed to be worn by personnel conducting OPFOR duties.
New regulations that came into effect 6 September 2022 allow the wearing of sideburns, beards, moustaches and goatees, or a combination of styles, for all members of the CAF from recruitment to release. There was no maximum or minimum length. However, they must be kept neatly groomed and symmetrical in style while always complying with safety requirements and operational requirements. New regulations came into effect on 2 July 2024 restricting maximum facial hair length to 2.5cm.
Beards and sideburns have been banned since the start of the 20th century. However, moustaches are allowed for all permanent personnel of all three branches of the Chilean Armed Forces; according to the 2002 "Reglamento de Vestuario y Equipo" or “lawbook of clothing and equipment,” "The use of moustache is allowed for all ranks, having it trimmed just above the lip."
Only after the rank of captain, officers in the Army, Air Force and Police are allowed to wear a well trimmed moustache that doesn't grow over the upper lip. Beards and sideburns are not allowed. The Navy does not allow facial hair.
Beards and sideburns are not permitted by the Mexican Armed Forces, without exception. Soldiers of any rank must be clean-shaven.
All branches of the U.S. military currently prohibit beards for the vast majority of recruits, although certain styles of mustaches are still allowed (see below), originally based on policies that were initiated during the period of World War I.
Excluding limited exemptions for religious accommodation, the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps prohibit beards on the basis of hygiene and the necessity of a good seal for chemical weapon protective masks. The official position is that uniform personal appearance and grooming contribute to discipline and a sense of camaraderie.
On 10 November 1970, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Elmo Zumwalt explicitly authorized beards for active duty Naval personnel, in his Z-gram number 57, "Elimination of Demeaning or Abrasive Regulation," although his position was that they were already implicitly allowed based on policy changes made by his predecessor, Thomas H. Moorer:
The U.S. Coast Guard allowed beards until 1986, when they were banned by Commandant Admiral Paul Yost. The majority of police forces in the United States still ban their officers from wearing beards.
Mustaches are generally allowed in both the military and police forces (except for those undergoing basic training), so long as they are well-groomed. U.S. Army regulations, for example, require that a mustache be "neatly trimmed, tapered, and tidy", and that "no portion of the mustache will cover the upper lip line, extend sideways beyond a vertical line drawn upward from the corners of the mouth...or extend above a parallel line at the lowest portion of the nose."
Those with skin conditions such as pseudofolliculitis barbae or severe acne are allowed to maintain short facial hair with the permission of a doctor or medic, but no shaping is allowed, only trimming with an electric razor or approved regular razor. 1/8–1/4 of an inch (3.17 mm to 6.34 mm) is usually the standard for this condition.
In 2010, the Army granted waivers for a number of Sikh soldiers and one Muslim soldier, permitting them to have beards (and in the case of the Sikh soldiers, to have "unshorn" hair covered by turbans). In 2010, a rabbi filed suit against the army for permission to be commissioned as a Jewish chaplain without shaving his beard, noting (among other issues) that another Jewish chaplain, Colonel Jacob Goldstein, has been serving (first in the New York State National Guard and later in the United States Army Reserve) since 1977 with a beard. Effective 22 January 2014, the U.S. military expanded its policies on religious accommodation and now allows all officer and enlisted personnel to request permission to wear beards and articles of clothing for religious reasons.
Beards are normally not allowed in the Australian Army. Moustaches may be worn. However, moustaches may not be grown past the ends of the top lip. Sideburns are not to be grown past the point where the bottom of the ear connects to the facial skin. In some circumstances, such as medical or religious reasons, beards may be permitted. Exceptions to the rule are assault pioneers and special forces that have been deployed.
In the Royal Australian Navy, serving members may grow a beard but only with approval from their commanding officer. The beard must be complete, joined from sideburns, covering the chin and joining the moustache. A moustache on its own is not permitted. As of 1 November 2022, serving Royal Australian Air Force members may seek approval to grow a beard from their commanding officer, following the same standards as the Navy; previously, only moustaches were permitted.
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