Army Rolls Out Stricter Grooming Standards and Cracks Down on Weight Gain

When you enroll in a government organization like the U.S. Army, it’s expected that you’ll follow strict grooming standards, not only to maintain professionalism but also to present a uniform appearance and demonstrate discipline. While these standards have long been recognized as strict, the Army issued updated grooming and appearance guidance on Sept. 15, 2025, with a few key changes, including updates to body composition policies.

According to the press release, the new policy was developed by “a representative group of leaders and stakeholders from across the Army” and was prompted by “an overwhelming consensus on the need to realign all Army standards with warfighting priorities.” Here’s a look at some of the standout grooming policies featured in the new policy.

The Army released a new round of updates to its grooming standards on Sept. 15, 2025, with the changes taking effect 30 days from the announcement. The directive provides clear guidelines for hair, makeup, and accessories for both female and male soldiers.

Starting with hair, women’s ponytails can be no longer than six inches from the top of the collar, and hair color must be a natural color and “blended in a subtle manner.” Men follow the same rule for hair color, but their hair can only be a maximum of two inches on top and one inch on the sides. Men are also not allowed to wear braids, twists, locs, or cornrows, and shaving or cutting designs into the hair is prohibited. Women who choose to wear braids must keep them no wider than two inches.

Moving on to makeup, female soldiers are not allowed to wear tattooed makeup or lipstick and may only wear clear nail polish. Nails must be no longer than a quarter of an inch and shaped square or rounded. Male soldiers, on the other hand, cannot wear nail polish or any cosmetics at all. Regarding accessories, female soldiers are permitted to wear small, matching earring studs, while men are prohibited from wearing earrings of any kind.

In addition to its strict appearance guidelines, the Army also updated its Body Composition Program (ABCP) standards, and these changes feel a bit more intense than the rest.

Applicable only to the Regular Army and the Active Guard Reserve, the new standard in Army Regulation (AR) 600-9 gives commanders the authority to “direct a body fat assessment on any Soldier who they determine does not present a Soldierly appearance to ensure the Soldier meets the screening table weight for the Soldier’s measured height.”

The directive also clarifies that after a soldier enrolls in the ABCP, the commander must request a medical exam to determine if there are any underlying conditions that could cause weight gain or interfere with losing or maintaining body fat.

Another section states that if there is no medical condition causing weight issues and a soldier still exceeds body fat standards after six months in the program, “the commander will initiate separation action,” meaning the soldier could be discharged from the Army.

While many aren’t surprised by the appearance standards around hair, makeup, and accessories, one Reddit user described the changes “buried” in the ABCP as “pretty wild.”