2.4 Facial Hair, Medical Exceptions to Policy, and Religious Accommodation

Facial Hair, Medical Exceptions to Policy, and Religious Accommodation

Board Primer: Facial hair is one of the most heavily revised areas of Army appearance policy. Army Directive 2025-13 (Facial Hair Grooming Standards) abolished permanent shaving profiles, and Army Directive 2026-09 rebuilt the approval process for uniform, grooming, and appearance religious accommodations. A candidate quoting "permanent profile" or "brigade commander approval" is quoting rescinded policy.

---

1. The Baseline Standard

All male Soldiers will maintain a clean-shaven face when in uniform or on duty in civilian attire. Mustaches are authorized within the AR 670-1 limits. Sideburns must be trimmed above the opening of the ear canal.

There are exactly two lawful exceptions, and they are separate processes with separate paperwork:

1. A written medical exception to policy (ETP).
2. An approved religious accommodation.

A Soldier operating under either must retain and readily produce the signed memorandum when in uniform or on duty in civilian attire, upon request. Any Soldier may make an on-the-spot correction to uniform standards; leaders may ask whether a Soldier holds a valid ETP or accommodation.

---

2. Medical Exceptions to Policy (AD 2025-13)

Permanent profiles are gone

Army Directive 2025-13 prohibits permanent shaving profiles. The most common qualifying condition remains pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) — razor bumps, in which curly facial hair curves back into the follicle and produces inflammation, pustules, and scarring — but other conditions may also require a pause in shaving.

The process

1. A Soldier with a shaving limitation is documented on a physical profile, DA Form 3349-SG.
2. The first O-5 commander in the chain of command directs re-evaluation by a medical provider, who assesses current treatment and determines whether continuation is required.
3. The medical provider recommends a treatment plan designed to return the Soldier to the clean-shaven standard, and the first O-5 commander reviews and approves it.
4. Once the plan is approved, the first O-5 commander issues the Soldier a written ETP for the facial-hair grooming standard. The ETP is valid only for the duration of the shaving profile.
5. Commanders and the NCO support chain actively monitor the treatment plan to help the Soldier return to compliance.

The phased treatment plan

At the end of the phase identified in the treatment plan, the Soldier either adheres to the grooming standard or is re-evaluated.

The separation trigger

An accumulation of facial-hair ETPs totaling more than 12 months in a 24-month period may result in an administrative separation. Note the verb: the directive authorizes, and does not require, separation proceedings.

---

3. Religious Accommodation (AD 2026-09)

Religious accommodations are processed under AR 600-20, and Army Directive 2026-09 rebuilt the review process specifically for uniform, grooming, and appearance accommodations. It does not alter medical ETPs or other categories of religious accommodation such as dietary requests.

Core rules

• Accommodations are granted only for sincerely held religious beliefs. Secular, philosophical, or sociological beliefs do not qualify.
• Every new or resubmitted request is routed through IPPS-A to a single approval authority: the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
• The Soldier must complete a formal, nonconfidential chaplain interview to assess the religious basis and sincerity of the request. "Nonconfidential" matters: this interview is not privileged pastoral communication.
• Approved decision memoranda are recorded in the Army Military Human Resource Record (AMHRR) or IPPS-A by the O-5 commander.

Mandatory re-evaluation of existing accommodations

AD 2026-09 serves as written notice that all previously approved uniform, grooming, and appearance religious accommodations must be resubmitted for re-evaluation:

• Phase one (days 1–120): immediate resubmission and review of all existing facial hair accommodations.
• Phase two (days 121–240): resubmission of all other appearance accommodations — uncut hair, religious headgear, tattoos, and jewelry.

Currently approved accommodations remain valid while pending review. A Soldier submitting a brand-new request must maintain current Army grooming standards while the packet is pending.

---

4. Comparing the Two Routes

---

5. NCO Responsibilities

A promotion board will test whether you understand your role in this system, not just the timelines:

• Verify, do not assume. Ask whether a Soldier has a valid ETP or accommodation memorandum; do not confront a Soldier publicly about the medical basis for a profile.
• Protect medical privacy. The underlying diagnosis is not the squad's business. The ETP memorandum is.
• Track the calendar. The NCO support chain is specifically directed to monitor treatment plans. Know when your Soldier's phase ends and get them back to the provider before it lapses.
• Keep the Soldier at standard in every other respect. An ETP for facial hair does not relax hair, uniform, or fitness standards.
• Route new requests correctly. A Soldier asking about a religious accommodation goes to the chaplain and into IPPS-A, and stays at the current grooming standard while the packet is pending.