16,000 Service Members Have Shaving Waivers Despite Pete Hegseth’s Grooming Guidelines

Roughly 16,000 soldiers, Marines, sailors, Airmen and Guardians currently have medical waivers exempting them from shaving, despite efforts pushed last year by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to phase them out.

In September 2025, Hegseth mandated that medical shaving waivers be limited to 12 months and that those with permanent conditions be evaluated for separation. He called for a “clean-shaven” military and in the months to follow, military services released specific directives that service members should take to meet these grooming standards.

“The department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos,” Hegseth wrote in his memo.

Approximately 8,000 Airmen and guardians, 4,760 sailors, 3,400 soldiers, 144 Marines and 8,000 airmen and guardians have temporary shaving waivers, according to figures the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force provided to Task & Purpose on Sept. 18.

Shaving waivers are mostly for soldiers with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB—a chronic inflammatory disorder that can cause skin irritation and scarring and affects 60% of Black men, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.

“Secretary Hegseth maintains the highest expectations for our service members to uphold the professional standards of appearance, fitness, and discipline that define our war fighting force, and he continues to emphasize consistent enforcement of hair, weight, and grooming standards across all ranks,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Military.com on Wednesday.

“Commanders at every level are expected to lead by example by meeting these standards, implementing these requirements, and they will be held accountable for delivering results as the Department works to restore a culture of excellence and readiness. Our Armed Forces are stronger when every service member meets and exceeds these expectations,” Parnell added.

Hegseth’s War on Facial Hair

The stricter grooming enforcement has sparked intense debate across the Pentagon.

Proponents argue that a uniform look reinforces discipline, unity and the operational readiness necessary for high-stakes combat environments, while critics raise concerns that the standards are overcomplicated.

Critics caution that forcing affected individuals to choose between severe physical discomfort or administrative separation could severely damage retention rates, alienate specialized talent, and undermine recruitment efforts at a time when the military already faces significant enlistment challenges.

Hegseth has repeatedly criticized grooming accommodations aimed at minority troops.

In his recent book The War on Warriors, Hegseth wrote that such accommodations “had to go—because of equity.”

“We kicked out good soldiers for having naked women tattooed on their arms,” Hegseth also said in a statement in March 2025, criticizing what he characterized as bad policy decisions by past administrations. “And today we are relaxing the standards on shaving, dreadlocks, man buns, and straight-up obesity. Piece by piece, the standard had to go—because of equity.”

In the Army, and in other military branches, there are still religious exemptions to allow people to avoid the stricter guidelines and not have to shave.

However, all of those waivers will need to be reviewed by the first lieutenant colonel in a soldier’s chain of command and re-approved within three months.

The Marine Corps Education Command launched the official Marine Corps Uniform App on June 29 to give service members easy access to uniform and grooming standards.