Braxton Taylor
A new Marine Corps policy says troops with a genetic skin condition that can cause pain and scarring from shaving and mainly affects Black men can be separated if the health issue persists.
The “interim guidance” issued Thursday gives military health care providers 90 days to reevaluate Marines diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB. If they don’t recover based on a four-phase treatment program outlined in the message, have to remain on a shaving waiver for more than a year, and a commander deems it fit, the Corps can administratively separate them “due to incompatibility with service,” according to the message.
The directive marks a reversal from a previous Marine Corps policy issued in 2022 that prohibited the service from administratively separating Marines solely based on the condition, which is caused when curled hairs grow back into the skin, resulting in inflammation.
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It also comes at the same time Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a military-wide review of standards specifically focused on issues such as shaving waivers and body fat.
“In cases where a medical condition prevents a Marine from meeting required standards for an extended period — exceeding one year — administrative separation may be considered if it affects long-term service compatibility,” Maj. Jacoby Getty, a spokesperson for the Corps’ Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said in an emailed statement Friday when asked why Marines are no longer exempt from separation due to PFB.
“However, every effort will be made to support Marines through treatment and recovery before such decisions are considered,” he added. Getty emphasized that the new guidance is meant to imbue consistency across medical exemptions and that the service remains “fully committed” to supporting Marines with PFB.
It is unclear how many Marines will be affected by this new policy, as the service does not centrally track how many of them have an exception to policy for PFB, Getty said. If a Marine with PFB is discharged solely based on their diagnosis, they would receive an honorable discharge, he said.
A currently practicing military dermatologist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press, told Military.com on Friday that the Marine Corps’ new policy could have discriminatory effects against Black service members, who disproportionately have this condition compared to their peers and often require a shaving exemption to avoid making it worse.
Black service members make up about 15% to 16% of the active-duty force, they said, but 66% of shaving waiver holders are Black. The dermatologist said that shaving waiver holders promote more slowly than their peers and often leave the military earlier due to its cultural aversion to beards.
“You could have a white person, Black person, a Hispanic person, Asian person on a shaving waiver, they’re all going to get discriminated against. They’re all going to promote slower,” they said. “But again, the vast majority of the waiver holders are Black and African Americans, so that’s where the racial discriminatory impact comes.”
“So anything that is a negative that you can apply broadly to shaving waiver holders — whether they promote slower, whether we’re going to separate them from service, whether they received disciplinary action more often — anything that’s negative you apply broad strokes to a shaving waiver group is going to disproportionately affect Black and African American individuals,” the dermatologist said.
The treatments for PFB, which is a genetically determined condition, are limited, they said.
“We can’t undo genetics,” the dermatologist said. “And so really the only way around is you just shave and you endure the pain and the scarring; you do laser hair removal; or a shaving waiver. That’s really the end of it.”
When asked whether the Marine Corps is concerned that the new guidance will disproportionately affect Black service members and increase their chances of administrative separation, Getty said the following: “This MARADMIN does not lower our standards but provides clear, standardized guidance on how medical conditions may temporarily impact grooming and uniform compliance.
“Our priority is to ensure the health and resilience of our Marines while maintaining our warfighting capability. These updates ensure consistency in the management of medical conditions while reinforcing our commitment to returning Marines to full compliance whenever possible,” he said. “The strength of our force has always been our people, and this policy ensures they remain ready to fight and win.”
The Marine Corps’ 90-day reevaluation will assess an affected service member’s current treatment regime and determine whether there is need for further treatment.
The message outlines a four-phase treatment protocol.
The first phase addresses potential mild cases and recommends that Marines diagnosed with PFB avoid shaving for four weeks until “all lesions” have subsided. The next two phases contend with “moderate to severe” cases, for which non-laser hair removal and modified grooming standards are advised.
The last phase is optional and includes laser hair removal with a dermatology referral, adding that, while it is government-funded, the Marine Corps cannot require a service member to undergo this treatment.
“The ultimate goal is for every Marine diagnosed with PFB to successfully complete the phased treatment approach, recover, and return to full compliance — ensuring they remain ready, resilient, and fully engaged in the fight,” Getty said.
The dermatologist said that there are three likely outcomes from the policy. The first is that those who did not need a waiver in the first place will be taken off it, they said, adding that “there will be some positive impact from that policy.”
In those cases, Marines may have shaving dermatitis, a separate condition that can improve with different shaving techniques or topical treatments and is important for clinicians to differentiate from PFB, they said.
The second likely outcome might be that Marines with PFB will feel forced to shave and endure the pain and scarring for fear of being kicked out. Other Marines, in a third possible effect of this policy, might seek laser hair removal options.
“Again, going back to the fact that two-thirds of these individuals are Black/African American and likely have true PFB, they’re going to be stuck, and they’re going to go, ‘What the hell do I do now?'” the dermatologist said.
“I don’t know what the Marine Corps thinks is going to happen here, but if you’re in parts of Japan or Korea, you can’t just walk to the on-base dermatologist and get laser hair removal. That’s not going to work,” they said. “In many parts of the U.S., there’s no active-duty dermatologist, and Tricare can’t pay for civilian laser hair removal. There’s no mechanism by which they can reimburse somebody for that — not currently, at least.”
That could leave some Marines without options.
“People are going to be seeking some fixes to it, but even if they wanted to engage some of these things, they’re not going to be able to,” the dermatologist added.
The Marine Corps issued the guidance under the umbrella of “maintaining high standards” and “discipline,” something the service has always prided itself on and been rigid about. The new Marine Corps guidance comes as the Department of Defense announced Wednesday a rapid review of existing military standards going back to Jan. 1, 2015.
“While aligned with OSD’s forcewide review, the Marine Corps has been proactively developing this updated guidance to reinforce our commitment to the highest standards of readiness, discipline and lethality, ensuring our force remains prepared to fight and win,” Getty said when asked whether this was a direct result or in anticipation of the Pentagon’s assessment.
Less than three years ago, the Marine Corps said that PFB was “no longer a condition that is separable for the convenience of the government” and barred commanders from punitively counseling a Marine with the condition or denying them the opportunity to reenlist.
The service also viewed that initiative under the lens of talent management and readiness, going on to write in 2022 that it “continues to seek opportunities to focus on and invest in the individual Marine to improve individual and force readiness.”
Now, Getty said that Marines with PFB could be considered for counseling again if treatment options are exhausted, they’re on a waiver for more than a year, and their commanding officer determines that the condition makes them “incompatible with service.”
“The Marine Corps remains committed to talent management,” he said. “This guidance balances talent retention with the need for clear standards for lethality and readiness.”
Barring reenlistment, too, seems to be an option for commanders to use against Marines with PFB. When asked whether Marines with a PFB diagnosis would be prohibited from reenlisting if treatment options fail, Getty said that commanding officers will consult with medical officers throughout the treatment process.
“These ongoing discussions will provide COs with the necessary insight into a Marine’s progress and medical readiness, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding the Marine’s reenlistment eligibility while ensuring their health and operational effectiveness,” he added.
In another reversal, the commanding officer will have final authority for granting or dismissing exceptions to policy, Getty said. In 2022, that authority rested with medical professionals instead of commanders. Now, commanders are expected to actively monitor the treatment plan and facilitate communication between the Marine, doctors and leadership, he said.
Under the 2022 policy, Marines were not required to carry a copy of their waiver with them. Under Thursday’s policy, they must do so in an effort “to enhance clarity, consistency and accountability across the force,” Getty said.
The Marine message on Thursday said that a forthcoming order codifying the changes is expected in the future; Getty said that is being developed and the service expects it to be published in late spring or early summer.
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