The Massachusetts Army National Guard has abruptly rescinded long-standing medical waivers that allowed certain soldiers to maintain facial hair — a policy primarily affecting Black service members.
According to an email to the state’s troops, parts of which were posted to social media and confirmed as authentic to Military.com by Guard officials, the Massachusetts Guard informed soldiers that any shaving waivers issued before January 2023 are now considered expired. Those waivers, commonly granted for a chronic skin condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), are typically issued by medical professionals and are usually indefinite unless reassessed for medical reasons. Waivers are also granted for religious accommodations.
PFB, which disproportionately affects Black men, causes painful inflammation due to tightly curled hair growing back into the skin after shaving. Facial hair waivers for those diagnosed with PFB have long been standard practice across the armed services, as clean-shaven grooming requirements can exacerbate the condition and result in significant discomfort or disfigurement.
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“Massachusetts Army National Guard soldiers who believe they still need a shaving profile will be reevaluated,” the memo noted. Massachusetts has a comparatively small Black population, with 9.6% of its residents identifying as Black, compared to making up 14% of the overall national population, according to the census.
The memo goes on to direct troops to be reevaluated on whether they need shaving waivers, a move that can be time-consuming and logistically challenging for part-time troops and units, as training time in any given year is already extremely limited in the National Guard. The portion of the memo that was posted on Reddit did not note how the policy affects Air National Guardsmen in the state, if at all.
Don Veitch, a spokesperson for the state, declined to provide the full memo or comment to Military.com. Army transparency rules dictate that nonclassified materials are public documents and must be provided to reporters when requested.
The Massachusetts Guard’s policy shift comes on the heels of a wider reckoning within the Department of Defense. In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a military-wide review of grooming standards, citing concerns over what he described as an erosion of military culture. “We kicked out good soldiers for having naked women tattooed on their arms,” Hegseth said in a statement last month. “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.”
Meanwhile, the Marine Corps has initiated its own review of shaving waivers. In March, Military.com reported Marines were issued interim guidance directing those with saving waivers to be reevaluated within 90 days. The guidance added that Marines needing a waiver extending longer than a year may be separated from the service.
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