Clip it, tie it, or trim it: What 18 countries say about military hairstyles

The army is hardly a place for fashion or individual expression–quite the opposite. Military uniforms are designed to bind soldiers into a single, disciplined whole, where no one stands out in formation.

To make it in the military, recruits need to stick to a clean trim – 12 countries explicitly refer to ‘hygiene’ – and a natural hair colour. Some have clear measurement requirements: Czechia allows 3 to 6 cm for men, while Turkey allows up to 6 cm on top and 2 cm on the sides. Overall, in those countries that specify hair length, the rule is that servicemen should have their earlobes showing, according to the document.

Rules for long hair are similar across the list, with countries usually requiring a hair tie, bun or braids. But some countries are more liberal: Portugal allows recruits to keep their bangs while Canadian conscripts have no restrictions on hair length.

But anything more adventurous is generally a no-go: Turkey prohibits perms for instance, and dreadlocks are explicitly off the table in Israel and Czechia. Meanwhile in Italy, recruits should refrain from excessive use of hair gel or hairspray to keep their hair together.

Yet, soldiers wearing wigs get to keep them firmly on in both Czechia and the US, the latter the only country on the list to also allow for religious exceptions (although these exceptions are not listed). Turkey is the only country to explicitly make a reference to the veil, which it allows for female soldiers.

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