Adm. Thomas Heyward

Navy News
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Beards are a hot button issue – sailors want them – Navy leadership says they can’t have them.

Now the last bastions of beards in the Navy –  “permanent no shave chits” issued for medical reasons,  are being be thrown overboard, too.

Instead, the service will expand treatment options for sailors with skin issues caused by shaving.

It’s not that the service hasn’t considered again allowing beards – they have.

The Navy has studied beards many times since 1985, the last time beards were allowed throughout the ranks. Each time, the conclusion is the same — they pose a significant safety hazard in shipboard environments. That’s why facial hair, other than mustaches, will stay banned in the Navy.