education insights | January 23, 2026

Can males wear clear earrings in the army?

MALE SOLDIERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR CLEAR NAIL POLISH WHILE IN SERVICE UNIFORMS. NAILS WILL NOT EXCEED ¼ INCH FROM THE TIP OF THE FINGER. ON, OR POST-TYPE EARRING IN GOLD, SILVER, OR DIAMOND. PEARLS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO WEAR IN THE ACU, BUT ARE AUTHORIZED IN FORMAL ATTIRE (SERVICE OR DRESS UNIFORM).

Can you wear clear earrings in the army?

Army women can now wear studded earrings in the Army combat uniform (ACU) unless in a field or tactical environment. ALARACT 40/2021 restricts earrings to gold, silver or clear diamond. While in service or dress uniforms, female soldiers can also wear pearl earrings.

What kind of earrings can Army wear?

Earrings can either be screw-on, clip-on, or post-type earrings in gold, silver, or diamond and must be unadorned and spherical without exceeding 6 mm or 1/4 inch in diameter. Pearl earrings are not authorized with the ACU, Sanders said.

Can male soldiers have ear piercings?

Attaching, affixing or displaying objects, articles, jewelry, or ornamentation to, through, or under their skin, tongue, or any other body part is prohibited (this includes earrings for male Soldiers). This applies to all Soldiers on or off duty.

Can men wear jewelry in the military?

a. Soldiers may wear a wristwatch, a wrist identification bracelet, and a total of two rings (a wedding set is considered one ring) with Army uniforms, unless prohibited by the commander for safety or health reasons. Any jewelry soldiers wear must be conservative and in good taste.

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Can you join the Army with piercings?

The Army has a strict policy regarding personal appearance. The acceptability of tattoos and body piercings will be assessed on a case by case basis by Defence Force Recruiting. If you are considering getting either please contact us for guidance as this may affect your application.

Can you bring jewelry to basic training?

Don't bring items that are hard to safeguard during training, such as cameras; portable electronics like tablets or hand-held video games; jewelry and costly watches.

Can you wear clear piercing retainers in the military?

Yes, absolutely. When you go through MEPS or any medical intake station. They'll annotate anything you need to have. If the retainer is only at night (depending which phase you're in), you'll be mostly fine.

Can you wear a clear nose ring in the army?

Members are prohibited from attaching, affixing, or displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation through the ear, nose, tongue or other exposed body part (which includes visible through the clothing), when: Wearing a military uniform.

Can male Marines have earrings?

Marines are prohibited from: Wearing earrings (applicable to male Marines) Attaching, affixing or displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through their skin, tongue or any other body part. Female Marines, however, may wear earrings consistent with paragraph 3009.

Can males wear earrings in the Army 2021?

THE EARRING WILL NOT EXCEED 6MM OR ¼-INCH IN DIAMETER, AND THEY MUST BE ADORNED (PLAIN) OR SPHERICAL (ROUND). WHEN WORN, THE EARRINGS WILL FIT SNUGLY AGAINST THE EAR. HOOP, TWO-SIDED, OR DROP EARRINGS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED.

Can male soldiers wear nail polish?

Male Soldiers are authorized to wear clear nail polish while in service uniforms. Nails will not exceed 1/4 inch from the tip of the finger.

Can male soldiers dye their hair?

You can dye your hair in the United States military. However, hair colors are limited solely to natural hair colors. Unnatural or eccentric colors are strictly prohibited. For example, purple, blue, pink, green, orange, bright neon colors, and any other unnatural colors are not allowed.

Why does the US Army not allow beards?

Military history buffs know that our military has had an on-again, off-again love affair with facial hair. The invention of chemical weapons ended the affair for good. Beards were prohibited across all branches for two reasons: Hygiene and the need for a good seal while wearing a gas mask.

Can you pierce your nose with a clear stud?

For almost every type of piercing, you can initially put in a clear or invisible stud to begin with. This is called Bioplast or Bioflex (a biologically inert material which will not react with your body).

How can I hide my nose stud?

Conceal the piercing with a flesh-colored acrylic retainer. There are small domes or balls of flesh colored acrylic that you can buy to cover up a nose piercing. They are sometimes made with clear Lucite. You can also cover the piercing with a tiny flat disc that you've painted with skin-tone nail polish.

Are tattoos allowed in the Army?

The new rules allow soldiers to have one visible tattoo on each hand, including the palm, and unlimited tattoos between the fingers as long as they are not visible when their hands are closed. Troops are also authorized to have one ring tattoo on each hand.

Are glass piercings safe?

Is glass safe to wear in body piercings? Yes, glass is safe to wear in body piercings.

Can you have stretched ears in the military?

Soldiers are prohibited from willfully mutilating the body or any body parts in any manner, including tongue bifurcation (splitting of the tongue), or ear gauging (enlarging holes in the ear lobes greater than 1.6 mm).

Are plastic nose studs safe?

Plastic isn't a good option because it's not intended or likely suitable for long term wear. In time it may break down due to body temperature. How about glass? Glass is certainly a safe material to wear in the body, but something so thin is fragile.

What is the peanut butter shot?

The "peanut butter" shot, in the military, is a slang term for the famous bicillin vaccination every recruit receives unless they have an allergy — and can prove it. But if you can't, you're in for an experience of a lifetime.

Do you shower together in basic training?

In basic training, you take group showers. There's no way out of communal showers. They're required. Everyone in your barracks will enter the shower room assigned to your barracks when commanded.

Can you wear silicone rings at basic training?

While a member of the military may wear up to two rings (a wedding set is considered one ring), all rings must be simple and in good taste. That's why a lot of members of the military opt for military silicone rings. They're safe, simple, and unassuming.

Can I have a tattoo behind my ear in the army?

You cannot have any tattoos on your head or scalp, and nothing on the actual ear itself. As previously mentioned, a neck tattoo cannot exceed the height/width dimensions of one inch.

Are dreads allowed in the Army?

The US Army Has Finally Lifted Its Ban On Dreadlocks.