Is hair that is completely shaved or trimmed closely to the scalp authorized?

• A. Yes.
• B. No.
• C. Only on sides.
• D. Only if touched by a barber.

Answer: (C)

Hair must be neat and conservative. The Army permits a clean, professional look that often includes very short sides while the top is kept longer, creating a high-and-tight or fade-style silhouette. This means closely shaved or trimmed hair is allowed on the sides, but not across the entire head in an extreme, all-over close cut. So the idea that you may have hair shaved or trimmed very closely only on the sides fits the standard. Fully shaving the whole head or requiring a barber to do the close cut isn’t the point of the authorized styles, and saying it’s universally prohibited would miss the accepted side-shave option.