# Marine boot camp, how long can females wear their hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062 "2017-07-12T03:06:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/21 "2017-07-14T18:16:27Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > USMC regs always apply, but I’m betting that in boot camp all the WM recruits have their hair cut. In the fleet, after graduating boot camp, you can wear your hair up, but in boot camp I’m pretty sure it’ll get cut short. > > One big thing about entering boot camp is uniformity, and stripping you of your individual identity. Losing your hair, for us guys, was one quick and sure way to do that. You are no longer Bullitt, former civilian. You are Private Bullitt, or Recruit Bullitt, US Marine Recruit. > > I went to MCRD San Diego CA. All WMs go to Parris Island in SC, so I never saw a WM recruit. But that’s my best guess. > > Semper Fidelis, obbn, and thank you and your family and your daughter for your support and service. > > Gunny Bullitt Here is some females in boot camp, none have a buzz cut. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL\_RKh\_yrhs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL_RKh_yrhs) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/22 "2017-07-14T20:15:52Z")
I wasn’t expecting any buzz cuts. I imagine anyone with long hair would have it trimmed to some standard length. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/23 "2017-07-14T20:29:17Z")
I found an archived discussion thread over on the [leatherneck.com](http://leatherneck.com) forums: [Women Marines -- Haircuts at bootcamp? [Archive] - Marine Corps - USMC Community](http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-36329.html). Skimming it briefly, apparently you can keep it long as long as you keep it up and out of the way. And of course above the collar. Some choose to get it cut after arriving, but one poster said it’s better to have it longer so she could roll it up – better than mid-length at that in-between length where it can get in the way. From poster TeufelhundenBB in that link: > [@](#): > > This is regarding the hair issue. I have really long hair and in boot camp I found it a lot easier to be able to put it up and keep it out of my face. The girls who decided to cut their hair had a much more difficult time trying to keep it out of their face without getting yelled at by the drill instructors. In boot camp, you cannot touch your hair or your face without being told to do so. I had my hair caked with jel and hairspray so it would stay out of my way and I never had to worry about it. The only time I did, was at 0200 when I was fixing it in the head (bathroom :). If you prepare ahead of time, before lights in the morning, then your hair won’t be that big of a deal. Plus, you get to keep it long, so when you are on leave and liberty, you’ll know what to do with it ; ) The easiest thing I found that works, is if you put your hair in a lower ponytail, braid the pony tail, wrap it around the base of the ponytail and pin it in place. With this hairstyle, it’s really easy to hide bobbypins and clear ponytail holders. Anyway, hope this helps! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/24 "2017-07-15T01:29:50Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > For some reason, I read “long” in the thread title to have the sense of time rather than length. It was very confusing. 🙂 Me to. But not too confusing. See below. > [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > Don’t know for sure, but it’s a good bet your daughter’s hair in boot camp will be a far sight longer than mine was. ������ > … Interpreted as John Mace suggested: Q: Marine boot camp: How long can males / females wear their hair? A: Same for each: about 5 minutes after they get there. First stop’s the barber. Bzzzzzzt then it’s gone. 🙂 > [@obbn](#): > > No worries with this. My daughter is attractive, but could care less about making herself pretty. She’s more of a tomboy, hence the Maines. She’ll be going to boot camp, then they’re sending her to college, followed by her for years. She wants to be an officer and make a career out of it. Joining the Maines again is she? Are they arming to secede from the US, to join / rejoin Canada, or just to defeat the rampaging moose? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/25 "2017-07-15T04:48:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Joining the Maines again is she? Are they arming to secede from the US, to join / rejoin Canada, or just to defeat the rampaging moose? 😃 What would a thread with me in it be without typos? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/26 "2017-07-15T04:54:01Z")
So… a lot of people here have no experience in boot camp. Boot camp is different, as they strive for uniformity. I’m a male and not a female and I was in the Navy as well. But, from what I remember all of the same sex left the first trip to the barber with the same haircut. Men had nothing more than 1/4" long and all the women had collar length hair. This is all due to maintenance reasons while working your ass off as you’ll be tired a lot and group showers just suck and you want to get in and out as soon as possible. That being said, if your daughter has nice and long hair, and it’ll grow back anyways, she should think of donating all that wonderful hair from a young person. Else, it will just fall to the floor and be thrown in the trash. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/27 "2017-07-15T07:01:56Z")
> [@electronbee](#): > > Men had nothing more than 1/4" long and all the women had collar length hair. Not us men at MCRD, we had far less. We were essentially shaved bald. That first night I distinctly remember lying in my rack and trying to grab any hairs on my head and quickly realizing that the longest hairs, by far, were my eyebrows. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/28 "2017-07-15T11:12:11Z")
Better that than the ones in your nose. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062/29 "2017-07-15T13:03:50Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > If she has to spend 60 seconds or even a full one and a half minutes taking care of her hair…that’s not gonna be fun. It doesn’t take 60 seconds to twist long hair into a bun. I can put mine into a standard “twist” bun in 30 seconds. Additionally, even 60 seconds to put hair into a bun is far less time than it takes to style one of the shorter approved hairdos. Women in the Corps are allowed to use [scrunchies the same color as their hair](https://www.amazon.com/Scunci-Color-Twister-Brunette-Scrunchies/dp/B00YO5IFL8), which helps to secure the bun further. > [@](#): > > And during training, when you have to put on your helmet/goggles/gas mask, etc…you don’t want waste 30 seconds moving your hair out of the way. The hair won’t be in the way; that’s why the Corps made the regulations it did. If it’s in a bun and gelled and sprayed into place, it won’t need to be moved. FWIW, my cousin did four tours in the ME in a policing/security role with nearly waist-length hair, which she wore in a tight bun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-boot-camp-how-long-can-females-wear-their-hair/791062.md?page=1)