Posted on Sep 2, 2020
Can I be forced to shave if I have a shaving profile?
94.5K
1.42K
363
118
118
0
What’s up everybody I’m pv2 jones and I been in the army a little over 9 months, I love serving until it comes to shaving. I’ve tried everything and my face bumps up terrible man I’m talking about it looks disgusting, plenty of my Drill Sgts in AIT tried teaching me how to shave but it doesn’t work. So I just got to my new unit about 2 and a half months ago and I was still shaving even though it was painful and it looked Terrible, one day an NCO From another unit told me that I NEED to go get a shaving profile because my face just looks terrible and she can tell I was in pain so I promised her I will go get one and have them check it out . After my first appointment the dermatologist gave me a permanent shaving profile and told me that I don’t need to shave atleast until my bumps are clear. So a few weeks go by and I have a little beard (still in regulation 1/4 of an inch) so After pt my squad leader pulls me to The side and starts cursing me out at the top of his lungs saying I need to shave , I told him respectfully I have a shaving profile and it hurts for me to shave he stares at me and replied Under his breath “like every other black person in the army that can’t use razors” I didn’t say anything but it kind of hurt because I don’t want to be a odd ball in my company (I’m in a infantry company btw) so later that day we go into work to clean weapons and he calls me over and apologizes about this morning and I told him it was ok he then said that I need to shave still if I want to make it in the military and I replied and told him I’m not shaving so he can F’ing forget about it he then told me since I cursed him my punishment will be to shave or receive a article for disrespecting a NCO so later I went to my barracks room and shaved during lunch and came back in he then told me that no matter what my profile says I need to listen to him and shave I told my platoon sgt about this whole Situation and he told me I need to listen to my squad leader and shave because the army just gives shaving profiles to anyone. Is this right?
Platoon Sergeant
Platoon Leader
Commander
CCMSgt
NCO Academy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 254
1
1
0
Back when I was in we had a few in the company that had the same problems and if you keep it as short as you can and looking decent then he shouldn't have anything to say . But if it looks like mine then I would be telling you to keep it within army reg's and not a hobo .
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
Ist- the shaving profile was give to you by a Dermatologist...who is a Army Officer. The profile is an order give you by an office. The NCO needs to be brought up on charges for his racism, disrespect, and his disregard for an Officers order!!! This is an on going problem in all branches of the service when it comes to medical orders. My first question for the NCO would be...what year did you graduate from medical school. So, have him brought up on an article 15!!!
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I would like to give you some practical advise to help you in the future:
1. I agree with everyone else that this is an EO violation and is definitely reportable to whomever in your unit is your EO Officer/NCOIC. This is not acceptable behavior from an NCO.
2. NCOs do not have the authority to override a profile - only your commander does. NCOs do have the authority to ensure you are maintaining your profile correctly, so don't think that you couldn't be mandated to trim your facial hair to the appropriate length IAW your profile by an NCO in the future if it was deemded an issue. I do not think his approach was appropriate, nor is the proper way to counsel a subordinate if there truly was an issue.
3. Make sure you keep a copy of your valid profile on you. This way there will never be a question of "he said, she said". I would not necessarily yell back at an NCO, but you can definitely indicate that you will not violate a valid profile and you are within your rights to do so until your commander overrides it.
4. I would also recommend looking at some of Dollar Shave Club's Dr Carver's Shave Butter for when you do have to trim and such. I had such bad skin issues shaving everyday, and honestly this stuff is a life saver. Shameless plug, but still.
1. I agree with everyone else that this is an EO violation and is definitely reportable to whomever in your unit is your EO Officer/NCOIC. This is not acceptable behavior from an NCO.
2. NCOs do not have the authority to override a profile - only your commander does. NCOs do have the authority to ensure you are maintaining your profile correctly, so don't think that you couldn't be mandated to trim your facial hair to the appropriate length IAW your profile by an NCO in the future if it was deemded an issue. I do not think his approach was appropriate, nor is the proper way to counsel a subordinate if there truly was an issue.
3. Make sure you keep a copy of your valid profile on you. This way there will never be a question of "he said, she said". I would not necessarily yell back at an NCO, but you can definitely indicate that you will not violate a valid profile and you are within your rights to do so until your commander overrides it.
4. I would also recommend looking at some of Dollar Shave Club's Dr Carver's Shave Butter for when you do have to trim and such. I had such bad skin issues shaving everyday, and honestly this stuff is a life saver. Shameless plug, but still.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
Oh yes, so complaint an forget about him getting you on any charges ... but do maintain a professional ... attitude, at least on the outside
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I've been out 20 plus years ... but back when a dr was an officer and a squad leader an plt sgts were nco s ... so the officer won, in fact I was told that it was illegal to break a profile
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
If you indeed have a shaving Profile, then the answer is (NO) you do not have to shave, but you do have to keep the facial hair cut to a certain length with a pair of scissors that the issuing Profile PA will give you. I had this happen to one of my soldier's I had in one of my Platoons when I was serving back in my active day's. He had to trim the facial hair with the scissors as close to the face as he could and believe me it took quite awhile for him to do it. Just to stay within the guidelines of the Profile. he later told me he'd of much rather of kept on shaving if he'd of known how much harder it was to trim the entire face with the scissors.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
No it's not right, and recieving an Article15 for swearing at your NCO is BS. He's obviously not ready to be an NCO, or Platoon Leader because he doesn't understand basic Army regulations. A shaving profile is given because of possible infection's and worse from forced shaving. That being said, my facial hair was very quick to grow, and I sometimes had to shave twice a day to avoid getting hasseled. Your Platoon Sargent is not doing his job, and if he backs an NCO that doesn't follow basic Army regulations, than that's all anyone needs to know about him. You squad leaders use of the phrase 'like every other black person in military' is discrimination and he should be brought up on charges. I suggest you go to Army legal aide and file charges of discrimination against him and your Platoon Sargent. Nothing worse than an idiot using racial slurs to denegrate a soldier. Have you talked to your First Sargent and or your Battalion Sargent Major about this?
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
In my 1970s basic the guys in your position showed me the depilatory they used. Sorry I foget the name of it. I'd think that you ought to tell the sqd ldr that you are following orders of the doctor, who probably outranks him.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
pfffttt... I had a (male) soldier in my platoon with a shaving profile. He was NOT combat ready, because he couldn't wear a gas mask and get a seal. He was also Caucasian.
Shaving bumps are not confined to a certain skin color... but to a certain hair type... CURLY.
What is the primary cause of shaving bumps? SHAVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, and using anything with alcohol on your face!
Men... IF you get bumps (beard hairs trapped under the skin), use (Real) Lemon juice as an after shave. It is antiseptic, aseptic, and antibiotic... it heals nicks as it keeps the skin soft, so hairs don't get trapped under dry skin... it's also better than any anti-acne product offered.
It also removes old skin, allowing new healthy skin, keeping your face tight and young as you get old... throw out your expensive anti-aging creams women... the simple lemon is all you need...
apply a thin film of REAL lemon juice to your skin one hour before bedtime... let dry... rinse off in the morning... wake up looking ten years younger... use twice per week ... enjoy the youthful Natural look, and the compliments, when you tell them you are 30 years older than you look ;)
Shaving bumps are not confined to a certain skin color... but to a certain hair type... CURLY.
What is the primary cause of shaving bumps? SHAVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, and using anything with alcohol on your face!
Men... IF you get bumps (beard hairs trapped under the skin), use (Real) Lemon juice as an after shave. It is antiseptic, aseptic, and antibiotic... it heals nicks as it keeps the skin soft, so hairs don't get trapped under dry skin... it's also better than any anti-acne product offered.
It also removes old skin, allowing new healthy skin, keeping your face tight and young as you get old... throw out your expensive anti-aging creams women... the simple lemon is all you need...
apply a thin film of REAL lemon juice to your skin one hour before bedtime... let dry... rinse off in the morning... wake up looking ten years younger... use twice per week ... enjoy the youthful Natural look, and the compliments, when you tell them you are 30 years older than you look ;)
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
You should ask the NCO in question if he requires Soldiers who have facial injuries due to an IED or a fire and part of their face is burned... does this NCO require that Soldier to run a razor over his face, too? (But yes, that's racist af and you should report it all the way up the chain of command and report everyone who sided with this racist pos as well.)
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google