Will I have to cut my hair at training? what about after when I'm at the hospital

Specialties Government

Published

I'm about to go to Navy officer training school and then I'll be a Navy nurse. I was told that if it is not collar length it will be cut to that length. Mine is not that long. It is on my shoulders(and even that I am uncomfortable with). Can I put it in a bun instead of having it cut or will they cut my hair? If I have to then I'll defiantly get it cut before I go because with many other girls waiting in line to get their hair cut at training I'm sure whoever is cutting it isn't going to make it even. And what about after training? When I'm working in the hospital will I have to have my hair in a bun, cut to my collar or as can I have it grow out a little past my shoulder and still wear it down?

Also if I get it cut at the appropriate length will they still cut it? Someone told me that the navy will still cut it even if it is at the right length.

What is collar length hair exactlt? Some said it was like an inch above shoulder and then someone told me it was right below the ears *shudders*

Specializes in FNP-C.

You won't have to cut your hair super short. Just as long you can bun it to now allow it to touch shoulders. --->coming from an air force guy. :D

Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

I truly do not mean to be rude, but....You are going to OTS and your MAIN concern is your hair?!?!? Hair grows back! No one in the navy is going to care if your hair is not cut evenly.

I think that you might want to rethink your priorities. Your hair should not be your main concern in the military! And why are you posting this on allnurses, it has nothing to do with nursing at all.

Specializes in FNP-C.
I truly do not mean to be rude, but....You are going to OTS and your MAIN concern is your hair?!?!? Hair grows back! No one in the navy is going to care if your hair is not cut evenly.

I think that you might want to rethink your priorities. Your hair should not be your main concern in the military! And why are you posting this on allnurses, it has nothing to do with nursing at all.

hey i'm a dude and I do care about my hair cut. I had a True GI box cut with a sleeping mouse at the top of my head and hated it. The military DOES care about even clean professional cuts. Appearance is everything in the military unfortunately. Whereas in the civilian sector, you can have wacky haircuts and still not get penalized. I do agree this has nothing to do with nursing lol.

Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

Bun it and forget it.

If you don't know how to bun it, the "sock bun" is super-easy with shorter hair like yours (mine is past my waist, I just do real buns). Google "sock bun" if you don't know how to do one.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

FNPdude 74,

I should have thought about my phrasing a bit better when I said no one will care if your hair is not cut evenly..lol.

I know that the military does care about their staff looking professional and uniform at all times. I got the impression Sabby17 is used to high end hair salons based on the comment "If I have to then I'll defiantly get it cut before I go because with many other girls waiting in line to get their hair cut at training I'm sure whoever is cutting it isn't going to make it even." I understand that no one wants to look like they had their hair hacked at by a weed wacker, but I am pretty confident that the Navy barbers know what they are doing. Sure the cut may not be as perfectly even as it would be if it was done in a hair salon where time was not an issue, but it will be good enough to comply with military standards and basic scrutiny.

I truly do not mean to be rude, but....You are going to OTS and your MAIN concern is your hair?!?!? Hair grows back! No one in the navy is going to care if your hair is not cut evenly.

I think that you might want to rethink your priorities. Your hair should not be your main concern in the military! And why are you posting this on allnurses, it has nothing to do with nursing at all.

Calm down. That is no where near my main concern. It may seem like a petty question but I've been doing research on ever other part of it and have knowledge of what to expect and everything. Then I remembered the hair part and just thought I would ask. Reason why I put it on allnurses is because I am going to be a nurse in the navy and I asked "While working in the hostpital how will I wear it as well?" This isn't my first or last question I've asked about the Nurse Corps. I just want to know about everything that happens in training and after. Yes I do care about my hair but I really don't care if I have to have it chopped to my ears for a few months if it means I get to serve my country. I just wanted to know my options incase I could throw it in a bun.

FNPdude 74,

I should have thought about my phrasing a bit better when I said no one will care if your hair is not cut evenly..lol.

I know that the military does care about their staff looking professional and uniform at all times. I got the impression Sabby17 is used to high end hair salons based on the comment "If I have to then I'll defiantly get it cut before I go because with many other girls waiting in line to get their hair cut at training I'm sure whoever is cutting it isn't going to make it even." I understand that no one wants to look like they had their hair hacked at by a weed wacker, but I am pretty confident that the Navy barbers know what they are doing. Sure the cut may not be as perfectly even as it would be if it was done in a hair salon where time was not an issue, but it will be good enough to comply with military standards and basic scrutiny.

lol "high end salons" I don't like paying more than 10$ for a cut actually. I didn't mean to sound that way its just this girl in the Air Force told me she saw a bunch of navy girls straight out of boot camp with uneven hair so yeah.

Specializes in CNOR.

Boot camp makes you cut your hair. I don't believe they put the officers through the same thing.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

Sabby,

Like I said, I do not mean to sound rude. If you go back and read your original post maybe you will see how someone without any knowledge of your research or anything other than what you wrote in the post, could come to the conclusions I did. One thing I SHOULD have said is Kudos to you for having the courage to serve in the military! I could never do it.

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Many dress codes require that "hair not touch the collar". Meaning you can have it up to meet this requirement. Surely this is a question that a recruiter or someone similar could answer with certainty rather than most of the posters here, LOL

At or above the collar is the regulation. Put on a collared shirt, stand at attention and see where it falls, and this is about where it will be in uniform. Your hair can be down or up, to meet that definition. You will also want to look at what the Navy's standards are for putting your hair up. Buns, french braid, french twist, etc- all work but you need to know what you are allowed to use to accomplish that. For example, in the USMC (which I know you're not joining), we cannot have any hair ties/ bobby pins showing, at all. There are ways to accomplish this, but it's not what most people are used to. I know the USMC is the only service that is this strict with female hair regs, but look into what barrettes/ hair ties/ bobby pins are allowed. It seems like the AF allows just about anything, same with the Army, but the Navy seems to fall somewhere in between (I do not know the regs for any other service- I'm just basing this on my observations when I'm at the Pentagon, where I get a good dose of all services). If your hair is down, I personally find the "at the collar" difficult to maintain, because one minute you're at it and the next, you're past it. If you're going to wear your hair up while at OCS, I would definitely recommend practicing putting it up, before you go. You want to be able to do it quickly and in a manner that is going to stay, even if you're running or whatever.

+ Add a Comment