by Jennifer Porter Gore
Imagine being told a non-infectious skin condition you were born predisposed to suffer from could cost you your career. For some Marines, that could soon be a reality.
That’s because on March 13, the Pentagon issued new “interim guidance” that may mean service members with pseudofolliculitis barbae — better known as razor bumps, which disproportionately affect men of African and Asian descent and can cause painful bumps and scarring — could be discharged from the Corps if the condition can’t be resolved.
PFB occurs when curly or coiled whiskers are shaved, and hair follicles pierce and grow into the skin. The resulting growths become painful, inflamed, and itchy.
In some cases, the bumps, left untreated, can become raised, thickened scars called keloids. Unlike normal scar tissue, keloids — which are also more common in people with melanated skin — extend scarring beyond the original wound area, which continues to grow over time.
The Marine Corps directive reverses a 2022 policy that prohibited the service from forcing out Marines who suffered from PFB. Previously, branches of the military have granted service members with PFB a medical exemption called a shaving waiver.
The review of the shaving waivers comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a review of standards specifically focused on issues such as shaving waivers and body fat percentage across all four branches of the military.
in a statement to Military.com news, Maj. Jacoby Getty, a Corps’ Manpower and Reserve Affairs spokesman, said if a medical condition “prevents a Marine from meeting required standards for an extended period — exceeding one year — administrative separation may be considered if it affects long-term service compatibility.” If a four-phase treatment program doesn’t help, an afflicted service member may have to remain on a shaving waiver for more than a year, according to the message. If a commander deems it fit, the Corps can order the discharge of the Marine “due to incompatibility with service.”
Black service members make up about 15% to 16% of the active-duty force, but 66% of shaving waiver holders are Black, an active-duty military dermatologist told Military.com. The dermatologist said that service members who have shaving waivers also tend to be promoted less frequently than their peers, and tend to leave the military sooner, since beards go against the Marine Corps culture.
“You could have a white person, Black person, a Hispanic person, Asian person on a shaving waiver, they’re all going to get discriminated against. They’re all going to promote slower,” the dermatologist said. “But again, the vast majority of the waiver holders are Black and African Americans.”
The problem is “We can’t undo genetics,” the dermatologist said. The only option, he said, is “just shave and you endure the pain and the scarring; you do laser hair removal; or a shaving waiver. That’s really the end of it.”
The treatments for PFB, which is a genetically determined condition, are limited.
The message outlines a four-phase treatment protocol, ranging from a refrain from shaving until “all lesions” have subsided to laser hair removal with a dermatology referral.
“In many parts of the U.S., there’s no active-duty dermatologist, and Tricare [the U.S. military’s healthcare insurance] can’t pay for civilian laser hair removal,” the dermatologist said. “People are going to be seeking some fixes to it, but even if they wanted to engage in some of these things, they’re not going to be able to,” the dermatologist added.
That could leave some Marines without options. The Marine Corps’ 90-day re-evaluation will review how an affected service member is treating the condition and will determine if they need more treatment.
Marines with PFB might not be able to reenlist if their treatment plan fails to relieve the razor bumps. Commanding officers will consult with medical officers during the treatment process, the Corps’ spokesperson said.
This is another change from the policy set in 2022, which left the decision about shaving waivers and discharges to medical professionals instead of the discretion of commanding officers. The new policy also requires Marines to carry the shaving waiver with them at all times.
The new Marine Corps guidance comes as the Department of Defense also announced review of military standards in place since back to Jan. 1, 2015.
Source: Seattle Medium
