Should I cut my hair again??
 

Hi,

I'm shipping out on the 22nd of Jan and I'm extremely excited/nervous. I've already looked over a lot of the forms on RTC but i'm still not 100% sure on how short my hair has to be. I used to have super long hair(over 20in) and I recently got it cut off to mid neck so i can donate it but im not sure if I should cut it one more time before i leave so I can avoid a buchered haircut from RTC lol. is it a waste of time? Sorry if this thread is a repeat....

Unless you cut it extremely short, or your hair grows very slowly, you're almost certainly getting at least one cut at boot camp. The final one is for graduation, though, and you can request a little more style at that point.

There's no reason to get your hair cut beforehand unless you have some sort of faddish hairstyle that would draw unnecessary attention to you.

Yes, get it cut right before you go and as short as possible (mine wasn't even long enough to pull back into a ponytail). If you want to avoid getting a butcher job at RTC, this is your best bet. No one is going to bat an eye at you if you arrive with short hair. I would also recommend asking your stylist to cut the back just a little bit shorter than the front, that way when it grows out you'll be able to pull it back into a bun faster. While extremely asymmetric styles aren't in regulation, you can have a slightly (and I mean very slightly) length difference from front to back.

If your RDCs decide you need another hair cut right before graduation, then you can request a certain style, but the 'stylists' aren't really trained to do anything fancy.

Of course, this is all personal preference. But I'm assuming since you asked, you're someone that cares about what your hair looks like =)

Thanks for the responses so far!! Yes I was little concerned about how ill look at graduation but now since I know that theyll at least kinda style it then I'm happy lol xD hair will always grow back and be styled again!

Also, if you do get your hair cut before shipping (I did, only because I wanted to donate it), they sometimes will still cut it when you get there. And it isn't necessarily pretty... After they cut it, my hair was nearly an inch shorter on the left, but no one noticed until about week 4 when I got it cut again. Basic training definitely isn't a fashion show.

Lmao I hear you on that (:

Honestly, here's my two cents: if you like having short hair, go short and then you won't have to worry about it.

If you're planning to grow it out again, leave it a bit longer than regs and let them cut it. They won't take much off and no one's really going to notice how uneven it is except you.

It is a royal pain to grow out short hair while staying in regs.

No kidding. That horrible phase where it's too long to leave down, but not quite long enough to put it a bun.
One of my RDCs showed us how to put the top half of your hair up is a half "ponytail" with bobby pins instead of an elastic band (using an elastic band for that style would make it a ponytail and so against regs, but using bobby pins makes it ok)

I have dreads and haven't even began mentally preparing myself for the "cut". Think I'll cut my loxx a little and get a sew in before leaving. THat way I can keep em

Depending on your RDC you may or may not be allowed to wear a sew in.

Ah hell. Back to mentally preparing myself for cutting my hair again lol

Just so Everyone know it is still unofficial but as of jan 2014 womens hair does not have to be cut so short. I dont know the official regulations that are going to be set however it is being changed. I have talked to people currently in bootcamp that relayed what the RDC's told them.

Until the official regulation comes out, assume this to be a rumor and be prepared to have your hair cut.

Guppy is right...this rumor comes around every year...count on females hair being cut.

I have not seen any message traffic about hair not being cut short at boot camp for females. It's one part of my job to read through message traffic. Message traffic is Navy rules and information they put out through messages.