Some Air Force members say they're facing discrimination because it's hard for them to shave their faces daily. Many have a skin condition that's especially common among Black men.
Tech Sgt. Joshua Nixon joined the Air Force in 2011 in hopes of becoming a recruiter like his older brother. He excelled in training, won numerous awards, and never got in trouble. But the then 19-year-old struggled to keep up with the Air Force requirement that he shave his face every day.
The hair in his beard area would curl back on itself, irritating his skin. With each pass of the razor, it got more inflamed.
"I was getting so many bumps," Nixon said. "If you don't take a needle and get that hair out and straighten it and pull it, then it can just continue to grow and get infected."
A doctor diagnosed Nixon, who is Black, with pseudofolliculitis barbae or PFB. It's a skin condition that causes painful, acne-like bumps which often scar. The condition disproportionally affects Black men. Though creams and new shaving techniques sometimes help, the only real treatment is not to shave so closely.
The Air Force granted Nixon a shaving profile, a waiver that allowed him to wear some short facial hair. But because of that, he found himself out of the running for certain opportunities, including the recruiting job he wanted so badly.
"My commander was like, 'Yes, you're the perfect ideal. You're great with people,'" Nixon said. "But I was turned down because I had a shaving waiver. That's what made me look at everything differently. On paper, I'm the perfect airman. But because I have this medical diagnosis, I can't represent the Air Force in that aspect."
… more at
https://www.tpr.org/military-veterans-issues/2021-05-19/a-skin-condition-makes-it-hard-for-some-black-men-to-shave-and-get-ahead-in-the-military
= new reply since forum marked as read