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According to the new policy, women can wear nail polish as long as the colors are deemed "acceptable" and male soldiers are authorized to wear clear nail polish. Soldiers can also highlight their hair as long as they choose a natural color. Certain colors like purple, pink, blue, green, orange, bright red and fluorescent or neon colors are not allowed.
"I believe we took a good step forward with these changes. I'm proud of the effort that went into this, but the conversation isn't over. We are a learning organization, and it won't be another 5 years before the grooming standard is addressed again," Grinston tweeted.
A committee of 17 members, made up of 15 women and 2 men who were mostly people of color, voted on the changes. The new recommendations were based on evaluations from dermatologists, psychologists and an equal opportunity adviser tasked with exploring how diseases like alopecia can be caused at higher rates in certain races and how certain words can have a psychological effect.
As for the men in the Army who are wondering if beards will be allowed, Grinston had a short answer: "No."