this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2025
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United States | News & Politics
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My understanding was that shaving was good for wearing gasmasks
Thats a sentiment from World War fucking One. It's 2025, almost 2026, and there are full-beard Sikh soldiers capable of having a 100% seal wearing a modern protective gas mask.
Thats good to know. I wouldn't know what military masks are like. I have to shave for my 3m masks to seal correctly though.
Having lumps and pustules on your face inhibits the seal of the gasmask as badly as a bit of stubble. Tightly coiling Black facial hair is prone to ingrowing and becoming infected (pseudofolliculitis barbae ) if shaved too closely too often.
I feel like it would be trivial to produce a gas mask that can seal around an unshaved face. I mean, it's not like the US military is short on money to R&D such a device.
The M50 can do that now, no R&D needed.
There are implications for fitting over hair that mostly manifest as speed and number of uses before needing to replace parts.
Its possible but there are so many hygiene related reasoning to have soldiers shave that there is no point.
But also the real reason soldiers shave is conformity and indoctrination. Same as the approved haircut list.
To elaborate /clarify. Engineer the capability. The guy just back from leave deserves to survive a gas attack. But still mandate shaving/nair.