Women in the Air Force with thicker hair are now able to wear ponytails and braids on duty. The Air Force announced the policy change in late June. A staff sergeant at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base says she no longer has to experience pain from twisting her hair into a regulation bun.
![Staff Sgt. Nicole Kasl, 88th Medical Support Squadron special needs technician, stands outside the Wright-Patterson Medical Center. Kasl said the new Air Force hair policy is more comfortable and she no longer gets headaches from pinning up her thick hair.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/61afb6e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/517x412+0+0/resize/880x701!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9c%2Fa7%2Fc1a61237441da52c94b6a7da3559%2Fnicole-kasl-2-wpafb-hairstyles.png)
Staff Sergeant Nicole Kasl is a medic, a special needs technician, a mom, and the only female athlete on the Air Force High Power Rifle Team. Kasl used to spend two hours smoothing her hair into a bun every morning. She says it would cause headaches and irritation bumps throughout the day because it was so tight.
“It’s definitely not something that I notice anymore," Kasl said. "Like I don't get the headaches, I don't have to deal with my hair snagging at the back of my neck.”
This became possible after the Air Force amended a January decision allowing women to wear braids, ponytails and bangs. The Air Force says it’s been adapting its hair standards to reflect the military’s diversity.