Flight attendants are brand ambassadors and the face of an airline’s public-facing image. That comes with a lot of responsibility and clear guidelines: a clean, professional, and well-groomed appearance is an inherent part of the job. What that actually means in practice, though, can vary quite considerably from one airline to the next.
United currently has some of the most progressive grooming and appearance standards of any major international airline in the world. This has been the case since 2021, when United became one of the first major US carriers to allow public-facing staff to have visible tattoos, alongside a broader move to gender-neutral appearance rules with no separate standards for men and women.
What follows below reflects United’s official and most recently updated standards. Remember, these rules apply to all flight attendants, regardless of gender or gender identity:
Hair
Length and styling
- Shoulder-length or shorter hair can be worn up or down.
- Longer than shoulder length must be worn fully pulled up while in public view, whether that be on the airport concourse or onboard. During rest periods in the crew room, hair can be worn down.
- Ponytails or braids can extend to elbow length. Anything longer must be secured in a bun or updo.
- Bangs are allowed, but your eyes need to stay fully visible, and hair generally shouldn’t fall in front of your shoulders or into your face while working.
Accessories
- Hair ties or accessories must be understated and either a natural color or one that complements the uniform. Athletic headbands aren’t permitted.
- On Hawaii, Guam, or Pacific Island routes specifically, you can wear one flower in your hair, smaller than the size of your ear.
Color
- Hair color needs to be a natural human shade. Highlights are allowed but shouldn’t create a stark contrast with your overall color.
- Wigs, hairpieces, and extensions are permitted, provided they’re indistinguishable from natural hair and follow the same length, style, and color rules.
Facial hair
- Beards and mustaches are allowed for anyone not wearing a dress or skirt, and must be neat, clean, and no longer than one inch. Necks must be cleanly shaven, and sideburns can’t extend past the bottom of the earlobe.
Worth knowing: United’s hairstyle guidance explicitly states its list of acceptable styles (ponytail, bun, braids, French twist, chignon, among others) isn’t exhaustive, and candidates are encouraged to find what works within the guidelines rather than assuming only the named styles are allowed.
Tattoos
This is the section that’s changed the most since United’s original 2021 policy shift, and it’s worth understanding properly.
✅ What’s allowed:
- Visible tattoos on arms, wrists, legs, and feet, up to one adjacent area per arm/wrist and per leg/foot, no larger than a United name badge.
- If a visible tattoo is part of a larger piece, like a sleeve, the rest needs to stay covered by clothing.
❌ What isn’t allowed:
- Any visible tattoo on the face, neck, chest, hands, or head, including behind the ear, regardless of size. These must be fully covered by a uniform garment, or by makeup if a uniform piece can’t cover it, such as on the chest.
- Content that’s violent, obscene, sexual, racist, or otherwise objectionable, including any imagery involving weapons, must stay covered regardless of location.
A religious accommodation request can be submitted for a permanent or temporary tattoo tied to sincerely held religious beliefs which don’t otherwise meet the visible tattoo standard.
Jewelry and Piercings
Rings: Up to two per hand, with wedding and engagement sets counted as one ring. Rings can’t extend past the knuckle or onto another finger, and knuckle or thumb rings aren’t permitted.
Bracelets: Up to two thin bracelets, in gold, silver, pearl, gemstone, or leather.
Necklaces: One single-strand necklace, no longer than 20 inches and no wider than a quarter inch, with an optional pendant or charm up to one square inch. On Hawaii, Guam, or Pacific Island routes, one live flower or kukui nut lei is also allowed.
Earrings: Up to two per ear. Hoops shouldn’t exceed the size of a dime, drop earrings shouldn’t exceed one inch, and earrings shouldn’t extend past the earlobe or be connected to each other. Gauge plugs must be smaller than a quarter and match in color.
Facial piercings: A single nostril stud, 2mm or smaller, is the only facial piercing permitted. Nose hoops, septum piercings, and any other visible facial piercings aren’t allowed.
Watches: Permitted, including activity trackers, provided the color complements the uniform rather than a harsh or neon shade.
Religious accommodation requests for jewelry that doesn’t otherwise meet these standards can also be submitted to United Airlines.
Makeup and Nails
Makeup: Should be understated and applied to look natural rather than harsh or extreme. Eyelash extensions are permitted if they look natural and don’t interfere with vision.
Nails: Polish must be chip-free with all nails the same color or style. Harsh, vibrant shades like neon orange or yellow aren’t allowed, though simple, classic embellishments or designs are fine, as long as they’re free of large or distracting decals or text. Nails can’t extend more than a quarter inch past the fingertip, and all nails need to match in length and shape.
Eyewear
Eyeglass frames need to complement the uniform, and glasses can be worn on a navy, black, gold, or silver chain or thin cord. Contact lenses should look natural in color. Sunglasses or transition lenses are fine outdoors but should be removed indoors, and smart glasses (such as Meta AI glasses) aren’t permitted at all.
Check out the official United Airlines grooming and appearance guidelines in PDF format, here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, on arms, wrists, legs, and feet, up to one adjacent area per limb, no larger than a United badge. Tattoos on the face, neck, chest, hands, or head must stay covered.
No. The only facial piercing permitted is a single nostril stud of 2mm or smaller.
No. United’s current standards are gender-neutral, with the same rules applying regardless of gender, a genuine shift from the airline’s pre-2021 policy.
No. Hair color needs to be a natural human shade. Highlights are allowed, but can’t create a stark contrast with your base color.
United has a specific accommodation process for this, submitted through its internal Help Hub, for both religious and medical circumstances.
A small number of allowances exist for Hawaii, Guam, and Pacific Island routes specifically, including a single flower in the hair or a live flower or kukui nut lei necklace.
For everything else you need to prepare for your United application, check out these guides: the
