Washington ( CNN ) -- African-American female lawmakers are taking the Army to task for a new ban on a number of ethnic hairstyles , guidelines which some are calling racially discriminatory . The group from the Congressional Black Caucus wrote Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday urging the military to reconsider the rule . `` Though we understand the intent of the updated regulation is to ensure uniformity in our military , it is seen as discriminatory rules targeting soldiers who are women of color with little regard to what is needed to maintain their natural hair , '' the letter said . Nate Christensen , a Pentagon spokesman , said it had received the letter , appreciated their concerns and `` will respond promptly and directly to them . '' The Army previously said it rejects any charges of discrimination , especially since black women were involved in helping craft the new guidelines regulating everything from the style of hair parts , the width of braids and how far thick hair can extend from the scalp . `` African American female soldiers were involved in the process of developing the new female hair standards , '' said Troy Rolan , an Army spokesman . `` Not only were nearly 200 senior female leaders and soldiers ( which included a representative sample of the Army 's populations ) part of the decision-making process on the female hair standards , but the group was also led by an African American female . '' The Army has faced pushback from some African-American members of the military and black civilian supporters over new guidelines that mandate such things as hair `` must be of uniform dimension , small in diameter ( approximately Â¼ inch ) , show no more than 1/8 ( inch ) of the scalp between the braids . '' Army rules ban dreadlocks and twists of any kind as well as styles it views as `` unkempt '' or `` matted . '' That type of language rankled the Black Caucus members . The issue , they say , is that such phrasing implies that ethnic hair that is `` natural '' or not straightened with heat or chemicals is somehow unruly and must be carefully regulated to fit within white cultural norms . `` The use of words like 'unkempt ' and 'matted ' when referring to traditional hairstyles worn by women of color are offensive , '' the lawmakers wrote . `` The assumption that individuals wearing these hairstyles can not maintain them in a way that meets the professionalism of Army standards indicates a lack of cultural sensitivity conducive to creating a tolerant environment for minorities . '' In issuing its newest set of appearance guidelines , the Army has found itself entangled in centuries old identity politics that have been a sore point for the African-American community since slavery . White House petition . Black female soldiers say new grooming reg is 'racially biased ' Army : Female focus group helped determine new hair rules .
Black female soldiers are pushing back against Army 's updated beauty guidelines . The new regulations ban many African - American hairstyles . Army says the regulation is needed to maintain a professional , uniform image among soldiers . Controversy touches on historic debates about black beauty and white beauty standards .