It’s amazing that black women still have to tell people not to touch their hair in 2019. While we understand that black hair is beautiful, you can be amazed without touching.
With the government shutdown entering day 20, numerous reports of TSA performing lackadaisical security checks have come up. Now that airport security is in freeform, Travel Noire asked Twitter if TSA is still checking your hair.
Shockingly enough, we found that a majority of travelers said yes. The TSA rules for a pat down are simple: if your hair sets the alarm off during screening, passengers will receive a pat-down by a same-sex officer. All hairstyles are subject to inspection, including braids.
Ladies, does TSA still double check your weave and wigs when you go through airport security? #AskingForAFriend pic.twitter.com/DTdFApxpJs
— Travel Noire (@TravelNoire) January 9, 2019
RELATED: Black Travelers Share Weird Airport Experiences Since Government Shutdown
Even the hair that naturally grows from your scalp is subject to a search.
While we asked the ladies specifically, some of TN’s male followers wanted to let us know that the men are subject to a pat-down as well.
Since travelers walk through large metal detectors to get to their flight, having metal clips in your hair could be a problem. This goes for hair clip ins and bobby pins.
Travelers were surprised that wigs were even in the equation.
The TSA website lists explicitly all styles that could be checked, including clip-on extensions, wigs, and toppers. To avoid this, they recommend keeping hair simple, so travelers don’t have to go through the process of letting taking it down.
With that in mind, some travelers say that pat downs have never been a problem for them. They can walk through security with any hairstyle not worrying about the extra search.
