As if getting to the Olympics wasn’t hard enough, there are a slew of rules athletes have to follow once they get there that have nothing to do with their sport. These directives regulate their appearances, like how they wear their hair and what type of makeup they have on, and must be followed or else they risk facing deductions that could affect their overall score.
When you watch an Olympian like Katie Ledecky swim or Simone Biles do her floor routine, you’re probably not thinking about their nails or hair accessories, but all of those little details do matter. The handbooks for each sport dictate what is and isn’t allowed in terms of grooming for the athletes competing in the games. What’s more, they also outline the deductions they’ll face if Olympians don’t adhere to said regulations.
For example, synchronized swimmers are allowed to wear makeup, so long as it’s not “theatrical” makeup. Gymnasts, on the other hand, can have their nails painted, but not in a manner that the judges deem distracting; that’s why you won’t see Sunisa Lee sporting any bright nail art (beyond her acrylics and tiny nail design) these next couple of weeks.
And there’s more where that comes from. To learn more about the secret beauty rules and deductions in the Olympics, keep reading.
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Beauty Rules of Olympic Synchronized Swimming
While the biggest worry for synchronized swimmers is touching the bottom of the pool, there are plenty more things in the beauty category that could cost them points. Messy hair is prohibited, for example, which is why these dancers often use gelatin to keep freeze their styles in place. If a hair accessory were to float away in the water, it would also be a big deal.
As for their makeup, according to the 2024 USA Artistic Swimming Rulebook, “Theatrical make-up shall not be worn. Natural makeup that represents
the competitor’s unique personality and/or theme of the routine may be used.” Dangly jewelry must also be removed being beginning the routine and only small stud jewelry is permitted.
Getty Images / Fred Lee
Beauty Rules of Olympic Gymnastics
The 2024 USA Gymnastics Women’s Program Rules created by the National Women’s Program Committee has regulations on hair and jewelry. It states hair must be “secured away from the face so as to not obscure her vision of the apparatus.” While there are no specific rules on makeup, they’re to be “well-groomed” and flashy manicures are not allowed because they’re distracting for the judges.
There’s a reason you’ve never seen Biles competing with her nose stud in at the Olympics: the athletes are only allowed one stud in each ear. “All other piercing should be removed, not just covered with tape or Band-Aids,” according to the rulebook.
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Beauty Rules of Olympic Track and Field
The beauty regulations for the track and field events are a bit more relaxed. According to the United States Track and Field Association (USATF) Rulebook, there are strict rules surrounding advertising with hair and body makeup. Athletes are not allowed to represent sponsors or advertisers through tattoos, body paint, jewelry, or hair dye.
They don’t have to abide by the same rules as the gymnasts when it comes to their manicures, which is why many of them like to show off their Olympic-themed nail art on the track.
AFP via Getty Images / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC
Beauty Rules of Olympic Volleyball
While the dress code for Olympic volleyball players is quite extensive, there are fewer rules about their hair and makeup. That said, they still have to wear their hair up out of their face and long nails aren’t permitted as they could inhibit them from playing. The USA Volleyball 2023-2025 Indoors Rules Book created by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) states, “Jewelry may be worn provided its nature does not present a concern for safety, such as extremely long necklaces and/or necklaces with large medallions, or large hoop earrings.”
Getty Images / Ian MacNicol
Beauty Rules of Olympic Swimming
While the USA Swimming 2024 Rulebook doesn’t state anything about makeup or manicures, it does dictate that “it is not permissible to wear more than two caps,” while competing. The swimming caps that athletes wear must also be approved by the federation for international competitions in water sports (FINA). This particular rule sparked controversy in 2021 when swimmers were barred from wearing caps from a Black-owned swimming-cap brand called Soul Cap, which makes headwear designed to fit natural, textured hairstyles like braids, locs, and Afros.
Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.
