The Unexpected Natural Body Feature That Can Make You A Walking Red Flag For TSA

Suppose you're a TSA agent at JFK International Airport in New York City. Each day, millions of people pass through your security checkpoints. The lines are long, people are stressed, and no matter how many signs are up, some can't seem to remember to take off their shoes and take out their laptops. Some people are running late, others are cranky by nature. As this river of humanity pours past, you have precisely one job: to stop people from doing dangerous and illegal things.

Most of these dangers are accidental or perceived like a traveler who puts a can of bug spray or a Swiss Army knife in the wrong bag. Others may be frighteningly intentional like criminals attempting to smuggle weapons and illicit substances. Either way, you have to watch closely for suspicious traits or behavior. All kinds of things might catch your attention. There are certain types of clothing TSA agents recommend that passengers don't wear. Sometimes a person is too talkative in the security line and that can be a red flag.

And then there are beards. It is widely speculated that bearded men will catch the attention of TSA agents more than clean-shaven men, especially if they're traveling alone. While there isn't any significant research to support this theory, many believe that beards are part of TSA's Behavior Detection and Analysis (BDA) training, formerly known as SPOT (Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques). Most of the evidence is anecdotal. Brooklyn-based journalist David Duran wrote eloquently about beard-based hassles around international flights. His piece for Beardbrand also calls out having tattoos and traveling alone in general.

Assuming these theories are true, and beards get a closer look from TSA agents, we can only speculate why this is the case. Men can look radically different with and without beards, and many fugitives and spies have apparently grown facial hair, shaven it, or affixed fake beards and mustaches in an effort to evade detection. The inherent suspicion of beards was a controversial topic following the September 11th attacks, which is especially difficult for traditional Muslim and Sikh travelers, who may grow their hair out for religious reasons, but then feel intense pressure to shave as a personal safety measure. Conversely, an excessively pale lower face — indicating a recently shaved beard — may also raise eyebrows, as it suggests a flyer is suddenly trying to change his appearance or look less suspicious.

Then there's the act of traveling alone. There are endless reasons a person might fly solo and this alone won't earn you a pat-down. But the presence of seniors, spouses, tour groups, and children — especially children who look biologically related to the adults — will likely look safer to TSA agents than a man by himself, especially if that man is noticeable in other ways, such as inappropriate items in his carry-on. The debate about airport security practices is ongoing and often contentious. For now, though, hirsute travelers should probably expect extra scrutiny. But hopefully, they don't confiscate your beard oil. That stuff's expensive.