TSA issues stern warning about wearing this to the airport | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

With the three-one-one liquid rule limiting any fluids, gels, or creams one can bring aboard planes to 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters, many travelers often run into trouble with their beauty and personal hygiene items: sunscreen, perfume, and in some cases, large containers of liquid blush or concealer all periodically get held up as examples of items frequently confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Last summer, the government agency overseeing airport security also pointed out that the cordless hair straightening flat irons and curling irons many use to style their hair are not permitted inside checked baggage, due to the lithium batteries that make for easier transportation but are also more prone to catching fire.

As it has nothing to do with liquids, the latest TSA public advisory left those who like to come to the airport dressed to sparkle surprised to learn that sequins can also frequently set off the body scanners used to clear security.

“Body scanners don’t love sparkles,” TSA warns travelers in Facebook post

“TSA PSA: The body scanners don’t love sparkles,” TSA wrote in a Dec. 18 post on social media platform Facebook. “We don’t want to dull your holiday shine but we don’t recommend wearing your sparkly holiday sweater to the airport.”

The agency did not elaborate on whether any recent incidents prompted this advisory but travelers in the comments confirmed that sparkles that were part of their outfit had set off scanner alarms when trying to clear security in the past.

“No sparkles, no sequins! Trust me!” traveler Sarah Chism wrote underneath the TSA post. “You’re in for the pat down of your life with the back of that ladies hand.”

Others reported boots with multiple buckles, beads sewn onto jeans and scarves with metallic threads as garment items that also set off the alarm. When one travelers asked for the difference between sparkles (most often glitter that is part of the fabric) and sequins (tiny sparkling disks that are sewn onto the fabric), TSA replied (with a laughing emoji face) that “both” can cause problems for the scanners.

Travelers are being encouraged to avoid clothing with many sparkles or sequins.

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Travelers respond: “Tell your scanners to get with the program”

This does not mean travelers are not permitted to wear sparkles, but simply that this type of outfit can slow them down or prompt the manual pat-down that most would prefer to avoid.

“Sequins are appropriate for this time of year, tell your scanners to get with the program as we spread Yule tide cheer!” Sonya Taylor wrote in a humorous callout of the agency dimming holiday spirit.

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Others pointed out the fact that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been pushing forward a much-mocked and highly-criticized campaign encouraging travelers to dress up for the airport as part of a “golden age of travel.”

“I thought we were supposed to dress up to fly,” Stacey Penfield Reid wrote in a comment that also received responses saying the TSA was trying to “have it both ways” by asking passengers to dress all fancy but just not with sequins.