A group of hirsute police officers have lost a battle to keep their beards, ponytails and long moustaches on the basis of human rights.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has dismissed the cases of 16 police officers who alleged a grooming crackdown violated their human rights and breached equal opportunity laws.

The guidelines for police uniforms and appearance were changed in January 2012 to ban ponytails, buns, beards, goatees, soul patches and any other form of facial hair that was not clean, tidy and neatly trimmed sideburns and moustaches.

Leading Senior Constable Michael Kuyken, sporting a goatee, had represented himself and 15 other officers who challenged the new grooming standard at a VCAT hearing this year.