The United States is getting a new president next month. Maybe you heard. And he has—how should we put this?—interesting hair. Which got us thinking about where his coiffure stacks up among all of the other hairstyles of leading politicians around the world.
So we called up the best hair professional we know, Dr. Glynis Ablon, a male-specific hair health expert and board-certified dermatologist, whom you might have seen on The Doctors or Extra. And we asked her to give us her thoughts on the ‘dos of 10 present, past, and would-be world leaders. See if you agree with her assessments.
1. Donald Trump, President-Elect of the United States
Says Ablon: “Everyone is entitled to do what they want with their hair to feel confident, but I’m not a big fan of the combover. Donald probably needs a new hair stylist. Clearly he gets the color done. It would normally be gray, but it has more of a yellowish, blondish color. I’m trying to be diplomatic here.
“His biggest problem is his hair is damaged. He needs a nice moisturizing and conditioning shampoo. Maybe even a hot oil treatment. And some pomade on the ends to help with the frizzies. And perhaps some meditation. The blond hairs on top are very, very thin.”
2. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Says Ablon: “Only two people on this list are in the hair-challenged category, Trump and Putin. Nowadays, we do have a lot of things to delay or stop hair loss. Things like Propecia, liquid Propecia, lasers, shampoos, and so forth.
“With Putin, those follicles have shut down. Some of it could be due to stress. He probably has a lot of stress right now. I’d say he’s doing as well as he can with what he’s got. It looks like it has a nice quality to it. He’s clearly using a nice moisturizing shampoo. So he’s got that going for him.”
3. Barack Obama, President of the United States
Says Ablon: “Of the three main hair types—Caucasian, African, and Asian—African hair has the least moisture to it and also the slowest growth rate. Obama is doing just fine with those hair qualities. He’s got a little gray, a little receding. He has a nice head of hair. Nice length. He keeps it short, which is smart. So it doesn’t get too bushy.”
4. Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader of North Korea
Says Ablon: “Kim Jong-un has thick, strong hair. It has a nice shine. Which is probably his best quality. He has good hair. I would say he should maybe get another hairstyle and another hair stylist. And also treat his people better.”
5. Kim Jong-il, Former Supreme Leader of North Korea
Says Ablon: “He had a good head of hair for his age. Obviously he passed down good hair genes to his son. It’s not the nicest style on his head. He could’ve done better. It’s hard to separate these men from their hair.”
6. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Says Ablon: “He’s a handsome man. He looks like a model. I love the haircut. A lot of my actor patients have haircuts like that. There’s not much I would recommend. Do I think his hair helped him get elected? I’m sure! Absolutely!”
7. Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico
Says Ablon: “Nieto has gorgeous hair. It’s beautiful. Great haircut. He doesn’t even look like he has any alopecia, meaning hair loss. Which is unusual. He’s 50, and 85 percent of men will have some hair loss by the age of 50. Could he be doing something medically to keep all his hair? He certainly could be. Or it could be just a really good head of hair.”
8. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
Says Ablon: “She has a good head of hair. No female pattern hair loss. At 62, she’s definitely highlighting or dying her hair. But it’s not extremely damaged, despite the coloring. She keeps it short. I don’t love the cut. It’s the old pageboy cut, and that is kind of out. With her shape of face, I’d go with a bob or a real short cut. I’d get more modern.”
9. Xi Jinping, President of China
Says Ablon: “He’s in his 60s and he still has great hair. He’s doing a great job. He’s clearly using a moisturizing and conditioning shampoo, meaning the shampoo has conditioning properties in it to moisturize the individual hair strands. And the hair is holding up despite the pollution in his country.”
10. Hillary Clinton, Democratic Party Nominee for President of the United States
Says Ablon: “She needs a new look. She has big cheeks and the current cut sort of accentuates them. I also don’t think the color is that good. I would suggest less highlighting. It’s too blonde. She’s pale, so it washes her out. I’d go darker.”
—Shawn Donnelly for RealClearLife
For more of RealClearLife’s “Best of 2016,” click here.
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