Should we judge politicians by their hair? If you think about it, hairstyles help reflect a person's worldview

The hairstyle is one of the many ways in which for centuries individuals have expressed and conveyed their own identity, sometimes even reflecting a very specific imaginary – as with the mohawk in the punk movement. Referring to the ability of some people to maintain over time a hairstyle consistent with their personality, British writer Simon Doonan recently coined the expression “hair certainty.” As written by the Guardian, this trait is also particularly important in politics: after all, hair is a key element for those who represent institutions and has a decisive influence on how they are perceived publicly. For example, when observing Trump, it’s impossible not to notice his unmistakable hairstyle so much so that over time especially at the beginning of his political career it sparked enormous curiosity.

Not by chance, a few years ago, the American magazine Quartz tried to “explain” Trump’s hairstyle, showing how heated the debate had become. First of all, it’s necessary to clarify that Trump’s hair is real. It wouldn’t be an issue if it weren’t, but over the years, to silence rumors about the possible use of a hairpiece, the U.S. president has often ruffled his own hair in public and, to remove any doubt, has even allowed others to do it for him. At the same time, Trump’s is not a so-called “combover,” a way of styling hair often used to mask baldness. Again, there would be nothing wrong if it were, but as Quartz reports, the explanation is even simpler: Trump has several “rebellious tufts”, meaning a group of hairs growing in a different direction from the rest. And one way to control a bunch of rebellious tufts is to let them grow long enough to bend and direct them - exactly as Trump has done for years.

According to Quartz, Trump has always kept his hair relatively long precisely to better manage his hairstyle, characterized by several unruly tufts — if he cut it shorter, he wouldn’t be able to control them, and the result could be even worse. However, today, as the Guardian points out, this hairstyle has now become an integral part of his persona. According to the British newspaper, Trump’s distinctive tuft perfectly mirrors his theatrical and sensationalist style, as well as his tendency to be the center of attention. In this sense, the contrast with more sober politicians is quite evident. For example, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sports a neat and disciplined hairstyle that, almost by itself, conveys a sense of discipline and seriousness, two traits that characterize both his personality and his political approach.

As the Guardian adds, hair has long contributed to shaping the nonverbal language of individuals’ bodies, highlighting status, culture, or social belonging, among other things. It is therefore no coincidence, the British paper argues, that many members of the U.S. conservative movement devote so much attention to their appearance, particularly to their hair. For instance, Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, always sports an impeccable, almost “military” haircut, unsurprisingly, Hegseth served for several years in the country’s army. But in Europe, a similar reasoning can, in some ways, be applied: Boris Johnson, for example, turned his messy hair into a symbol of authenticity, in line with his populist politics. The straight blonde hair of Giorgia Meloni, on the other hand, perhaps helps reinforce her somewhat austere image, while Elly Schlein’s bob clearly evokes a more “open,” activist, and informal vibe, fitting for an opposition leader. It’s a simplification, of course, but perhaps there’s some truth to the so-called “hair certainty”: if you pay attention, individual hairstyles in a way reveal - albeit subtly and indirectly - how a certain politician sees the world.