E-Paper
What's beneath Trump's new ‘hamster’ hair: All we know about 'brutal' scalp surgery amid ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ buzz
Donald Trump's recent appearance sparked social media buzz about his hair and potential makeup use.
US President Donald Trump has been in the public eye for many years. With countless television appearances, including The Apprentice, and now holding the most significant position globally, he is rarely out of the camera's view. One aspect that consistently captures public interest is his remarkably eccentric hairstyle.
During a recent visit to the Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas, he seemed to showcase a new style, which was humorously referred to as a “weave.”
Trump's latest appearance sparks chatter
His appearance ignited chatter on social media after photos of Trump at the event surfaced on X, with suggestions that the 80-year-old US President has "more hair" than in the past and might have been using makeup.
A social media user even likened Trump to a character played by the late, legendary Robin Williams, remarking: "Can we impeach President Mrs Doubtfire already?"
Trump's hair has consistently been a subject of examination. Indeed, it has sparked rumors for many years, but what lies behind the allegations of it being a "wig"?
Michael Wolff speaks about Trump's hair
Author Michael Wolff, known for writing books about Trump such as Siege: Trump Under Fire, claims to know the truth.
During an episode of the Daily Beast podcast Inside Trump's Head, Joanna Coles asked Michael about his thoughts on Trump's latest hairstyle. Coles stated, "What is that on his head that he debuted last night, Michael? It looks like a hamster."
"Well, I can tell you what's under Donald Trump's hair, and what is under Donald Trump's hair is nothing."
Wolff added: "You see the top of my head. I can do it. That's actually what the top of Donald Trump's head is like."
He highlighted how "surprising" it was that Trump's hair remained unaffected by strong winds or helicopters, attributing this phenomenon to the "cemented down" effect of hairspray.
Trump once responded to Stormy Daniels; inquiry about his hair, says Michael Wolff
Wolff proposed that Trump's hair plays a crucial role in his "identity and career". He mentioned that adult film actress Stormy Daniels once inquired about it from the President, and according to Michael, he provided an honest response, as per The Mirror.
“And he said, you know, I was a handsome guy, you know. I had a great head of hair. And then I started to lose it, so I started to compensate for it,” Wolff said, quoting Trump.
"And that suddenly became what people were talking about when they talked about me. And I realized that this was a, you know, a brand differentiator that they remembered me because of my hair."
Trump's scalp reduction surgery
One of the most surprising assertions regarding Trump's hair is that he underwent scalp reduction surgery in 1989. During a divorce deposition in 1990, Trump's late ex-wife, Ivana Trump, testified under oath that he had indeed undergone this painful procedure.
She claimed that her plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Hoefflin, was responsible for performing Donald's liposuction on his waist and chin, as well as the scalp reduction surgery. In his book, Lost Tycoon, Harry Hurt III noted that the recovery process was quite painful, with Trump experiencing "nagging headaches caused by the shrinking of the scalp, and the pain of the initial incision."
In his book, Wolff asserted that he had "a contained island after scalp-reduction surgery." However, Trump has never acknowledged undergoing such a procedure.
Scalp reduction is a surgical intervention that is rarely conducted in contemporary practice and is typically reserved for severe instances of alopecia or significant burns affecting the scalp.
According to the Private Clinic, a cosmetic surgery website, the procedure entails excising a portion of skin from the scalp, which is then stitched back together. This process "contains healthy hair follicles with the premise of moving the follicles on the scalp closer together to give the impression of a full head of hair".
