After Donald Trump sparked a heated media frenzy over his pink-tinged hair during a recent speech, a hairstylist has weighed in on why the President appeared with the unexpected hue.
Trump debuted the surprising look while addressing members of the Republican Party at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, January 6.
Highlights
- Donald Trump’s unexpected pink-tinged hair during a public speech sent social media into a meltdown, with users dubbing it “cotton candy” hair.
- Celebrity hairstylist Gustav Fouche offered his expert explanation for the possible causes behind the unusual hue.
- Despite the professional’s explanation, netizens mocked the President’s new look, with some insisting it was intentional.
In televised footage of the speech, the 79-year-old appeared with what social media has since dubbed “cotton candy” colored hair.
“Trump is so meme worthy! He knows what he did....PINK!” joked one social media user.
London-based hairstylist Gustav Fouche weighed in on Donald Trump’s new pink-tinged hair, sharing possible reasons behind the unexpected color
Image credits: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
The American President is widely known for his signature golden, or more recently, platinum-blonde hair, which he achieves through dyeing.
Donald Trump previously admitted in his book Trump: How to Get Rich that he doesn’t “like gray hair.”
Even his daughter Ivanka Trump, who served as a White House adviser during his first term, has reportedly indicated that her father used a product called Just for Men to dye his hair.
Image credits: Andrii Lysenko/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)
However, his appearance at the John F. Kennedy Center showed him sporting pink-tinged hair, which many found “unusual” and even “confusing,” prompting questions about why Trump suddenly debuted such a bright hue.
One netizen questioned, “Why the f*ck did Trump dye his hair Pink? wtf is going on…”
Another mockingly wrote, “Orange guy debuts new pink hair. Like most things he does, it clashes horribly with the American flag.”
According to Gustav, there were several possible reasons behind Trump’s pink-tinged hair, citing factors ranging from “toning” to “colour reflection”
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A third quipped, “Unedited photo of Donald and his new pink hair. Very progressive of him. What's next? Pronouns? A nose ring? A human heart?”
“Donald Trump mocked over his new cotton candy pink hair and extra shiny orange spray tan during Kennedy Center speech.”
Luxury hairstylist Gustav Fouche, a prominent South African-born celebrity hairstylist and salon owner based in London, widely recognized as a Wella Master Colorist for his expertise in blonde hair, offered a professional explanation for Trump’s unexpected look.
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Speaking to Daily Mail, Gustav explained that the pink tone could be the result of hair “toning.”
He explained, “To achieve a silver or lighter blonde look, violet tones are often added to neutralise yellow.”
“However, if too much violet is used or it’s left on slightly too long, it can shift the colour and make the hair appear pinkish rather than cool or neutral.”
“His hair is pink too. Like little old lady's blue rinse but pink,” one social media user on X mockingly reacted
Image credits: CNBC Television
However, according to Fouche, toning is not the only possible factor. He emphasized that the change could also be an optical illusion caused by stage lighting or color reflection from the backdrop of the American flag.
“One common reason is lighting. Overhead or stage lighting (especially warmer-toned lights) can cast a pinkish or warm reflection onto light or silver hair,” he said.
“We see this often with clients who have grey or silver hair; their colour can look completely different depending on the lighting they’re under.”
Image credits: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Gustav concluded by telling the outlet, “Another factor could be colour reflection from the surroundings. For example, if there’s a red backdrop or flag behind him and strong lighting hitting that area, the reflected light can bounce back onto the hair and create a subtle pink or warm tint.”
However, some netizens were not convinced by the hairstylist’s reasoning and instead offered their own mocking explanations.
The 79-year-old’s biographer Michael Wolff has previously shared that Trump’s hair is an intentional, attention-grabbing move
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One critic wrote, “It is the spray tan build up in his system that everything is turning a different colour.”
Another commented, “The orange fake tan reacted with the hair dye - obvious really.”
“He's using pink candyfloss instead of yellow.”
While sporting a pink hair hue is a first for the 79-year-old politician, it certainly isn’t the only time his hair has drawn significant attention.
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In December 2024, Trump was spotted with a short, slicked-back hairstyle at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, sparking widespread online buzz and media coverage.
However, it was later reported that the look was simply the result of “hat hair” after Trump had been wearing a red cap during the outing.
Michael Wolff, host of Inside Trump’s Head and the President’s biographer, has previously told The Daily Beast that Trump’s hairstyle is “by design” to capture maximum attention.
Image credits: CNBC Television
Wolff said on The Daily Beast podcast, “He looks that way because he thinks that’s an effective way to look.”
“Definitely the lighting. I swear some of you ppl are soooo stupid. It’s almost painful to watch how stupid some of y'all are,” wrote one netizen
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