Hairstylist Dishes On Donald Trump's Distracting Courtroom 'Do

As the drama played out during the hush-money trial involving Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels in April and May 2024, there was a lot to focus on in the courtroom. What was Trump's reaction to Daniels' claim about his life with wife Melania? Was the former president happy or unhappy with his lawyer, Alina Habba? And would he ever learn to obey the gag order?

While there haven't been any cameras allowed during the actual trial proceedings (a New York state law), a few photographers were allowed to snap photos of Trump before the action started. He also hasn't been shy about heading straight to the waiting microphones and snapping paparazzi after the court day has ended, allowing everyone to get a glimpse of his appearance.

What we've seen is Trump's hair once again taking on a life of its own. Known for his elaborate swoops, curves, and comb-overs, the Mar-a-Lago owner seems to be trying to distract everyone in the courtroom with his 'dos. He's either fully styled with a head full of products, or completely disheveled with wispy strands of frizz. Wanting to get to the bottom of what may be going on with Trump's head of hair, The List spoke exclusively with fashion and red carpet hair and makeup artist Luna Viola, who broke down his mane moves for us. 

Donald Trump's former advisor once declared him a style icon, and while the response was brutal, there was a kernel of truth to the statement. There may not be a gaggle of men who are going to copy his appearance, but there's no mistaken the former president has a reputation for having memorable hairdos. (You can see all the phases of his tresses right here on The List, in Donald Trump's Complete Hair Transformation.)

Luna Viola, a beauty pro in the hair and makeup field, shared the steps it would take to achieve Trump's traditional comb-over, swoop style. "His team would need to regularly trim his hair with a blunt haircut, making his hair look thicker," she explained of the maintenance involved. Styling starts by drying his mane with a thickening spray. A blow-dryer can be used, but Trump, according to Today, once shared his hair routine with Playboy, and noted that he prefers to let his hair air-dry. 

To get the swoop into position, "Add a pea side amount of dry wax or pomade, brushing the hair back," Viola says. "Dry wax works well on thin, flyaway hair by controlling the shape and adding shine to it." Then all that's left is to add the finishing touch. "A touch of soft hold hairspray to keep his mane in place," declares the hair pro.

When Donald Trump's famous mane hasn't been styled to the nines during his hush-money trial, it's been distracting in a frizzy, messy kind of way. "Many factors can contribute to Trump's disheveled hair, from stress to the current weather conditions," beauty pro Luna Viola explains to The List about the former president's bad-hair days. "His appearance has definitely taken a back seat and this usually is the case people find themselves in during stressful situations." Trump may appear confident in his post-court press conferences, but it doesn't change the fact he's facing 34 felony counts.

Stress aside, Luna also says there are other factors that could be affecting the condition of Trump's tresses. "Medications, diet, smoking, humidity, wrong hair products. Hormones can fluctuate due to stress or medications and can affect hair texture and thickness temporarily or permanently," she describes. "Diet is also paramount — Trump's favorite meal is known to be burgers and fries. An excess in protein can lead to a biotin deficiency, which can cause thinning or even hair loss, which might explain his current frail hair do."

And then, too, there could be something quite different going on with entrepreneur's hair. "Some might say its just age affecting his hair texture," she poses. "Others might speculate the lack of hair styling for such a televised trial is a PR strategy to make him look more relatable to the public eye."