Kristi Noem Is Downright Unrecognizable Sporting Her Natural Hair

Born in 1971, Kristi Noem's had plenty of opportunities to experiment with different hairstyles. These days, Noem's become particularly attached to sloppy hair extensions to give her a mass of elbow-length locks. The Secretary of Homeland Security's MAGA-coded 'do has been seen so often that it's surprising to discover what her natural hair looks like. However, one Redditor took a deep dive into Noem's past and posted pics that revealed her long-lost hairstyles. In high school, Noem sported a head full of tousled curls when she posed wearing her basketball uniform and for her stint as South Dakota's Snow Queen. Noem's hair was also lighter than her more recent dark brunette shade, more like a honey brown. 

Since Noem graduated in 1990, it's hard to know if her curls are natural or permed. While straight roots can be a dead giveaway for a perm, Noem's big section of bangs obscure the top of her head. However, a photo of Noem as a young child showed enviable waves. Hair texture can change due to puberty, so it's entirely possible Noem's hair could have gotten curlier.

Noem's coils remained on display during the early 90s, and she appears to have experimented with hair color. Her hair seems a bit lighter in a snap from her Snow Queen era, and by the time of her 1992 wedding, Noem was a totally unrecognizable blonde. If it weren't for one of her signature cowboy hats, we might not believe it's really her.

Eventually, Kristi Noem ditched the blonde and went with a shade that was notably darker than her natural lighter locks. During her years in Congress, Noem also appeared to prefer a shorter, more pixie-cut-like aesthetic. While some might contend this pre-MAGA hair was Reba McEntire gone wrong, it was undoubtably easier to maintain than Noem's current pile of extensions. 

In 2012, Noem rocked this short style in a campaign ad about farm chores. Even though her hair's not curly like it was in her late teens, there's a hint of wave in this layered cut. True, this looks a little dated now, but it's a lot less distracting than the long extensions Noem wore for the "Freedom Works Here" ads in 2024.

By 2015, Noem's hair was still no-fuss, although it was a little longer and touched her shoulders. At the time, the then-congresswoman indicated that she had no desire to return to her curlier 90s style. "What was I thinking with all that hair???" Noem queried on Facebook, alongside a pic from one of her Snow Queen appearances. In response, some posters disagreed. "You had awesome hair! The bigger the better!" remarked one. Another predicted, "Kristi, believe me big hair will make its way back, everything has a way of showing up yrs later!" This commenter's words were notably prescient: although Noem's curls haven't reemerged, she's definitely maximized her volume via her obvious hair extensions.