As the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden is in the public eye 24/7, 365. But rather than analyzing his policies or speeches, we’re focusing on follicles!
Why is it worth looking at the history of Biden’s hairline?
Not only can it tell us a bit about the methods used by his doctors, but it also shows us the progression of hair transplant technology over the decades while giving us some pointers and red flags to watch for as well.
Let’s start by asking the obvious question – did Joe Biden have a hair transplant, and what evidence is there to support this claim?
After all, we want to get our facts straight instead of just making assumptions or accusations. That’s how you get eaten alive in the world of politics! Here are our observations.
Roll the clock back to the 1970s, when Joe Biden was just making his way onto the floor of the Senate for the first time. He was 30 years old when he was sworn into office.
Zoom in on one of these photographs to see that the young senator is experiencing signs of thinning across the entire surface of the scalp. Healthy hair appears to be few and far between on the vertex, and the remaining strands towards the front of the head are swept across in a classic comb-over arrangement to maximize coverage.
All signs point to a hair transplant in this early stage of his career, and thankfully, there weren’t dozens of HD cameras focused on his head to reveal more evidence.
We live in a visual world, and since presidential debates were first televised in the 1960s, a candidate’s appearance became equally important as their policies, if not more.
That’s why it’s no surprise that Mr. Biden, along with anyone else in the political sphere, puts significant resources towards their image. After all, it’s only natural for people to want a pleasant-looking person representing them in government.
Throughout his career, Biden has been re-elected to his senate position six times consecutively, earned the Vice Presidency alongside Obama for two consecutive terms, then won the 2020 election to reach the highest office in the land.
If he had let his hair go back in the 70s, would Biden have had such a successful run in the following decades?
Like it or not, the hair makes the man – we’re sure Biden would say his procedures were worth the investment!
When Biden was elevated to the office of VP in 2008, he had to make sure he was camera-ready at all times.
However, his hair was not looking quite up to par, and he needed some sprucing up on the campaign trail to make the best impression on the people and the media.
It’s unclear exactly what type of procedure the Vice President underwent at this time, but he certainly had some work done to sharpen his look and prepare him for the global spotlight.
Biden might not have been scrutinized so heavily during his VP years from 2008 to 2016. Still, he certainly put in the effort required to maintain a presentable appearance and ensure his hair stayed strong and healthy throughout his run.
When it came time to campaign in 2019 for the following year’s election, Biden met with image consultants to make him appear more youthful and appealing to the masses.
At this point, it’s difficult to discern whether Biden had yet another hair transplant – all we can do is speculate. However, in a close presidential race like the one we saw in 2020, a candidate needs every possible edge to earn votes nationwide and secure victory.
You don’t need to be a hair restoration specialist to see that the President has had at least a couple of hair transplant procedures over his 50-year career in the public square.
Considering that hair transplant technology originated in the late 1950s, the methods used to perform Joe Biden’s first hair transplant in the 70s could not have been particularly advanced.
In fact, we can see from pictures in the late 70s and early 80s that Senator Biden’s hair showcases all the classic symptoms of a “hair plug” treatment approach, which the following traits can identify:
While we can’t assess this situation with 100% certainty, of course, we know hair plugs when we see them!
This was simply the technology available to the public at the time, and based on the photo evidence, Mr. Biden’s procedure was satisfactory in most ways.
Biden likely underwent an early form of Follicular Unit Transplant at this time, whereby a strip of hair-bearing skin is extracted from the back of the head and dissected into grafts for transplantation to the frontal scalp.
The issue with hair plug treatments is the lack of longevity, which Biden continued to confront as his career plowed forward, but his hair transplant was not able to go the distance.
As a Senate veteran by the 90s, Biden was getting more attention from the public for high-profile activity and an energetic persona. While his Presidential campaign fell short in the late 80s, he was determined to return in full form, along with a rejuvenated hairline.
We suspect that Biden underwent yet another hair transplant at this stage in his career, this time with fewer grafts and perhaps a different method of donor area extraction.
Perhaps a smaller sliver of hair-bearing skin was extracted during this time via strip surgery, with the follicles used to populate growing patches on the hairline exposed by failing plugs.
Many photos from this era also show that Biden grew his hair long in the back, suggesting that he wanted to cover any scarring in the area that may have resulted from multiple strip extractions.
As Biden finished up his career in the Senate to campaign alongside Obama, he appears to have had yet another hairline upgrade thanks to new advancements in transplant technology.
The first Follicular Unit Excision procedure was performed in 2003, and Biden was likely eager to try out this less-invasive version of hair transplantation.
FUE is ideal for harvesting smaller quantities of grafts from the back of the head and minimizing scarring in the donor area – the ideal solution for a public figure looking to keep a low profile about his personal matters.
Now that President Biden has earned one of the world’s most powerful positions, he’s got plenty on his plate. Still, he’s constantly in the public eye and must maintain a sharp appearance from head to toe.
At 78 years old, that’s easier said than done, but Biden is doing a fine job of keeping his hair looking healthy and resilient.
Biden may continue to receive minor FUE touch-ups from time to time, although photos show that his donor area is beginning to wear thin with time.
Biden is receiving top-tier medical treatment from his staff and DC doctors, including hair loss medications that may not even be available to the public.
At a minimum, Biden is probably stacking FDA-approved medicine like Minoxidil and Finasteride to keep his hairline as is.
With various stem cell treatments coming to the mainstream, we can also expect President Biden to have cutting-edge technology available, helping him along the way.
There are many lessons to be found from examining Biden’s hair over the years. Most importantly, we learn that an ongoing effort is necessary to maintain healthy hair and combat the natural tendency for hair loss as time goes on.
That’s why it’s wise to address hair loss in a proactive way, rather than waiting for things to progress beyond a reasonable response. Even if you’ve noticed some minor thinning or a receding hairline, the time to get in front of the issue is now.
Even if you don’t aspire to be the next President, you can schedule an appointment with Jae Pak, M.D. to tackle the problem head-on.
Sources:
Classifications of Patterned Hair Loss: A Review | NIH
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