Man, the hits just keep coming with JD Vance, don’t they? It’s hard to predict what each day will bring – or what will come out of his mouth – but we have one thing may Expect it: It will be weird. A recent campaign stop at a Georgia doughnut shop was no exception. While the whole thing felt like a scene straight out of Veep (is Vance a Jonah Ryan in real life?), we couldn’t help but notice something very special. X-user Rob DenBleyker also noticed. There was something really weird about Vance’s hair.
It’s almost certainly not intentional. But the unkempt head of hair that doesn’t blend in with the rest of his hair doesn’t look good on anyone, let alone a vice presidential candidate. So what exactly is going on with Vance’s hair? We called a few hairdressers to find out.
“It looks like someone just put a toupee on his head,” said Kevin Baker, a hairstylist at Material Salon in Tampa, Florida, who further noted that Vance appears to have gone to an untrained hairdresser. Another hairdresser we spoke to (who wished to remain anonymous) took that idea even further, saying it looks like either a homemade cut or a quick job — or both. “This is someone who thought ‘something is better than nothing,’ which is obviously wrong,” he said.
Vance is probably the type of guy who doesn’t like to see an expensive haircut, but you don’t have to pay a lot for a good haircut, provided you go to a good barber. Either Vance actually tried cutting his hair himself (or maybe asked an aide to cut him on the campaign bus – while it was driving) or he didn’t properly vet his barber to make sure he would do a good cut, no matter how much he paid. A good rule of thumb is to always check out a barber’s work before going to a new one, either on their own social media (or at the barbershop) or through real recommendations, so you know the quality of their work before you sit in their chair. And if you choose to go the DIY route, make sure you or whoever is cutting really knows what they’re doing.
Another reason could be styling, or the lack thereof. “I don’t see any trace of grooming products at all,” the anonymous hairstylist said. “If the whole thing was pushed inward and held there with grooming products, he could probably pretend it was a wearable haircut.” This is a good example of how much of a difference a good styling product makes. A haircut is just the first part; pretty much all haircuts should be styled to really look good. Vance is also a good reminder to always make sure you apply grooming products to the back of your head when styling your hair. In fact, many hairstylists we’ve spoken to over the years advise actually starting at the back and working your way to the front when applying pomades and gels. Not only does this help ensure you don’t put too much on the front, but it also helps ensure your entire head is covered. Remember: just because you can’t see the back of your head doesn’t mean everyone else can’t.
In fact, it’s a good reminder for the haircut, too. “Always ask to see the back,” advises Baker. And while Vance’s politics certainly want to take us back (in time), it’s clear that in this case he forgot be back.
