White House, Gray Hair for President Obama
The commander in chief's coif is showing serious signs of stress
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President Barack Obama's hair has gotten decidedly grayer throughout his time in office.
The latest victim of the recession? President Barack Obama's luscious locks.
The baby-faced commander in chief has only been at the nation's helm for 44 days - and his hair is already turning gray, the New York Times reports.
Most former leaders' manes get grayer during their time in the White House: former President Bill Clinton left after two terms with a head full of silver hair, and Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, went from brunette to gray in the first half of his presidency.
"Presidents age two years for every year that they're in office," said Dr. Michael F. Roizen, an aging expert.
Obama's rapid change to salt-and-pepper could be a sign that the young president, 47, is feeling the stress of the job and the exhausting, yearlong campaign that led to his victory.
"I started noticing it toward the end of the campaign and leading up to inauguration," Deborah Willis, co-author of "Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs," said of Obama's silver 'do.
The president said he noticed the change to gray during the beginning of his campaign last year.
"Seniors, listen up. I'm getting gray hair myself," Obama joked last spring as he stumped for votes in Indiana.
Obama's barber, Zariff, denied reports that the president - often criticized for his age and relative inexperience - is dyeing his locks to appear more "distinguished."
"I can tell you that his hair is 100 percent natural," Zariff said.
The silver fox this week received the highest all-time approval rating during his presidency, with more than two-thirds of respondents saying they approved of the job he'd done so far.
Posted Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009 - 8:00 AM CST
