Is George Osborne Masking His Thinning Hair To Woo Voters?

has been seen sporting an altogether more suave and sophisticated style than this time last year. The Chancellor, who has not only undergone dramatic weight loss after reportedly following the 5:2 diet, but also seems to be showing off a new hairstyle, and hair colour.

Whilst Osborne definitely cut a more svelte silhouette in his midnight-blue suit whilst delivering this year's Autumn Statement, it was his haircut that was perhaps more noticeable. His darker-than-usual, jet black crop was coiffed into something of a modern-day Julius Caesar style and, although it knocks years off the 43 year old MP, it looks somewhat unnatural, drawing comparisons to 'Lego hair' in the media and on Twitter.

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Reason behind the makeover?

Osborne looks notably different from the slightly pudgy-faced press photographs of him taken in 2013, which also revealed signs of thinning hair.

Could there be more to George Osborne's drastic new haircut than just the urge to update his style? Perhaps it's cleverly designed to mask the first signs of male pattern baldness, which was unfortunately all too evident last year, thanks to the camera angles in the House of Commons, which showed off his receding hairline. It would be no surprise if the Conservative suffered from male hair loss given that this hereditary hair loss condition can be triggered by stress - and there is plenty of that involved when you're helping to run the country.

The Chancellor may well have had his own personal reasons for wanting to address his looks, and certainly appears healthier for it. However, the fact that his party are now working towards May's General Election is likely to have played a part in this image overhaul given the longstanding connection between politicians and hair loss, and how people are less likely to vote for balding candidates. This connection is even more evident in the US, where it is believed Mr. Osborne would like to work as a political advisor in the future.

Thicker-looking hair

This candid shot from 2014 shows George Osborne's thinning hair and receding hairline is still visible, despite being better covered by his new hairstyle than in 2013

There's no denying that the Chancellor has a difficult job; delivering depressing news about the budget and facing an ongoing wave of criticism as he does so. So it's no wonder he would want to make himself appear as likeable as possible at this important time in British politics. But what exactly has he done to his hair?

Photographs and footage of Osborne delivering his Autumn Statement speech show his neatly cropped hair, cut into short, choppy layers to make the hair appear thicker. It is also brushed forward around his hairline to disguise the receding areas around his temples. His hair looks ultra-black and lacks the variation in tone of natural hair, suggesting dye has also been used to help the hair appear fuller.

Is George Osborne using hair loss treatments?

The images from this televised speech are in contrast to more candid pictures in less stage-managed surroundings. When his hair is slightly disheveled, photos reveal the Chancellor still seems to have issues with general thinning on top, as his scalp peeks through.

This suggests the politician is more likely to be using a thickening agent than hair loss treatments. Thickening products include microscopic fibres - a hair loss product which coats hairs with thousands of microscopic keratin fibres which use static electricity to cling to the hair. This is meant to hide hair loss by artificially adding volume and thickness to the appearance of the hair. It does not, however, treat hair loss so is a temporary solution as, in order to use these fibres, there has to be hair for them to cling to!

Another trick often used when preparing celebrities for the stage or TV appearances, is to use makeup to colour the scalp so that it matches the hair colour, making the hair appear thicker. Perhaps it's not just vocal coaching and Glenda Jackson that have crossed over from the entertainment industry to UK politics..?

If your hair loss pattern looks similar to George Osborne's, speak to a hair loss specialist about treating the root cause of your male pattern hair loss. They will be able to diagnose your specific condition and stage of shedding before prescribing a bespoke hair loss treatment plan to help regrow your hair.