Kristi Noem's Hair Transformation Is Head Turning

Kristi Noem's hair has been the talk of the town since she rose to prominence as one of the nation's most outspoken republicans. Even Megyn Kelly has had something to say about Noem's famous hair (or, more specifically, her hair extensions). On "The Megyn Kelly Show," the former Fox News stars lamented, "She's gone full... She's like Lady Godiva with the extensions down here." Kelly gestured to her waist and added, "She's a sitting governor, trying to be considered for vice president. It's not professional ... She's trying to be, I guess, some sort of glam queen instead of a respected leader." Ouch.

There's no doubting Noem looks so different without her hair extension-aided waves, and her long locks have become as much a part of her look as the Mar-A-Lago face trend. But this outspoken patriot has actually sported an array of hairstyles over the years. And we're not just talking the occasional trim. From blond curls (yes, really), to tousled pixie cuts and balayage bobs, Noem's hair transformation is as head-turning as her divisive political views.

Kristi Noem is better known as an outspoken politician with brunette locks, so it's hard to imagine her as a blond. However, during her 1990 beauty queen days, she was a honey-haired bombshell. In one snapshot, the then-teenager rocked very 1980s overspill, voluminous curls (which may have been a perm) as South Dakota's Snow Queen, complete with darker roots and short, wispy bangs. Noem later admitted it wasn't her favorite era of her hair transformation though, writing on Facebook, "...what was I thinking with all that hair???"

Kristi Noem was still very much blond two years later when she tied the knot with Bryon Noem, long before we noticed some strange things in Noem's marriage. The star rocked slightly tamer, shiny, blond curls and wore her mid-length locks down, as her wedding hair involved warm blond ringlets and fluffy curtain bangs. The dated 'do was complimented by a very '90s white hat and veil combo, making Noem look practically unrecognizable on her wedding day compared to how we'd come to know her years later.

Things were drastically different in the world of Kristi Noem's hair in 2011. During a news conference, the outspoken politician proved she'd made a stunning leap from long to short hair as she sported a tousled, choppy, lob with a drastic center part. Not only had she cut off several inches and straightened her choppy, layered tresses, she'd undergone a drastic color transformation. The staunch supporter of president Donald Trump was now a brunette with caramel highlights.

In a 2012 political video for the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, Kristi Noem sported her shortest hairstyle yet. She'd cut several more inches off her tresses and was proudly rocking a longer take on the bold pixie cut. She'd styled her brown locks to have plenty of texture and volume on the top of her head, with just a slight curl for movement. It was one of her sharpest styles to date though, which aged her compared to some of her longer, softer cuts.

We saw another dramatic chapter in Kristi Noem's hair look book in 2017. Noem had adopted a blunt, wavy lob with a slight center part that injected some fun into her beauty aesthetic during an appearance at Capitol Hill. Part of what made Noem's latest hairstyle so youthful and modern was the lighter ends, as the confident former Governor of South Dakota embraced a balayage style, which was a huge trend at the time. She added flattering and soft warm blond ends to her just past shoulder length 'do.

During the virtual 2020 Republican National Convention, Kristi Noem showed off yet another new 'do. The still brown-haired political figure had grown her locks a little longer than we saw it in 2017. She'd swapped her trendy balayage style for darker ends and subtle highlights throughout her mane, which she wore in loose waves. She was also trying a new way of parting her tresses, as she changed the right side part we saw in 2017 for an uneven part from the left side of her head.

After getting a sneak peek of Kristi Noem's longer, brunette locks that would become her signature in 2020, she brought the glam look out in full-force in 2022. At the National Rifle Association's annual convention, she rocked chest-length, balayage tresses with darker roots and lighter ends. Though Noem has never publicly confirmed she had extensions installed, the volume and texture strongly suggested her natural tresses had a little help from the accessories.

We saw Kristi Noem's hair extensions move to the next level in 2024. Her mane was super long when she was snapped at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, as her now locks finished just below her chest. She'd darkened her hair again, but still had a few subtle highlights added for dimension. The controversial political figure's hair also had plenty of volume around her crown and she embraced trendy curtain bangs, which continued to be one of the hottest bang trends into 2025.

While attending a FIFA World Cup event in the Oval Office in 2025, Kristi Noem debuted yet another new look with a brown mane that was much lighter than the hair she wore the year prior. Close to her roots, her hair was a chestnut brown shade, but further down (where her hair appeared to be solely extensions) it was a little darker and cooler in tone. She'd also given up the side part for a more modern center part, which was one of the summer's hottest trends.