Democratic presidential contender Tulsi Gabbard explained why she keeps a streak of gray hair and won’t dye it.
The 38-year-old congresswoman from Hawaii appeared on an Instagram livestream Monday where she answered questions users had. One was about the distinctive strand of silver on the left side of her head that stands out amid her dark hair.
Gabbard, who served in the Hawaii Army National Guard since 2003 and was deployed for a year to Iraq in 2004, said that the streak had far more meaning to her than purely the aesthetic value.
“I actually started going gray in that one spot during and after my first deployment to Iraq,” Gabbard said while in Iowa. “And so, I keep it as just a remembrance of those who we lost there and the cost of war and why we fight so hard for peace.”
She also ruled out darkening the streak to match the rest of her hair.
“No, I’m not going to fix that gray strand, I don’t know what you mean by ‘fix,’” Gabbard said responding to a typed question. “If you mean dye, no, I’m not going to dye it.”
Gabbard’s sister, Vrindavan Gabbard, had previously addressed the 2020 candidate’s hair in March through the congresswoman’s Twitter account.
Natural. It happened after her deployment to Iraq. She keeps it as a daily reminder of her experience and her purpose. -V. (Tulsi’s sister)
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) March 16, 2019
Gabbard is the first female combat veteran to run for president. She is not polling at the front of the crowded field, though. A RealClearPolitics national average of polls has her sitting at 1.4% support.
