Rep. Shri Thanedar Has One Heck of a Head of Hair — Is He Wearing a Wig or Is It Au Naturel?

When it comes to wigs, not everyone wears one because they are sans a magnificent mane. According to the History News Network, "Wig use was widespread in ancient Egypt, especially in the life of the royals and their court." It was common for both men and women to shave their heads in order to wear a wig, which signified a higher status. They were both decorative and fashionable. The love of wigs dipped for a bit in the Middle Ages, then returned with a ferocity in the 17th century.

When Louis XIII started going bald, he brought the wig back, which kicked off a 200-year trend. Nowadays, wigs serve all kinds of purposes and are made from both real and synthetic materials. Most wigs made from natural hair come from South America or Asia, but India is the place for the highest quality wigs for the least amount of money. Perhaps that's where Michigan Congressman Shri Thanedar got his wig, if he actually wears one. Let's get into it.

There are social media posts and Reddit threads devoted to figuring out if Rep. Thanedar, who is a Democrat, wears a wig. He has not publicly said whether or not his impressive head of hair is a wig, but that hasn't stopped his detractors from making jokes at the congressman's expense. On April 28, 2025, Rep. Thanedar posted a video to X (formerly Twitter) announcing that he was introducing articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

"Donald Trump has already done real damage to our democracy by defying a unanimous 9-0 Supreme Court ruling, that has to be the one final straw," said Rep. Thanedar in reference to the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case. "It’s time we impeach Donald J. Trump." He went on to discuss the tariffs, the president's mistreatment of reporters such as the Associated Press, his corruption, and his interest in the personal data of American citizens. Rep. Thanedar also urged his colleagues to stand with him.

In response to this, several people in the comments ridiculed the congressman's physical appearance. "Impeach your wig maker," said @saras76. One X user asked who Rep. Thanedar's barber was. Most of the insulting replies were from people who described themselves as Trump supporters in their X bios.

Rep. Thanedar has an estimated net worth of $40 million, per Nasdaq.com. After earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees in India, Rep. Thanedar came to the United States in 1979 and by 1982, he had a PhD from the University of Akron. Six years later Rep. Thanedar became a United States citizen, then took a job as a researcher at Petrolite Corp. in 1984.

One year after taking a low-paying job at Chemir/Polytech in 1990, Rep. Thanedar took out a loan to buy the company for $75,000. By 2005, he was making $16 million a year and went on to borrow $24 million in order to finance seven more acquisitions, renaming his company Azopharma. In 2010, the company closed after the recession sent it into bankruptcy. That same year, he came out of retirement to start Avomeen Analytical Services, an Ann Arbor-based chemical testing laboratory, with his son Neil.

Rep. Thanedar's political career began in 2018 when he ran for governor of Michigan, but his campaign was marked by previous controversies that involved abandoning beagles and monkeys at one of his lab testing sites after the facility was closed. He lost that race, but was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives two years later. In 2023, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.