Berlusconi’s Hair Pulls a Disappearing Act

ABC's Phoebe Natanson reports from Rome: A new mystery is gripping Italians and as is often the case these days the news involves Italy’s exuberant Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Back at work, seemingly in top form after his forced-convalescence at New Year’s to recover from his attack by a souvenir-flinging unhinged protester at a Milan rally, Berlusconi has been popping up at events everywhere in Italy. The national media has shown him chairing a cabinet meeting in the south of Italy, showing up at a hospital in Milan for a check-up, wheeler-dealing at political party meetings and even appearing at one of his favorite female minister’s wedding over the weekend. That he is omnipresent in the news on both state and private TV channels, visibly bursting with vigor and zeal is not news to Italians but fans and opponents alike suddenly did a double take at photographs of him this week. In some he was sporting a full head of brown, slicked-back hair and in others a very obvious bald spot. …but wait a moment, the hair is back again now! One weekly gossip magazine playfully announced "Berlusconi's hair – gone in 48 hours." Whatever the concoction he is using on his head these days – some say a silicon-based spray or colored cream to darken gaps between the strands of hair – it was visibly not there when he went to the hospital in Milan earlier this week. Maybe he didn’t think it was appropriate since he was being examined by doctors who had to verify the extent of the damage inflicted to his face by his souvenir assailant. This was in order for a prosecutor to establish what criminal charges to bring against the man. After the attack, Berlusconi was rushed to hospital and immediately treated for a fractured nose, two broken teeth and cuts on his face. He returned to work at the beginning of January looking a bit wan but with no visible signs of the attack. Known to be vain, use make up, have face and eye tucks and wears shoe-lifts, Berlusconi is determined to look younger than his age and apparently spends a good deal of his busy days caring about his looks. His hair however seems to be a particular obsession and Italians know it. They immediately understood that something had sprouted on his head when he showed up donning a bandana as he escorted his guests Cherie and Tony Blair around Sardinia back in 2004. The brown-smudge on the top of his head didn’t convince many nor were there a lot of people online who confessed to finding it attractive but it certainly got people talking. What exactly was it? Keratin spray, paste, gel, foundation, boot-polish, brown make up pencil? Whatever it is, hair-transplant experts seem to be of the opinion that if his transplant had worked better he wouldn’t need to resort to these cosmetic tricks. By today however, there was a new installment in Berlusconi news. A weekly magazine, Panorama, which is part of his media empire announced that prosecutors are investigating whether a dozen politicians, magistrates, journalists and a high-class prostitute, Patriza D’Addario who made headlines when she claimed to have been paid to spend the night with the Prime Minister, were all part of a plot to discredit him. Even though judicial sources would not confirm that such an investigation was underway, Italians are lapping up the latest reports today. Even the ones who can’t stomach the guy and his politics, enjoy reading about his expensive private foibles and public antics.