Cosmetic Dermatologist Tells Us The Damage That Could Be Lurking Under Donald Trump's Tan

Donald Trump has been called many things, but "orange" is near the top of the list. Known for sporting heavily tanned skin, there are few pictures where the former president doesn't look like he spent hours under a tanning bed. Trump has acknowledged his penchant for looking overly bronzed in the media, and he's complained on several occasions about unflattering photographs making the rounds that he claims portray him in an unfair light.

Trump has also blamed energy-efficient lightbulbs for his apparent carrot-colored cast. "The bulb that we're being forced to use — No. 1, to me, most importantly, the light's no good. I always look orange," he stated at a House Republican dinner in 2019, per NBC News. However, as dermatologist Dr. Mariano Busso told Nicki Swift, Trump's orange skin is likely neither the result of bad angles nor inefficient lightbulbs. Instead, it probably has more to do with his self-tanner.

Donald Trump's looks have been much talked-about, and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Mariano Busso exclusively shared with Nicki Swift his thoughts on the real estate mogul's skin. "Besides the abusive use of dihydroxyacetone, the main ingredient in sunless tanning lotions, Mr. Trump seems to be gracefully aging. No major cosmetic procedures can be detected," Busso observed. He continued, "He exhibits the typical changes caused by gravity seen in male aging: the descent of his brows, the descent of his cheeks causing nasolabial folds, and significant skin laxity in the neck area."

Dr. Busso noted that Trump playing golf for hours under the sun, as is his well-documented pastime, can cause skin damage such as dark spots and wrinkles. "A good tanning lotion can hide some of these signs," Dr. Busso stated to Nicki Swift. He pointed out that it seems likely Trump fakes his tan due to areas around his eyes that look whiter than the rest of his face, which could be due to the protective goggles worn during a spray tan. The inconsistent color of his skin from day to day and the orangey hue are also clues Trump likes a good self-tanning sesh.

Despite experts and the media believing Trump fakes his Fanta flush, an unnamed White House official told The New York Times that the 2024 presidential hopeful simply has "good genes."