George Washington's powdered ponytail and Abraham Lincoln's beard were primary characteristics of their appearance and came to represent firm leadership and thoughtful concern for the public.

In the past century, Teddy Roosevelt's moustache formed an exclamation point for his energetic optimism. Warren Harding was elected largely because, with his silver mane, he looked like a president. Dwight Eisenhower's bald head, John Kennedy's swoosh, Ronald Reagan's stubbornly un-graying perfection all helped define these leaders. More recently, the public has been fascinated with John Edwards' $400 'do, Sarah Palin's beehive and John McCain's prematurely gray hair that no longer is, um, premature.

These personalities have set an example for what we expect our nation's leaders to look like. And whether hair-less or hair-endowed, appearances seem to count in our estimation of a candidate's worth. When Michael Dukakis hid his hair beneath an army helmet, he looked ridiculous and lost the election. When Tim Kaine, governor of Virginia, began appearing on national news shows, nearly every interviewer commented on his weird-looking Hoffa-style hairdo. He didn't make it either.

But it seems to me if hair can define, develop or defeat our leaders, then we all should be very, very careful about hair we may be showing that we really don't want to shape the opinions that others hold of us.

Could you imagine a woman candidate for office whose chin hair kept creeping through her makeup in close-up, high-definition TV shots? That would be the defining moment for her campaign. What about the virile male candidate who sets out to show he's a dedicated family man by taking his kids for a swim in the lake, only to reveal a tangled mass of back hair. Who would vote for his face on the yard signs if all they could think of was what he looked like when he turned away? What about the woman candidate on her ninth campaign stop of the day, climbing to the podium with legs that desperately need shaving but which she hasn't has a moment to take care of?

As we move through life, our concerns about losing hair on our head or evolving from "salt-and-pepper" to just "salt" start taking a backseat to our thoughts about hair removal. Not many men are truly embarrassed these days by revealing they're bald, but hair growing in unwanted locations that are suddenly exposed can produce a traumatic experience for a man or a woman.

We live in a highly visual world with our 15 minutes of fame on TV, streaming video on our Web sites and online videoconferencing. If we want to look like leaders, we need to be sure our hair reflects an image of care and perfection. In the past, shaving has been the traditional way to confront this issue, but leaders are spending more of their time on the road, on the air or on the stage; and hair always finds a way to grow back when and where it is least welcome.

It's no wonder that we see so many men and women now visiting the laser hair removal clinic. Laser hair removal can permanently destroy hair follicles so we never again need to worry about the reappearance of unwanted hair. A study by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery found that the number of laser hair-removal treatments in the United States for both men and women increased 100 percent from 2002 to 2006. In 2007, almost 1.5 million laser hair removal procedures were performed.

This method of hair removal has become so popular because the only way to permanently reduce the amount of unwanted hair, anywhere on the body, is to damage hair follicles so that they no longer can produce hairs. The latest lasers are highly effective and produce virtually no pain during the hair-removal process. These lasers heat hair down to its roots, killing the follicles without harming the skin. Hair follicles grow hairs at different rates and are most effectively destroyed in the growth stage. So physicians usually recommend a series of hair-removal treatments over a period of to catch all the hairs at their various proper stages. Each individual should be evaluated separately, but most laser hair removal centers recommend a minimum of six treatments, with each treatment separated by about two months.

The only time when laser hair removal may be uncomfortable usually is when non-specialty clinics use older equipment. Modern lasers combine pulsed, high-intensity light with precisely controlled radiofrequency waves to damage follicles without irritation.

If you're campaigning for a leadership position in your company, your organization, your school or your social group, consider what a presidential-aura requires. Make the most of the hair that enhances your chances; make the least of the hair that would stay in the way.