It seems that even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was eager to take advantage of newly-reopened salons and barber shops in Ontario this week, as the leader debuted fresh-faced with a new haircut at a press conference on Wednesday, making it apparent he was one of the first in line.

The PM has a new look...playoff beard is gone! #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/CR2w8xI74b

— Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) June 30, 2021

The entire province (save for Waterloo) entered Step 2 of its 3-step framework at 12:01 a.m. that same day, prompting huge crowds at malls, hours-long lineups for personal care services, and even more people frequenting businesses that now have higher capacity limits.

Residents are enjoying newfound freedoms like larger gathering limits and new caps for all retail stores and outdoor dining tables, and yes, haircuts and tattoos, the former of which Trudeau unignorably received.

Well it's done!!! #cdnpoli #onpoli #peipoli pic.twitter.com/G7xOiY1deA

— PEI POLITICAL DISCUSSION Resistance is NOT futile. (@PEIPolNews) July 1, 2021

As the PM appeared cleaned up and notably younger-looking at his press conferences on Wednesday and Thursday, social media was abuzz with thoughts behind his new look and what it could mean.

Does he look better? Worse? More Tom Cruise-esque? 

Shocked & disappointed that Trudeau cut his hair which only serves to emphasize his gigantic nose. I Will be cyber bullying him this entire election campaign xoxo

— pam (@pammywammy_84) June 30, 2021

Many are wondering, far more importantly: does the move signify that a federal election is on the horizon?

You know an election is gonna get called when Trudeau cuts off his pandemic hair. #cdnpoli

— Jill Slattery (@JillSlattery) July 2, 2021

Most residents also seem to have gotten used to the leader's unshaved look, which became quite famous over the COVID months, and many are mourning its departure.

Then there are those that feel this new iteration of Trudeau is certainly a more professional-looking improvement.

Hello, I would like to report a crime.@JustinTrudeau who did this to you? 😭 pic.twitter.com/gyklesFqAe

— Tricia (@_tricia_morris) June 30, 2021

Others have talked of the potential for the election and shared theories of how a change in hair could be some covert manipulation of the masses to perceive the 49-year-old a certain way leading up to the campaign trail.

And still others find the hubbub about the look — and the over-analyzing of what it signified as far as an election is concerned — to be hilarious and simply idiotic.

Is that a clean shaven PM? That means there definitely will/won’t be an election.
*watches Twitter lose its mind*

— Greg MacEachern (@gmacofglebe) June 30, 2021

This isn't the first time in recent memory that a Canadian political leader's haircut became the thing of headlines — in April, constituents took note of Ontario Premier Doug Ford's new 'do, enraged that he may have solicited the services of a black market barber amid a lockdown that prohibited such activities.

Toronto Mayor John Tory's hair, too, has stolen the show during various pandemic press conferences.

Trudeau cut his hair and shaved his beard and everyone thinks he did this because there's going to be an upcoming election called... or... call me crazy... Ontario's in stage one and barbers and hair salons are now open.

— Sharon Apple (@Sharonapple123) July 1, 2021

As entertaining as it is to see a male in the spotlight objectified and judged for his appearance even slightly as much as his female counterparts, none of this frivolous bullshit matters, obviously — but still, for whatever reason, people continue to be intrigued.