The revelations that the Socialist leader elected on a populist mandate of taxing the super-wealthy spends nearly 10,000 euros ($11,000) a month on his presidential barber has been dubbed #Coiffeurgate. Hollande, 61, is not known for having unusually difficult hair.
The scandal further mars the image of the historically unpopular Hollande as he tries to show a dignified front Thursday on Bastille Day, the country's national holiday, while greeting the public.
It also deepens his uphill struggle to recapture the Elysee palace in next May's general election.