Sauron's hair colour

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

I've always pictured Sauron as having his head shaved, especially in his evil form, so the answer to the question is "Sauron has no hair."

As seen in my display picture (which is a piece of my own devising) as well as, say, this *cough*http://fav.me/d5w1gtr*cough* (also by me) I too imagine Sauron as bald in his "Dark Lord form" - although to my mind it's because his burning skin would have burnt it all off! No eyebrows for Sauron either in this conception.

As for his fair-seeming form, I think I tend to imagine him as dark-haired. When he came among the Gwaith-i-Mírdain I can see him wanting to put them at their ease by having an element of Noldo familiarity like one of them.

I've always read "fair" as meaning that he had a sort of aura of goodness, trustworthiness and wisdom about him, if that makes sense. I of course also put "pleasant to look upon" in there, but I'm not sold on this notion that "fair" Sauron was some kind of pretty-boy. Given that he "could appear as a commanding figure of great strength of body and supremely royal demeanour and countenance" (Letters p. 332) I've always imagined Annatar/Aulendil/Artano-Sauron as radiating a great air of authority, knowledge and wisdom which I suppose I don't associate with the rather androgynous figure apparently imagined by some. I see fair as more meaning that he conveyed a sense of legitimacy about his intentions moreso than that he was "physically attractive". To put it another way, what was more likely to engender Celebrimbor's enthusiasm (and the distrust of the other Lords of the Eldar) - an aura of power and skill or good looks?