She then went for an even more severe crop, showed off at the January debate in Iowa - which Trump refused to attend

Megyn, 45, debuted a much shorter hairstyle in October last year, having first fought Trump in the GOP debate in August

Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly has opened up about her dramatic short haircut which she said reflected her state of mind when she unveiled it earlier this year.

The 45-year-old presenter of The Kelly File first cut her hair short in October last year before debuting an even shorter crop in Iowa in January, on the same night that she moderated a Republican debate which Donald Trump refused to participate in because of their ongoing feud.

But while the mother-of-three has not previously revealed the motivation behind her latest style change, she recently admitted to People that it came as the result of her 'stronger mood', which prompted her to take the plunge and go for the dramatic new look.

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Chop: Megyn Kelly, 45, pictured left on October 13, 2015, and right on October 23, 2015, has revealed why she decided to chop off her long blonde locks

Going for broke: In January, at the Iowa debate which Donald Trump refused to attend, Megyn showed off an even shorter style

Bold: Megyn, pictured left interviewing Republican Ted Cruz, right, after the debate on January 28, said her short hairstyle reflected her strengthened mental state

Time for change: Megyn, pictured center with fellow Fox News anchors Chris Wallace, left, and Bret Baier, right, during the first GOP debate in August 2015, debuted the short hairstyle in Iowa in January

Referring to it as 'the big chop', Megyn said the side-parted slicked back look was a response to her changing circumstances.

She added: 'We change when we get in a different phase... I think I was just in a stronger mood.'

But she admitted the move was a wrench as she claimed that hair is 'emotional' for women.

The former lawyer said: 'I think hair is sort of emotional for all women.'

She said she finds the shorter haircut liberating because of the exposure it gives to her face.

'There's something about putting your whole face out there that is just empowering: Here I am, have at it,' she said.

It was not just her hair that detracted attention from politics during the debate in Des Moines, in which she famously referred to Trump as 'the elephant not in the room'.

Her eyelashes became the subject of a social media frenzy with viewers branding them 'ridiculous' and 'fake'.

Nemesis: She first revealed the new style on the night that Donald Trump, pictured during the August debate where the row first started, refused to attend the January debate she was moderating

Center of attention: Megyn, pictured, turned into a viral sensation during the Iowa debate thanks to her very long eyelashes, which some viewers criticized

Confident: Megyn, pictured in-between Bret, left, and Chris, right, said the new style is 'empowering'

Wave: The mother-of-three used to have long hair, pictured when she was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2014

Megyn has attracted a growing fanbase in recent months as she became a target for the Republican frontrunner as a result of their long-running feud.

His criticisms have included his claim that she had 'blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her whatever' when she questioned him during a debate and last month he called for viewers to boycott her show and branded her 'crazy'.

Writing on Twitter he said: 'Everybody should boycott the show. Never worth watching. Always a hit on Trump! She is sick, & the most overrated person on tv.'

Fox News released a statement backing Megyn against his 'vitriolic attacks' and accused him of having an 'extreme, sick obsession with her'.

Open: Megyn, pictured left last year at the Time 100 Gala in New York, and right, earlier this month, said she likes that the new style exposes her whole of her face

Important: Megyn, pictured earlier this month at the Women in the World Summit in New York, claimed hair is an 'emotional' issue for women

However, in recent weeks their frosty relations have appeared to be thawing after she recently visited him at his private residence in Trump Tower to 'clear the air' and to talk about a special broadcast to air on Fox News next month.

She claimed Trump was 'gracious' during their hour-long meeting which she said had been called 'at my request'.

Earlier this month, Megyn talked about the media's treatment of him - suggesting that his high poll numbers were due to coverage he has received.