Michelle Obama Gets Bangs for 49th Birthday, Launches New Twitter Account

USMagazine, Thursday, January 17, 2013, 2:00pm (PST)

In a few days, all eyes will be on President Barack Obama as he is sworn in for a second term in the White House. But for now, at least, the focus is on his wife, Michelle Obama, who celebrates her 49th birthday on Thursday Jan. 17.

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In honor of her special day, the First Lady unveiled a second Twitter account, @FLOTUS -- which she used to debut a dramatic haircut! Posing alongside Inaugural citizen co-chair David Hall for a Twitpic, Mrs. Obama showed off her stylish new 'do, complete with a set of thick, face-framing bangs.

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The First Lady was meeting with Hall to discuss the National Day of Service on Jan. 19, an annual event that asks people all over the country to volunteer in their communities in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mrs. Obama recently talked with Us Weekly exclusively about the big day and why she feels it's so important to pay it forward.

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"My parents taught me from an early age that all of us can find time to give back," she told Us. "And throughout my life, whenever I've volunteered, I leave feeling like I'm getting as much as I'm giving."

Indeed, the First Lady has devoted much of her time in the White House to various service projects. She volunteers every year for Toys for Tots, which she calls "the best job," and in 2011, she and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden started Joining Forces, a campaign to assist military families.

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"When I was first getting to know Barack, one of the things that stood out was his commitment to serving others," she explained to Us. "When we got married and started a family, we decided that we'd make service a central part of everything we do, and now we're trying to pass that on to our girls [Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11], as well."

For more photos of the First Lady in action, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Michelle Obama Gets Bangs for 49th Birthday, Launches New Twitter Account