In times of uncertainty, it’s comforting to focus on that which we can change — our hair, for one. Perhaps that’s why, in 2017, the celebrity hair transformations were so frequent, so bold, so entertaining. (Celebrities, they’re just like us — only they’ve got professional hairstylists on speed dial and upcoming movie roles encouraging them to snip.)
In 2017 — the year of Rapunzel hair, the buzz cut, silvery blond locks — the Kardashian-Jenners didn’t hold a monopoly on mic-dropping hair changes, or even wigs. Over the past 12 months, a horde of stylish A-listers — among them Cara Delevingne, Kristen Stewart, Zendaya and even the usually low-key Katie Holmes — have kept us paying attention.
Click through the gallery above for the 14 most scene-stealing celebrity hair transformations of 2017. See our favorite brunettes who went bleach blond, our favorite hair-havers who went under the clippers, who got extensions, who got bangs, who played with hair color to best effect and, most importantly, whose look you’ll be trying out in 2018.
[ Next: Bella Hadid, Sofia Richie and More Celebs Rocking This Season’s It Haircut: the Lob ]
Beauty/Hair Transformations 2017
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Selena Gomez: Before
In 2016, Selena Gomez's preternaturally thick head of hair — usually worn loose, center-parted and wavy — earned her a Pantene sponsorship. Here she is in February of 2017, sporting her then-signature locks.
Image: @selenagomez
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Selena Gomez: After
These days, Gomez has a new (well, sort of new) boyfriend, a new kidney and a flippy, edgy new 'do.
P.S. Bangs are back.
P.P.S.: As you can clearly see, blond bobs with grown-out-roots look especially great with a dark lip.
Image: Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage
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Kristen Stewart: Before
Behold the K.Stew of yore. At January's Sundance Film Festival, the Personal Shopper actress wore a ton of moody eye makeup (per usual) and held her nape-length brunette hair back with a RichieTenenbaum-style tennis band.
Image: C Flanigan/FilmMagic
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Kristen Stewart: After
Since buzzing her locks off for a role, Stewart's been through a series of hair transformations. She's currently rocking a fashion mullet with accidental frosted tips — who among us can't relate to the growing-out-your-hair struggle? — but by far our favorite K.Stew look of the year was the aforementioned buzz itself. In its freshest, blondest form, it paired exceptionally well with her ever-present kohl liner.
Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
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Zoë Kravitz: Before
For years, Alexander Wang (and YSL Beauty) muse Zoë Kravitz set hearts aflame with her swishy tumble of waist-grazing, semi-unraveled baby braids.
Image: @zoeisabellakravitz
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Zoë Kravitz: After
In April, the Big Little Lies actress posted a striking selfie of her brand-new platinum blond buzz cut, the work of L.A.-based hairstylists Nikki Elms and Daniel Moon. Talk about a mic drop. (Here's a clearer photo of the chop, courtesy of The Edit.)
Image: @zoeisabellakravitz
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Gabi Gregg: Before
Back in February, Gabi Gregg had natural, cheek-grazing curls, a wildly successful fashion blog and a highly sought-after swim line under Swimsuitsforall.
Image: @gabifresh
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Gabi Gregg: After
By September, she'd gone blond and teamed up with her blogger BFF Nicolette Mason to launch Premme, a size-inclusive clothing line that, when it first hit the interwebs in July, sold out (in most styles) in a matter of hours. For those wondering, Gregg's hair isn't chemically relaxed — she wears it both curly and straight.
Image: @gabifresh
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Ariana Grande: Before
Ariana Grande was an early adopter of the extremely-long-hair trend. Hoisted into a high pony or left to fall down her sides, her tailbone-grazing ombré lengths have become something of a calling card (as has her year-round tan).
Image: @arianagrande
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Ariana Grande: After
Did we say ombré? We meant purple-tinged gray. In early October, Grande hopped on the silver-haired bandwagon, announcing her new age-belying shade with — you guessed it — an Instagram post.
Image: @arianagrande
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Solange: Before
So much for pre-performance jitters. On August 21, hours before taking the stage at Radio City Music Hall (where she shared top billing with comedy legend Dave Chapelle), Solange snapped a natural-haired, glossy-lipped selfie.
Image: @saintrecords
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Solange: After
In a matter of weeks, Solange's fro was gone, hidden by skinny golden braids that hairstylist Joanne Petit-Frére arranged in a breathtaking, sculptural style for the singer's Evening Standard feature. Sadly — and much to Solange's anger and dismay — ES chose to crop out Petit-Frére's work. "Don't Touch My Hair," indeed.
Image: @saintrecords
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Zendaya: Before
This is how Zendaya — who suffers no fools, body-shamers or hair-shamers — does pared-back: soft, slightly fuzzy, slightly frizzy curls, defined brows, strategic strobing and a pinky-nude lip.
Image: @zendaya
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Zendaya: After
...But the red carpet is no place for modesty. It's there that Zendaya, beauty chameleon, makes her most dramatic — often referential — statements. This year, Z's most jarring transformation involved a platinum blond wig (and a whole lot of bobby pins, we imagine).
Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage
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Beyoncé: Before
Beyoncé's second-trimester pregnancy hair/glow was a beautiful thing, but not quite as stunning as what came next. (And we don't mean Sir and Rumi, though they are pretty cute).
Image: @beyonce
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Beyoncé: After
In November, five months after giving birth, the Queen showed off her new Rapunzel-esque hair (and by hair, we mean extensions) at Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian's opulent New Orleans wedding. Faux or no, her calf-length pony was/is glorious.
Image: @beyonce
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Alicia Keys: Before
Perfect-skin-haver Alicia Keys and her cloud of natural curls stunned in Glamour's activism-themed March issue.
Image: @aliciakeys
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Alicia Keys: After
In July, the "makeup-free movement"-starter set Instagram a-tizzy when she posted a pic of her new fluorescent orange, yellow and pink-threaded box braids. The message was clear: choose to wear makeup or don't, choose to have neon hair or don't — the options are endless, the decision is yours and only yours.
Image: @aliciakeys
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Katie Holmes: Before
Behold: Katie Holmes at the start of the year, with her familiar (to older millennials) Joey Potter locks.
Image: Mike Pont/WireImage
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Katie Holmes: After
In October, the actress stepped out with a chic (if Kris Jenner-reminiscent) chop. "It's for a role. I'm getting ready to play a woman in a movie called Doorman," Holmes told People of her new 'do. "She's an ex-Marine, and she's a warrior. I'm excited. I'm training. I'm sore."
Image: Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic
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Stella Lucia: Before
Thanks to her signature bleach blond locks, it's pretty easy to spot Austrian-born model Stella Lucia on a runway.
Image: @stellaluciadeopito
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Stella Lucia: After
Of course, London colorist Josh Wood and Redken creative director Guido Palau made it that much easier when they elected to dye Lucia's hair "Rose Quartz" — a lavender-tinged pink — for the Alexander Wang Spring 2018 runway show. The "manufactured-looking" shade took eight hours to perfect — and was gone within as many days (Lucia had places to go, non-90s-leaning runways to walk). Still, it was very cool while it lasted.
Image: @stellaluciadeopito
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Rihanna: Before
Red hair/black hair, hot pink blush/no blush, dreads/no dreads, navy blue lipstick/nude gloss — anything goes with that face. Nevertheless, with a few slight variations, this is the Rihanna we saw on a day-to-day basis in 2017.
Image: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
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Rihanna: After
...Save for the day of the Barbados annual Crop Over Festival, when Rih rocked teal mermaid hair and bedazzled her forehead.
Image: @badgalriri
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Cara Delevingne: Before
Like fellow Chanel girl/bald-character-playing actress Kristen Stewart, Cara Delevingne underwent many a hair transformation this year, going from platinum bob to pastel pixie to smooth scalp, then back again to pixie (now just plain old brown). Here she is right before her most dramatic chop — or should we say shave? — of all.
Image: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images
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Cara Delevingne: After
On the first Monday in May, Delevingne shut down the Met Gala red carpet with her freshly shaved (and painted) head. Actual crystals lined her cheekbones and forehead. It was an instantly iconic beauty moment, made possible by makeup artist Romy Soleimani.
Image: John Shearer/Getty Images
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Kim Kardashian: Before
At the start of the year, after a months-long hiatus, Kim Kardashian returned to social media and introduced us all to her inky black, miles-long, impossibly shiny Cher hair. If we had Saint's access, we'd palm it too.
Image: @kimkardashian
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Kim Kardashian: After
After a year of hair experimentation (see: January's thigh-grazing, jet black cascade, May's pin-straight Met Gala look, September's hip-length Daenerys Targaryen hair), the beauty magnate finally settled (for now) on an icy blond lob.
Image: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for The Tot
