8 of the Most Shocking Celebrity Hair Transformations, Ever

Whether it’s signature curls, haircut, or color, these defining features usually become part of a celebrity's public identity. Fans grow attached, sometimes even protective, over these looks. That's why when a star switches things up, it’s nothing short of a cultural event and shocking moment that gets people talking.

Few transformations send shockwaves through fandoms quite like a drastic hair change, especially true for men of Hollywood. One of the more recent shockers? When Harry Styles revealed his shaved head in 2023, which had fans mourning his tousled curls as if it were a real life tragedy. Drastic buzz cuts have long been a staple of the hair transformation hall of fame, including Styles' former One Direction bandmate Zayn Malik and Justin Bieber. But there are other ways celebrities have shaken up their look without going completely bare.

Niall Horan, for example, shocked fans when he ditched his signature blonde hair for his natural brunette locks, proving that even a hair color change can feel monumental when a celebrity’s look is so deeply ingrained in pop culture. Other unexpected hair transformations from leading men in Hollywood come from facial hair shakeups. Sometimes, it's really for the worse.

From drastic chops to experimental colors, keep scrolling for some of the most shocking male celebrity hair transformations that left fans speechless, devastated, and surprisingly obsessed.

Jacob Elordi

When Jacob Elordi debuted a full beard at the Marrakech Film Festival in late 2024, the internet had thoughts—and not all of them were kind. Known for his clean-shaven, heart-throb aesthetic, the sudden switch to a rugged, full-grown beard left fans divided, confused, and, in some cases, downright distressed. While some embraced the look as a mature evolution of his style, others weren’t ready to let go of the Elordi they had grown attached to. The verdict? Facial hair remains one of Hollywood’s most polarizing transformations. By February 2025, he returned to his cleanly shaven look.

Harry Styles

The infamous buzzcut of 2023—a moment that sent Harry Styles' fandom into chaos. Before it was confirmed, whispers of his freshly shaved head swirled through the internet, with desperate fans begging for it not to be true. But denial quickly turned to devastation when leaked photos from the Las Vegas Sphere surfaced, revealing the pop icon’s once-signature curls completely gone. The final nail in the coffin? His beauty brand, Pleasing, subtly sealed the deal with a sleek promo shot of Styles (then dating Taylor Russell) sporting his newly shaved head. Harry’s tousled era has stayed over, as the artist has tried new looks over the past few years without returning to his original signature.

The Weeknd

In 2016, The Weeknd rebranded himself in the most dramatic way possible—by chopping off his signature freeform dreadlocks, a look that had become synonymous with his early career. The bold move coincided with the release of his album Starboy, signaling a new era of sound and style. In place of his gravity-defying hair, he debuted a shorter hair, a contrast that left fans stunned. Since, he's continued to rock something similar to that miniature afro, whether it's been dyed gray for After Hours or left naturally hued. (Though not his own, the artist's The Idol Tedros character wore a rattail that's still revolting to many fans to this day.)

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet’s latest transformation has fans doing a double take as he revealed a tiny mustache and a noticeably shorter cut. The usually tousle-haired heartthrob traded in his signature floppy tresses for a more refined, almost vintage-inspired look, sparking mixed reactions online. While some embraced the change, others couldn't help but mourn the loss of his effortlessly cool waves and facial hair-free visage.

Zayn Malik

In 2017, Zayn Malik shocked fans when he ditched his signature edgy hairstyles for a completely shaved head, a bold departure from the perfectly styled quiffs and undercuts he was known for. The drastic buzzcut initially stunned his fanbase, but over time, buzzcut Zayn became a fan-favorite look. While he continues to switch things up, bouncing between longer styles and a clean shave, one thing is certain: internet always takes notice and shares admiration.

Niall Horan

Niall Horan’s blonde days are long gone. Known for his signature platinum locks during his One Direction era, fans were shocked when he finally ditched the dye and returned to his natural brunette hair in 2017, long after the band had disbanded. Horan later revealed that he used to bleach his hair every few weeks to maintain the look—a commitment his roots are surely grateful to be free from now. The blonde look will always have been iconic, but Brunette Niall is here to stay.

Zac Efron

In 2018, Zac Efron shocked fans by debuting a platinum blonde buzz cut, a drastic departure from his signature brunette locks. The icy blonde contrasted with his dark beard, creating a look that had the internet divided. High School Musical fans everywhere mourned the loss of his classic hair, but the bold experiment didn’t last long. Soon enough, Efron ditched the bleach and returned to his roots—literally—reassuring nostalgic fans that Troy Bolton was still in there somewhere. The actor also debuted a new look in jaw, but this was due to non-cosmetic surgery targeting a 2013 injury.

Justin Bieber

When Justin Bieber first rose to fame, it wasn’t just his voice that had fans swooning—it was that iconic swooping hairstyle. His perfect hair became just as famous as his music, cementing his boy-next-door charm. But over the years, Bieber started cutting it shorter and shorter, until he took the ultimate leap with a shaved head in 2016. While he’s embraced the buzzed look, longtime fans still mourn the legendary hair flip that once defined an era.