It has been a strange, turbulent year in 2018, and there is perhaps no better indicator than the celebrity haircuts we saw in the last 12 months.
Styles come and go, but for celebrities, a big haircut change is a drastic move. The stars we know and love are sometimes most recognizable by their signature ‘do, and when they lop it off or grow it out, it can change the way their fans think of them entirely.
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Many of the big celebrity haircuts we saw this year had to do with work. Some stars finished jobs they had been at for years and were finally able to take a more personal approach to their appearance.
Of course, that is not always the case. There were celebrities who, much like the rest of us, simply experimented with their hair this year — for better or for worse. Some were playing with their self-image following a break-up, while some were simply feeling a little adventurous.
Either way, 2018 was a year of metamorphosis, and celebrity haircuts underscore that point perfectly. Here is a look at some of the most drastic changes we saw this year.
Justin Bieber
It was a big year for Justin Bieber, who briefly reunited with one ex girlfriend before marrying another. He also shed the massive blond mane that has been swirling around his head. In October, Bieber stepped out with a short buzz cut, looking comfortable and clean.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato had just lightened her hair color up in July, just before tragedy struck. The beloved singer suffered a serious overdose that month was forced to return to rehab for three months.
When she returned to the public eye in November, Lovato’s hair was back to its usual raven black.
Lena Waithe
Lena Waithe hit the big screen hard this year by co-starring in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One. Afterward, she ditched her dread locks in August — a decision she did not take lightly, as she explained to the press at a red carpet event at the time.
“I felt like I was holding onto a piece of femininity that would make the world feel comfortable with who I am,” Waithe said, according to Page Six. “I think I thought for a long time, ‘Oh, if I cut my hair, I’ll be a stud, I’ll be — in the gay world, there’s a lot of categories — I’ll be a stud or I’ll be a butch,’ and I’ve always thought, ‘Well, no, I’m not that, I’m still soft,’ and I said, ‘Oh, I gotta put that down ’cause that’s something that’s outside of me.’”
With her hair finally gone, Waithe confessed that she felt “so free and so happy and so joyful, and I really stepped into myself.”
Katy Perry
As the seasons change, so does Katy Perry’s hair. The singer dyed her pixie cut neon green in early September, a look that many of her biggest fans went wild for.
Kanye West
Kanye West has played with his hair color quite a bit this year, alternating between blonde and pink at different times. Of course, his hair color has been the least of his antics this year, so the changes got little attention, but this too is a far cry from the Yeezy of several years ago.
Kit Harington
With filming on Game of Thrones finally finished once and for all, Kit Harington was able to leave behind the shaggy haircut that had defined him as Jon Snow for so long. Admittedly, the actor did not change too drastically, though be Westerosi standards he mad a big switch. Now that he is no longer bound to The Wall, it seems he is finally free to let his ears out.
Daisy Ridley
Star Wars star Daisy Ridley also shook things up this year when she found some off time from the franchise. She dyed her hair a lighter, reddish color back in March, and wore it in frizzy curls that Rey could never maintain on the arid desert planet she calls home.
Pete Davidson
Finally, Pete Davidson was not subtle with his hair dye after his break-up with Ariana Grande back in September. The Saturday Night Live star showed the world just how he was feeling: blue. The frosty color stuck around for a few weeks before Davidson went back to bleach blond, a color that suits the self-effacing young comedian.
