The 'Hollywood hair theory' has us looking at our favourite celebrities in a whole new light

There's one thing that a whole bunch of our most famous stars have in common, apparently, and TikTok detectives are blowing their cover. The Hollywood Hair Theory is here to make us rethink every cute hair colour and cut our favourite stars have made their signature.

In a viral video, TikTok trend forecaster, Coco Mocoe, declared: “If you want to know if someone is going to become a household name, there's a couple of patterns you can look for, but there's one specific one that I really believe in.” She continues, “this isn't my original theory, it's been around forever, but I like to call it the Hollywood Hair Theory. It's the belief that someone is not going to be a household name or memorable, unless they have a very distinct look with their hair specifically.”

She explained: “Marilyn Monroe is one of the biggest ones that comes to mind[...] You still see people trying to recreate her hair to this day. If you look at photos from before she was famous, she's still beautiful, of course, but it doesn't stand out the way that her blonde bob did. Another person who I think used this theory was Elvis Presley with the slicked back black hair. Of course you had Bob Marley and his iconic and memorable look. And someone from more recent history who used it, but potentially was the most iconic, was Amy Winehouse.”

Since the initial video, Coco has followed up with deep-dives on current stars who have made distinctive hair a signature of their look. Comparing a picture of Ice Spice before she was famous to how she's well-known now, Coco said: “Ice Spice really started to become a household name when she had the short, curly, orange hair because it was so different from what anyone else was doing. It really stood out and it was so memorable. Even if someone hasn't heard her music, although of course I'm sure that's very rare now, they would still know who she is because she has an iconic look. And I'm sure it's no coincidence that even when she wears her hair straight, it's still orange because that is how you know that it's her.” She continued: "With most stars as they become more and more famous, they don't have to rely on an iconic hair look as much, they can start experimenting. But having that specific look in the beginning is how people remember you.

Other celebrities who's hair journeys were mentioned were Chappell Roan who switched out her brunette curls for vibrant red hair.

Sabrina Carpenter, who added her trademark swooshy curtain bangs to her blonde hair

And Billie Eilish, who traded her blonde hair for her now infamous black hair with a neon green root pop as her career exploded.

But some were quick to point out that a hair switch alone can't make you famous. It can simply make already talented artists extra memorable. “Obviously, we can all agree that if you want to become famous you have to stand out in some way,” one creator, Whitney Uland, noted. “If you want to become a celebrity, you have to become a celebrity before anyone else catches on. You have to embody the essence of being a celebrity: of being adored, of being loved, of knowing you're worth, of being celebrated, of knowing that your shit don't stink, before anyone else catches on to that. If you're trying to change your hair colour in order to stand out, you are doing it completely backwards. You need to create that internal shift… Do not change you hair in hopes that that is going to be the thing that makes you famous. Become the celebrity first.”

So while a signature haircut or colour can't be credited for a celebrity's talent, there's no denying it can help the stand out like the stars they are.

For more from GLAMOUR's Senior Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk

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