Contemplating a big chop? Take inspo from all these celebs who have had both very long (and very short) hair
In the words of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, hair is everything. Like, we get it’s just hair, but for many it’s also a key component that makes us who we are. Whether you’ve got flowing lengths or a super-short buzz cut, for a lot of people, our relationship with our hair plays a big part in our relationship with our own self-identity.
And that relationship is never more tested than when we’re about to make a big hair move. Whether you’re debating being rid of it all or growing out your trademark cropped strands, making a drastic change to the length of our hair comes with a lot of internal baggage.
While some might tell us that fussing over and worrying about hair is frivolous and meaningless, we’re here to tell you it’s perfectly OK to feel a certain way about changing your hair. In fact, we’ll do our very best to make sure you’re going into your hair transformation with as much knowledge as you possible can, whether you’re toying with the idea of going for a buzz cut, pixie crop, bob or waist-length hair pieces.
And despite the fact we’re pretty sure celebs deal with the same hair woes and regrets as us mere mortals, it’s worth remembering that they do have teams of experts on hand to make the best out of any hair situation and thus tend to make riskier moves with their hair. Which is great for us.
Why? Because now we have access to a whole archive of all of the celeb haircuts for as long as the internet dates back meaning we can turn to them for inspiration whenever we’re on the fence about a change.
So, if you’re currently toying with the idea of chopping all of your hair off or growing it out long, we’ve rounded up all of the most iconic celebrity before and afters to help settle your short vs. long hair debate..
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Anna Kendrick
When you think of Anna Kendrick’s hair, you’d be forgiven if her shoulder-length, caramel-streaked style springs straight to mind. However, in recent years she has been embracing her super-voluminous lengths and we’re kind of loving it. And they’re proving themselves versatile, as she often styles them tucked-under for the red carpet, giving an illusion of that iconic lob we all know and love.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Zendaya
Whenever Zendaya steps out onto the red carpet, it’s like the whole world stops. Just as show-stopping as her chic-as-hell fashion choices are her ever-changing hair looks. Her Hollywood pixie crop in 2016 set the world alight, but her go-to, long, side-swept curls deliver new hair goals every time we see them.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Beyoncé
It seems almost impossible to imagine Beyoncé with any other hair style than her world-famous, wavy lengths – but there have been other styles. Take for instance, Bey’s beautiful honey-blonde, choppy bob.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung basically put the French-girl bob on the fashion map. Every now and again though, she allows it to grow out just past her shoulders before having it chopped back up to her chin – proving that an effortless bob really is the most low-maintenance haircut around.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Anne Hathaway
After Anne Hathaway shaved off her hair for her Oscar-winning Les Miserables performance in 2012, the grow-out process ended up being responsible for some of her most celebrated hair looks – from a choppy pixie to the side-parted crop which we all know and love. Nowadays, Anne is embracing her long hair once again, but she has certainly proved the versatility in every length.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller’s trendsetting boho lengths set the gold standard for fine-haired people everywhere, but there was a time when Sienna snipped it all off in favour of a choppy bob. We’re all for the bob, but nothing can take away from the beauty of that iconic longer, shaggy cut.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington’s short, natural curls are amazing in just about every single way, but that’s not to say we don’t really love her long braids, too.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Kate Moss
Yes, even Kate Moss experimented with a cropped cut once. Granted it was the 90s, when it was Demi Moore’s world and we were just living in it, but there is something wonderfully nostalgic and retro about this feathery look. Nowadays, Kate is still serving hair goals, but instead with sun-kissed balayage and beachy lengths.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Jennifer Lawrence
We get iconic Sharon Stone vibes from Jennifer Lawrence’s swept-back, cropped cut at the Oscars in 2014. However, Jennifer’s longer hair, styled into voluminous waves is just as beautiful.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Zoë Kravitz
A true hair chameleon, Zoë Kravitz frequently yo-yos between a natural pixi cut and super-long locks and braids. One thing we know for sure is that when it comes to hair, Zoë wins every time.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Cara Delevingne
While Cara Delevinge’s supermodel blonde lengths seem to be her go-to style, she has dabbled in various different cuts over the years. In 2017, she shaved her head for a movie role, growing it out into a choppy crop. Needless to say, we're stans for both.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Vanessa Hudgens
Another celeb who likes to switch up her length from time to time is Vanessa Hudgens. Her love for swept-over, side-parted waves, however, remains the same no matter the length, proving it really is one of the most versatile styles out there. While the blunt lob gives off an edgier vibe, her loose, high-glamour, shoulder-length curls are a fail-safe classic.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Jemima Kirke
After filming Girls, actress Jemima Kirke chopped off her long waves, resulting in a sleek, sophisticated and seriously chic long bob. Ever since, she has yo-yoed somewhere between the two, proving that mid-length can be a winner too.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Rihanna
There’s no doubt that we love Rihanna’s long, glass-like hair, but something has to be said for the super-cool pixie cut she often turns to. Is there any style she can’t pull off?
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett’s tucked bob has proved to be her trademark cut over the years, however more recently the actress has been sporting a slightly longer, jaw-length style. It’s low-maintenance, no-fuss and looks great however it’s styled.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Willow Smith
Whipping her hair back and forth might have been her thing but we are loving Willow Smith’s cropped coils just as much her longer locks.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Natalie Portman
Quite possibly one of the most iconic celebrity hair transformations of all time, when Natalie Portman shaved her head in 2005 for her role in V for Vendetta, the world was shook. Since, she has gone on to set hair trend after hair trend at every growth stage. Nowadays, Natalie champions a blunt, textured, jaw-length bob – and it’s proved just as trend-setting as her countless other styles.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Thandiwe Newton
Thandiwe Newton’s tucked bob has become synonymous with the understated aesthetic of the late 00s. However, in recent years the actress has embraced her long, natural curls, and if you ask us, she wins every hair award out there.
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Celebrity Short Hair Vs Long Hair: Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes’s jaw-skimming bob is the stuff that short-hair dreams are made off – the side-part, the waves… everything about it is perfection. But the glossy, centre-parted longer style she’s favouring as of late? It certainly can’t be knocked.
