20 Celebrities Who Rarely Show Off Their Natural Curls
So many celebrities in the Hollywood industry appear to have flawlessly straight hair. Is it always natural, though? Having straight hair is something nearly anyone can accomplish with the right tools. Flat irons and straighteners are popular purchases from beauty salons and hair boutiques for this very reason. There are also common hair treatments people can invest in if they want their hair to be straight for a longer period of time.
In fact, All Things Hair says that perms use a combination of chemicals and heat to completely alter the structure of your hair follicles. Hairstyle Camp explains that perms can cost anywhere from $30 to $200 on the low end. The price definitely depends on how long your natural hair is and which stylist you choose to work with. Tons of celebrities depend on hair straighteners and perms to achieve a certain look, too, hiding their curls along the way. As such, these are some of the top celebrities who rarely ever show off their natural curls.
Leona Lewis
If you can impress someone as picky as Simon Cowell, it means you're very talented as he is known for being one of the harshest and most critical judges on "American Idol." One of the women who blew him away for having an amazing voice is Leona Lewis. While her voice is absolutely beautiful, it turns out that her natural hair is as well! She posted a picture in 2018 during a trip to Puerto Rico showing off what her true hair looks like without any straightening. "Embracing my extra curly curls out here in this humidity," her Instagram caption says.
Cardi B
Cardi B opened up about her natural hair length and texture in an Instagram post in November 2021. She posted a series of images including some from her childhood that revealed what her hair looks like when it's not straightened out. She wrote, "Why [is it that] every time I post my natural hair I hear 'you're MIXED you're supposed to have long hair'? That's not true and very misleading." In fact, she adds that she's been open about her hair forever. "I [have] been posting pics of my hair journey for years and being mixed [doesn't] mean your hair is always long and curly. That wasn't my case," she added.
Ashley Tisdale
When people think of Ashley Tisdale, one of the first images that often comes to mind is her long, straight blond hair from her "High School Musical" days. She played Sharpay Evans in the franchise and became a household name because of it. As it turns out, her natural hair actually looks a lot different from the way she wore it in those Disney Channel movies. In 2020, she took on a new role that required her to rock her natural curls. She posted a video on Instagram with a caption that read, "Using my natural curls for this movie and I'm very excited."
Lili Reinhart
When Lili Reinhart snagged the role of Betty Cooper on the CW's "Riverdale," she quickly knew she'd have to spend tons of time straightening her hair. The animated version of Betty Cooper, from the original comic books from the '40s, always had straight hair pulled back in a sporty ponytail. In real life, Reinhart actually has incredibly curly hair. In fact, she posted a picture of her blonde waves on Instagram in a now-expired story showing off just how curly her hair is without the help of a straightener (via PopSugar).
Gabrielle Union
From playing the role of a talented high school cheerleader in "Bring it On" to playing the role of a dedicated female cop in the bustling city of Los Angeles in "L.A.'s Finest," Gabrielle Union has an impressive list of roles under her belt so far. Interestingly enough, in most of her movies, her hair is completely straight. In real life, Gabrielle has tons of curls to work with. In a picture she posted in August 2022, she's posing on a boat wearing a neon yellow bikini (via Instagram). It looks as if she's taken a dip in the ocean and allowed her natural curls to totally shine through. Her natural curls simply add to the beauty of her casually relaxed moment. There's a reason over 90,000 people double-tapped her photo thread.
Troian Bellisario
When "Pretty Little Liars" was at the peak of its popularity, just about everyone who loves fictional crime was binge-watching the super intense episodes. One of the series' main characters, portrayed by Troian Bellisario, often has straight hair. However, in real life, her hair is actually quite curly. She posted a picture on Instagram back in 2015 with a caption that said, "So early, so curly. Pre-Spencer hair." Keep in mind that the character she played on "Pretty Little Liars" was named Spencer Hastings. Now that Troian doesn't have to play Spencer anymore, she is free to wear her hair in whatever style she chooses.
Taraji P. Henson
One of the biggest shows Taraji P. Hansen has been attached to in her career as an actress is "Empire." The show premiered in 2015 and has gone on for six seasons so far. In most episodes of the show, you'll catch Taraji wearing her hair completely straight. On Instagram back in 2019, she was happy to share what her natural curl pattern looks like with the world. She added a caption that said, "All natural and I f*****g love it! Can't wait to share my hair care system with you." She then went on to launch her own products.
Selena Gomez
Anyone who became a fan of Selena Gomez's while watching "Wizards of Waverly Place" probably wouldn't be able to guess that her natural hair is super curly. She posted a picture on Instagram of her natural curls in February 2020, and it was met with tons of positive feedback. In fact, her photo thread pulled in over 7 million likes in total. If Disney Channel producers let her wear her natural hair while she was starring in "Wizards of Waverly Place," it would have been lovely to see.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is mainly recognized for having straight hair, whether it's pulled back in a high ponytail or flowing down and framing her face with bangs. However, in September 2015, she posted a group of pictures that show off her natural curl pattern on Instagram. On the side of her head, she had two small French braids, but the rest of her curly hair was totally free-flowing. Seeing Ariana with curly hair is an incredibly rare occurrence. The caption on her collage says, "Peekaboo, healthy curls. Long time no see."
Nicole Richie
When Nicole Richie was filming reality TV shows with Paris Hilton, she became an incredibly popular celebrity, and she spent a lot of her early years in the media straightening her hair and bleaching it blonde. Now, she's embracing more of a natural look with her natural hair texture. She still has tons of pictures on her Instagram with her hair completely straightened, but there are also plenty of pictures that prove how beautiful her natural curls are as well. In one photo thread that she posted in June 2021, she's wearing a cable knit, cream-colored dress with long sleeves while posing in front of the cameras, her natural curls flowing in the wind (via Instagram).
Kerry Washington
In most episodes of "Scandal," Kerry Washington is wearing her hair completely straight. In the show, she plays the role of a hard-hitting political figure who spends a little too much time with the president. Their relationship eventually crosses the wrong boundary and leads to an extramarital affair. In real life, Washington's life isn't as messy or complicated. In fact. just like her natural hair, she seems to be quite happy-go-lucky. She shared a series of selfies with her natural curls on Instagram in February 2022, and the pictures give off a very carefree and fun vibe. "Fresh cut. Curls and coils. Thank you to the artist that is," her caption reads.
Salma Hayek
Does it make sense to be totally obsessed with Salma Hayek's natural curls? We think so! Back in November 2017, she posted a selfie with her natural curls spread out around her face on Instagram. She added a playful caption that said, "Crazy hair day." One of the people in her common section responded by saying, "Just minding my own business on Instagram and then I see Salma Hayek with curls? I've died and gone to heaven!"
Sarah Hyland
"Modern Family" gave the world a chance to get to know Sarah Hyland as an actress. She played the fashionable older sister who was a little boy crazy. In nearly every single episode of the show, her hair is straight. She's been known to show off her natural curls every once in a while on social media or during errand runs in the city, though. In fact, a fan tweeted at her to ask if she was bringing back the curly perm. She tweeted back, "I'd like to say this once. IT'S NOT A PERM. IT'S JUST MY HAIR." Then, on Instagram, she shared a picture of herself with curly hair and compared herself to two beloved Disney characters: Merida and Tarzan. In the shot, her hair is long, reddish-toned, and filled with endless ringlets.
Chrissy Teigen
As a model, Chrissy Teigen was typically seen rocking straightened hair for runways and photoshoots. Even in the music video she filmed with her husband, John Legend, for his hit song "All of Me," you'll see Teigen with straightened hair blowing in the wind. In the song, Legend sings, "'Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections." One detail about Teigen that simply doesn't classify as an imperfection is her natural curls. In fact, she shared a picture on Instagram with her natural hair totally visible to the world, making her even more lovable.
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox opened up about her gorgeous natural curls in a lengthy Instagram post back in May 2017. She wrote, "Wearing my hair natural with its beautiful kink and curl on the daily is a bit too much work for me. I usually opt for protective styles, wigs, and hair pieces for my everyday styles. But back in January when we did this shoot, this is the look I was most excited about. I haven't relaxed my hair since 2011. My natural hair journey continues and I want to celebrate that as much as the other looks we rock. I also want to celebrate my natural hair sisters. I love you!" After building up her popularity and notoriety on Netflix's "Orange is the New Black," she's become of the most inspiring women to keep up with. Knowing that she's been on a long-term hair care journey makes her even more relatable.
Vanessa Hudgens
Just like her "High School Musical" co-star Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens also has some naturally curly hair to work with. For her role as the adorably innocent Gabrielle Montez, her hair was straight through the majority of the franchise. Who would have guessed that her natural hair is actually way curlier than that? She spoke to People about her natural locks, saying, "I feel like so much of my life I had been fighting my curly hair. I am at a place where I am like, 'God gave me this hair. I should embrace it.'" In July 2022, she shared a thread of photos from a vacation she took. In the pics, she's wearing a red bikini and sleek sunglasses, with her natural curls more obvious than ever (via Instagram).
Zendaya
Zendaya has done countless photoshoots and red carpet appearances with her hair as straight as can be. But, back in January 2017, she posted a picture to show off her natural hair and explained some of the details of her hair journey along the way. Her caption said, "When you've spent the past however many years growing your damaged hair back, avoiding heat, wearing wigs and trying every natural product in the world and you finally see a little curl pattern coming back..." (via Instagram). She added praise hand emojis to showcase her excitement, and fans were excited to see her curls, too.
Beyoncé
Many people consider Beyoncé to be the blueprint when it comes to beauty, especially because she switches things up when it comes to her hairstyles and beauty choices. Her live shows and performances are filled with constant hair changes that keep audiences on their toes, for example. At the end of the day, her natural curl pattern is really one of the best looks she's shown the world over the course of her career. Hair Goals hyped Beyoncé up for her "Formation" music video by raving about all the natural hair glimpses that were included. Hype Hair took it as far as to describe Beyoncé as having a killer crown.
Rita Ora
Rita Ora popped onto the music scene with a hit song called "R.I.P." and nothing was ever the same. Since then, fans have continued to obsess over her and her talent. All Things Hair described her natural curls as being an envy-inducing style. As recently as September 2022, she's posted what her natural curls look like with tons of self-love and pride. In once picture she shared with her followers, her long curly hair is the star of the show (via Instagram). During the earlier years of her career, she straightened her hair frequently or slicked it back into a tight bun, but these days, there's no reason for her to hide her natural hair from the world.
Khloé Kardashian
Finally, Khloé Kardashian is one celeb who people may not know has curly, but she has posted many pictures on Instagram showing off her natural curls. In one post, she wrote, "I rarely wear my natural hair texture. Felt kinda cute with it. Please don't ruin the feeling" (via Instagram). Kardashian is widely recognized with long, straight black hair or long, straight blonde hair, and her four sisters have naturally straight hair in comparison. Ultimately, she spent years maintaining an appearance with straight hair while filming the early seasons of "Keeping up with the Kardashians," but she has now chosen to be freer with her hair.