7 Celebs Who Pushed Their Bleached-Blond Hair Too Far

Almost everyone goes through a phase where they want lighter locks, and celebrities aren't exempt from that rite of passage. Some get a hankering for a completely different look, while others have been bleaching their hair for so long that it's become their signature style. Many fans probably won't recognize Gwen Stefani with her natural hair, as she's been known for her platinum locks since her No Doubt days. And although she's been lightening her hair non-stop, Stefani is careful to keep her strands healthy. The same can't be said for other celebs, who had to learn the hard way.

We get that stars often have to dye their strands for roles, but it's best to wait six to eight weeks between sessions to safely bleach your hair. Lighten it too often, and you'll end up with frayed cuticles, or worse, breakage. Consistently adding harsh chemicals is one way to end up with damage, and whether it was a one-time mistake or regular upkeep, stars like Emilia Clarke and Sydney Sweeney have proven that they need to step away from the lifting process.

Fans have come to know Sydney Sweeney as the blond-haired teen Cassie Howard in "Euphoria," but all the bleaching wreaked havoc on her strands. "I highlighted my hair for 'Everything Sucks,' but I really went blond for 'Euphoria," she told Yahoo! Life in 2023. "I didn't really book as much as I did when I was blond — but I'm back to brunette because the blond was killing my hair, and I needed to grow it out a little bit." Brunette or blond, we're sure Sweeney now has roles offered to her left and right.

Let the lesson be learned never to change your hair drastically out of boredom. That's what Miley Cyrus found out in 2016 when she bleached her naturally brunette hair a shocking platinum blond, from a box dye no less. "Sitting in a random apartment with nothing to do but ... f*** with my hair obvi, something inside told me I'd regret it," she wrote in a long Facebook rant. Judging from her woeful expression, Cyrus did have regrets, and she told fans, "Everything is a learning experience.... Even hair LOL."

Drew Barrymore has always had naturally dark-blond tresses, but in 2018, she wanted to go a few steps lighter and ended up with fried hair. "A few months ago I lightened my hair and it just looked dead! I am ... sad. Don't i look sad? This picture is sad!" she shared on Instagram. "Haven't we all had a haircut or a bad eyebrow tweeze or bad hair color and you just want to run home and get in your time machine and have a do over," she asked. So relatable.

Emilia Clarke quite possibly invented Targaryen blond when she starred in "Game of Thrones," and while she wore a wig for the most part, she decided to bleach her hair for the final season. The lift from dark brown to a silvery white damaged her strands so much that she had to lop them off. "It's almost the shortest it's been. I'm honestly trying to grow out the blond, because it's just killed my hair, and I miss having nice hair!" she told Harper's Bazaar in 2018. Thankfully, she's since moved on to other roles that don't require such a drastic lightening process.

Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't just a repeat offender of inappropriate outfits, but over-bleached hair as well. You can clearly see from her roots that brunette is her natural shade, and the processed blond she has worn for years is just wrong. The brassy color washes out her skin tone, and her strands look completely fried, which has not gone unnoticed, by the public or even fellow Congress member Jasmine Crockett, who called out her "bleached-blond" hair during a heated spat between the pair (via the Daily Mail). An X user asked, "Serious question ... How often do you think Marjorie Taylor Greene bleaches her hair?" Another quipped, "Weekly at least." 

January Jones is another natural blond who has colored her hair for various roles, including "Mad Men" and "X-Men: First Class." The constant bleaching did a number on her strands, and she shared with Grazia Daily (via ABC News), "I have been every color and now my hair is falling out in clumps." Referring to her 2013 film "Sweetwater," the actor stated, "I've been blond, red with extensions for this film, then blond, then black, and now blond again. I'm going to have to shave it off and wear a wig."

Zoë Kravitz has had a stunning hair transformation over the years, from dark brown to platinum blond, which unfortunately wreaked havoc on her strands. "It's rough on your hair. I've had full braids fall out," she told Allure in 2017. "And it's just part of it. I think I'll just kind of figure out something short after. I think you have to accept the fact that you're losing your hair ... I think I'm gonna have to do a buzz cut or something." It's a good thing Kravitz looks great in a pixie!