Julianne Hough's Stunning Hair Transformation

Julianne Hough has had a stunning style transformation since she rose to fame in 2007 on "Dancing with the Stars," and she's played around with endless looks. While she's known for her signature blond hair, the dancer has gone for other fun shades as well, from copper red to buttery brond. She's also not afraid to experiment with different lengths. In fact, she's even considering shaving off her hair. In a September 2025 appearance on the "Not Skinny but Not Fat" podcast, Hough shared, "I have this thing on my list of things I want to do. I want to go to Bhutan and shave my head with a monk." She was so serious about this that she even called her hairstylist, Riawna Capri, and asked her to make a wig that looks exactly like her current style.

There's no doubt that Hough is fearless when it comes to her hair, and she loves to express herself through different 'dos. At the beginning of her career, she was into big and blond, and as time has gone by, her style has become more refined. We love a star who can dazzle with various change-ups, and Hough looks gorgeous no matter how she transforms her hair.

When Julianne Hough broke into the Hollywood scene in 2007, she was all about the showbiz look. With her dancing background, it's easy to see why she went for ultra-teased hair highlighted with some platinum pieces throughout. Back then, she rocked the Y2K-inspired side part hair trend and had long bangs with face-framing layers. It was similar to the hairstyle she wore in high school — while sharing her yearbook picture with Allure in 2015, Hough said, "This is the Utah hairstyle, where you tease your hair up on top so you get the volume."

Two years later, Hough still rocked a blond shade, but incorporated some warmer toffee and caramel-colored pieces for depth. As a country singer, having come out with her debut eponymous album in 2008, the "Dancing with the Stars" pro embraced big and bold hair. While attending the premiere of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" in November 2009, Hough went for a slightly messy updo with tons of volume at the crown. With some tendrils falling around her face, the young star looked absolutely stunning.

Julianne Hough's career continued to take off in 2010, and she starred in her first-ever movie, "Burlesque," alongside Cher, Christina Aguilera, and Kristen Bell. Hough transformed herself for the role of Georgia and showcased dark-auburn hair during this period. It was the first time fans saw her in red, and the color brought out the "I'd Just Be With You" singer's blue eyes perfectly. After the film wrapped, Hough kept the auburn shade, and she revealed the reason her character had red hair to begin with. "There were three blondes on the set — Christina, Kristen Bell, and I. Kristen went brunette, and I went a really dark red. It was a wig, and I got to keep it at the end," she told Reuters at the time.

After phasing out the wig, Hough went back to her blond hair, and in 2012, she debuted a completely new look with a shaggy, layered bob. It was her shortest length yet, and the cut suited her face completely. Hough looked effortlessly chic with a deep side part and piecey ends that ended just above her shoulders. This time, she'd incorporated more brunette shades, such as the chestnut color at her roots and the warm amber streaks woven in through the strands. The hairstyle was the epitome of California cool-girl style and was one of Hough's best looks yet.

In 2013, Julianne Hough starred in the romance film "Safe Haven" with Josh Duhamel, and she again changed up her appearance for a role. This time, it wasn't a wig, and she went for the chop with a breezy lob. While looking back at her short 'do with Allure, Hough stated, "[This haircut] was for 'Safe Haven.' It's sassy; it's a little sexy." The actor kept this length for a while and showed up to the 2013 Emmy Awards with her lob in beachy waves. The difference between her highlights and lowlights added dimension to her hair and gave it a Y2K effect, but the relaxed cut looked current at the time.

By the time 2017 rolled around, Hough had grown out her locks and dyed her hair an icy platinum blond. Her hairstylist, Riawna Capri, shared on Instagram that this was Hough's natural shade when she was a baby, and they recreated it in preparation for her role as Betty Weider in the 2018 film "Bigger." We love how Hough will commit to a role by completely changing her hair.

Ever the chameleon, Julianne Hough welcomed 2018 with fiery red hair. In an Instagram post shared that February, she showed fans her new copper tresses, writing, "I have never felt more like ME than I do right now!! I have always felt like a redhead my whole life, even to the point that I've thought that my future daughter would 100% be a redhead." She continued, "I've seriously talked about doing this for 6 years, ask anyone who knows me...and now that I'm on this new journey, exploring and finding out who I truly am, I said screw it! I feel more feminine and alive, and I love it!"

The red didn't last, but Hough further displayed her playful side by adding curtain bangs to her long mane in 2022. In an Instagram reel, the "Grease" reboot star danced while she revealed her new look, writing in the caption, "New bangs, who dis?" Hough looked like a completely different person the following year when she transformed her bangs with a choppy, blunt cut and had her hair dyed brunette at the crown, with it gradual lightening to a dirty blond. It seemed she wasn't ready to let go of the red yet, as there was a hint of mahogany, and the tones were blended to perfection.

Julianne Hough has stunned fans with her hair transformations, but it seems she's settled on a signature look — at least for now. In January 2024, Hough rang in the new year with a sleek micro-bob, which takes the short hair trend to the extreme. "Keeping things short & sweet," she wrote in an Instagram post while showing off her new 'do. "YES girl, short hair always looks amazing on you!!" a fan raved. We happen to agree, especially as Hough wore her blond hair parted in the middle and tucked behind her ears, which showcased her to-die-for cheekbones.

Hough has since maintained her micro-bob, often wearing her hair in the same sleek middle part. "This is my look. I think this is the look," she said on the "Not Skinny but Not Fat" podcast in her September interview. After her ever-changing styles, perhaps Hough has landed on something that fully works for her, although we wouldn't be surprised if she debuted a new 'do tomorrow and looked utterly fabulous.