Celebrities Who Look So Different Without Their Signature Bangs

Most people have a love-or-hate relationship with bangs — some don't like the look (and the effort that usually goes into styling them) while others simply don't feel like themselves without their fringe. And when it comes to this topic, celebrities are seemingly no different. Some have discovered that bangs suit them and they have stuck with them for years, while there are others we'll probably never even see with a fringe. But today, our focus is on the former.

Some celebs have worn their bangs so well that it's difficult to even imagine them without the polarizing hairstyle. Luckily, there is no need to imagine, since most bang-wearing celebs have been photographed without a fringe at some point, and side-by-side photos showcase just how different they look. While some stars have rocked bangs since a young age, others have cut them rather impulsively, and it has ended up becoming their signature look. Disclaimer: If you continue scrolling, you might just feel a sudden urge to chop yourself some bangs with kitchen scissors, and while we're always supportive of a change, perhaps sleep on it before you commit — and please let a professional do at the initial chop!

It's difficult to even think of "New Girl" star Zooey Deschanel without immediately thinking of her signature bangs. The star has worn bangs since the aughts, and most have gotten to know and love the actor and her fringe as a hand-in-hand combo. However, there have been times when Deschanel has grown her bangs out into long, curtain bangs, which pretty much entirely changed the way her face looks. Pics from 2001 showcase what the star looked like, blond and bang-less, and while she was still stunning, there is no denying that bangs are her look.

Back in 2013, the actor revealed that she would only part ways with her bangs for a role, telling Glamour, "Would I ever give them up? I have, and I might again — for a role, perhaps — but I really don't feel like myself without them." Luckily, she could always wear a wig for a role without the need to part with her favorite hairstyle. In 2024, Deschanel told People that bangs are simply her look. "I look better with them. I've definitely had periods in my life where I have grown them out. But I just look better with them I think," she explained, adding, "So, yeah, I'll keep them. I've had them since I was like two years old."

Hollywood star Dakota Johnson is known for her talent and beauty, and over the years, she has also become known for her signature bangs. While Johnson is among the celebs who went from blond to brunette and stunned both ways, the "Fifty Shades" actor is also one of the stars who went from no bangs to embracing a fringe for years. A major reason why the actor looks beautiful with bangs is that they help balance her face and draw attention to her eyes. This, combined with the darker hair, simply suits the star, making it difficult to even imagine that there was a time when Johnson was blond and without bangs. Nevertheless, a quick trip down memory lane shows that back in 2004, Johnson had strayed from her signature look.

In a 2025 conversation with Vogue Germany, Johnson shared that she has had bangs most of her life. "I've had bangs since I was a kid. I cut them myself when I was about four, and I absolutely loved them. I've had them my whole life, except for when I was about 10 to 14. I just feel like myself with bangs," she shared. The star did admit that trimming them can be a hassle, but she has gotten used to it. "Would I be happy not to have to trim them all the time? 100 percent. But I also always travel with scissors, and I love to drink a martini while trimming my own bangs."

Musician and actor Sabrina Carpenter grew up on the Disney Channel, where she rocked long blond hair with no bangs all through the 2010s, as pics of her in 2015 show. Once the star began shifting her career towards music, a change in her look was needed, and voluminous bangs, often styled as curtain bangs, helped completely change Carpenter's look. The "Manchild" singer leaned into a nostalgic, retro aesthetic, and she has stuck to some form of bangs for years now.

In 2024, Carpenter revealed in a video for Vanity Fair that her now-signature curtain bangs were the result of heartbreak. "I literally cut my bangs 'cause someone broke my heart and I was just like, 'I have to do something,'" she explained. "I'm not usually one of those people that has to make, like, rash decisions when their feelings are hurt, but that was my first real heartbreak and so I guess it just sparked that initial like, 'I have to do something different.'"

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has been a fan of thick straight-across bangs for years, and while she did rise to fame without the look, the truth is that today, the "Opalite" singer's fringe is a crucial part of her appearance. In fact, Taylor Swift has given us plenty of best hair looks featuring her iconic bangs, so much so that she serves as an endless source of styling inspiration for anyone with bangs. Photos of the singer from 2010 with straight, sleek, and fringe-free hair show just how much the small change impacts Swift's appearance.

While Swift has been known for rocking bangs since the early 2010s, the decision to cut them was rather impulsive. In 2011, the musician said yes to bangs during a photoshoot for Vogue. In a clip from behind the scenes, the singer shared just how her bangs came to be. "It was a pretty interesting morning because they were like 'We're thinking we're gonna do maybe bangs, maybe some extensions. And I'm like 'You know what? Just cut it. This is Vogue, why not?' So I have bangs now," Swift explained. While the spontaneous decision may have seemed like a short-term thing at the time, it ended up defining the artist's look for over a decade.

"Normal People" star Daisy Edgar-Jones is a great example of how much curtain bangs can soften and balance one's face. In 2020, the actor showed up at a BAFTAs party with her hair slicked back, and while she still looked beautiful, her signature '70s-inspired curtain bangs made her look much more sophisticated and ethereal. Edgar-Jones has rocked some form of fringe thought the 2020s, and it certainly seems as if the actor has found her signature hairstyle. 

Speaking of her bangs, Edgar-Jones admitted that they were a result of a much-needed change after feeling down. "It's so funny 'cause my fringe came from a result of like not getting a part I really wanted," she explained on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in 2021 (via E! News). "And I was so sad and I was like, 'Right, I'm gonna do a change, I'm just gonna chop off all my front bits of my hair.'" The actor added that she didn't actually cut them off herself. "My poor flatmate had the responsibility of cutting it," Edgar-Jones added. "She did a pretty good job but it definitely went through lots of different stages and now I'm trying to grow it out and that's stressful enough as it is." While the actor's hair transformation has inspired many to chop curtain bangs too, Daisy Edgar-Jones' stunning style transformation has been just as impactful.