HGTV Star Erin Napier's Hair Transformation Over The Years

It's fascinating to watch Erin Napier and her husband Ben Napier transform run-down houses into cute little homes via their adventures on HGTV. But from the minute they appeared on "Home Town" for the very first time, fans have been equally entranced by Erin's hair. A pixie-cut Southern gal down to her core, the experienced designer has seemingly been on a personal mission to prove that short tresses don't have to mean sticking to just one look. Back in May 2017, just over a year after making her HGTV debut, Napier took to Instagram to share part of her hair story. 

"I've been getting some emails from folks who are curious about what product I like best for my hair that swaps between curly and straight, parted left or right, about a dozen times per episode on 'Home Town,'" she wrote. Erin also shared a few of her tricks (she generally uses inexpensive products), and gave a shoutout to the stylist responsible for her abbreviated layers. But before there was the short cut, the reality star tried on a few other styles. And once she had that cut perfected, Erin started switching up her styling routine to create looks that were easy for us all to fall in love with. 

It's hard to imagine Erin Napier with anything but a snappy, chic cut, but it's true — she has worn her hair long before. This throwback photo is proof, coming to you all the way from the HGTV star's high school years. In 11th grade, Napier's tresses extended halfway down her back, worn smooth and sleek, with just a hint of the volume typically required by the early 2000s. You would've also caught the same long-haired look behind a guitar at that time, a glimpse into Napier's passion from before her home renovation days. 

The Mississippi native regularly tried out longer looks over the years, but once she made it past high school, her hair never made it much past her shoulders before she headed to the salon chair. Napier is a short-hair girl, through and through. You'll notice one thing that hasn't changed about her tresses, though, and that's the color. While she may have had enhancements to boost the lightness of her blonde locks from time to time, and made adjustments to the exact hue, this Southern gal has stuck with her golden shade. 

As a cool college chick at Jones College, Erin Napier did what a lot of women seem to do when they leave home for higher education: She chopped her hair off. The pixie snip was modified to give off an edgier vibe, with the ends razor-cut into a shaggy silhouette that allowed for soft spikes. The cut did more than match Erin's art-student vibe — it also caught the attention of her future husband, Ben Napier, who also attended her alma mater. 

"I remember seeing Erin the first week of school," Ben sweetly recalled to People in 2020. "She was walking across the student union, and she had a pixie haircut. I didn't know what a pixie cut was at the time, but I knew I liked it." You can see the beginnings of the HGTV star's future famous snip with her long, sideswept bangs. Although Erin later eliminated the razored spikes, the fringe was a constant in most of her future hair transformations. 

The grown-up version of her college cut, Erin Napier fully leaned into her cute-crop era with shorter lengths at the neck and smooth, long layers all around the crown. The bangs were out in full force here, with the mom of two opting for a deep side part that created movement with the fringe sweeping stylishly across her forehead. She tucked one side behind her ear for a little extra detail, while leaving the other down to blend in seamlessly with those bangs.

"This is the grow-out from my Drew Barrymore cut, freshman year in college," Napier explained on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in 2022, referencing the actor's iconic mid-1990s look. In lopping those choppy layers off, the lovable HGTV star transformed her edgy haircut into a sophisticated and chic silhouette worthy of her own home renovation show. Her smart new snip was on full display in the very first episode of "Home Town," which dropped in January 2016. 

Changing up her hairstyle is a regular thing for "Home Town" co-host Erin Napier. Her short cut has been a staple through much of the show's run thus far, but the reality star has shown it's capable of showcasing more than one look regardless. Part of the reason for her switch-ups is Napier's natural texture, which alternates between curly and straight depending on the weather in her home state of Mississippi. "I feel jealous of those of you who have curls every day, not just on humid days," she confessed on Instagram, also acknowledging a preference over which texture her hair leans toward on any given day. 

As Napier revealed, "Curls make me feel like the best version of myself." The lovable HGTV personality has briefly shared her haircare routine, which includes using a small curling iron to bump up the curl factor, as she explained on Instagram, which usually happens on dewier days. Napier also disclosed that when you see her hair with curls on the show, "You'll know humidity was above 90%."

While Erin Napier often changes up her 'do by parting it on the left instead of the right, or vice versa, a center part was almost unheard of for the HGTV star. That is, until 2024. In a photo capturing another cute couple moment with hubby Ben Napier and his bearded kisses, Erin gave us all a little shock with her center part. Sliced right down the middle, the "Home Town" co-host let her longer crown layers fall from the part, her sideswept bangs blending into the sides. 

Instead of doing her usual tuck behind the ear, or even a bobby-pinned twist, she kept her full length exposed, giving the silhouette a distinctly different look. Likewise, in place of her usual pixie vibe, the southerner was giving us all the feels of a short bob. Erin also appears to have let some of her layers grow out just a bit, keeping us guessing about which new fresh styles are on the horizon, and anticipating the next transformation — and not just in those Mississippi houses.