Pamela Anderson's Gorgeous Hair Transformation

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There's never been a celebrity quite like Pamela Anderson. From her humble beginnings in rural Canada to her breakout role in "Baywatch" to the cataclysmic sex tape scandal that shook the star to her core in 1995, this blond bombshell has more in common with the mythic phoenix, eternally rising from the ashes, than she does with any of her Hollywood peers. 

With her comeback documentary "Pamela, A Love Story," which premiered on Netflix in 2023, Anderson dug deep into her own archives and offered audiences a raw, revealing retrospective on the career of one of America's most unforgettable sex symbols. The documentary was flint and steel to her otherwise dormant film career, striking a flame whose fire continued to burn in subsequent years, with Anderson scoring her next big break with the film "The Last Showgirl," which was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2025.

And yet, Anderson's tale of constant reinvention is just as much about her fashion looks as it is about her talent and inner strength. Her messy, tendril-heavy top bun was synonymous with beauty and sex in the 1990s, identifying her as the rocker chick of a generation. Later, her unexpected pixie cut symbolized a rebellion. Today, a makeup-less Anderson is often seen on red carpets rocking Old Hollywood curls — a return to soft femininity. There have been both hits and misses, detours, and legacy-making 'dos in her journey, so let's take a trip down memory lane and explore Anderson's gorgeous hair transformation. 

The stunning transformation of Pamela Anderson begins in a small region called Vancouver Island, Canada, where the future screen legend began her life as a mousy, brunette young girl in an average, working-class family. A school photo of 14-year-old Anderson show no trace of the beachy blond that would emerge in later years. Although this chocolate brown look might not be how most people picture the "Baywatch" star, teenage Anderson was right on trend for the time. 

In the early '80s, when Anderson was a freshman in high school, fluffy, feathered hair was all the rage. As such, Anderson sported curls that were brushed away from her face, fanning out in an almost auburn hue down to her shoulders. The middle part was also a classic choice from the era, and it allowed a young Anderson to really achieve that curtained look — with all her locks cascading from a central focal point at the top of her head. While we can't know for certain if the 14-year-old student had her hair sheared into layers, the silhouette of her '80s 'do looks like it would have been a prime candidate for curled layers. And even without blond hair or revealing clothes, her former high school boyfriend, Ty Anderson, told the Daily Mail, "Pam was up there in the top ten hottest girls, but she did not dress like the girls do these days, it was clean and innocent back then."

Out of all the stars who slayed the switch from blond to brunette, Pamela Anderson has to be the most successful. By the time she reached the international spotlight, the young girl from Vancouver Island was long gone and in her place stood a bottle blond knockout. Anderson's career began serendipitously in 1989 when she was spotted in the stands at a Canadian Football League game. 

With her relaxed blond highlights and crop top bearing the logo for Labatt beer, signing her as a model for the beer company was a no-brainer. Just a few short months later, Anderson was plastered on the front of Playboy magazine for their October 1989 issue. And her hair? You guessed it — dyed a girl-next-door hue of blond. There wasn't much styling to Anderson's hair in this era, as she new to this world. 

Her star rose very quickly, and with few teams of stylists and PR experts behind her, Anderson became known for her straight, golden locks that swayed just below her shoulders. There were no extensions or intricate highlights here. In fact, you could even see the up-and-comer's brunette roots making an appearance at the top of her scalp. But it was a look that emphasized Anderson's celebrity lore. By taking one look at Playboy's new cover girl, you could see that this wasn't a manufactured model — she exuded realness.

1992 changed the trajectory of Pamela Anderson's life, skyrocketing her into a new stratosphere of fame and forever altering her public image. The Canadian local had officially relocated to Los Angeles by this time and had become a roaring success as a Playboy model. Readers of the magazine were accustomed to encountering Anderson's smooth and shiny blond hair in her centerfold images. 

However, she was about to broaden her audience significantly. In 1992, Anderson was cast on "Baywatch," a television series that followed the daily drama and exploits of a lifeguard brigade based in L.A. Seemingly overnight, Anderson's low-key straight hair was transformed into gravity-defying, bouncy, blond curls. Long gone was the safe and sandy girl-next-door look that Anderson had become known for. 

Now, the model-turned-actor had hair dyed a bright butter blond, often styled in curls with perky curtain bangs. Her hair was just as iconic as the red swimsuit her character, C.J. Parker, wore on the show. In "Baywatch's" iconic slow-motion running scenes, Anderson's brassy, beachy curls took center stage, bouncing in time to the dramatic music and selling audiences the perfect salt-air fantasy of L.A. beach beauty. What happened to the cast of "Baywatch" after the show ended? They all, including Anderson, went their separate ways and pursued new career ventures. And yet, it was Anderson whose look was so unforgettable that she would continue to be associated with"Baywatch" throughout her career. 

As women from Jean Harlow to Marilyn Monroe have proved, blond hair has always been a Hollywood favorite. However, no look changed the game quite like the "Pammy." This artfully messy, fringe-tastic bun look was popularized by none other than sex symbol Pamela Anderson. Leaving her "Baywatch" character's bouncy curls behind, this grunge-inspired updo signaled a new era in the Playboy model's life. 

The era of the "Pammy" hairstyle coincided with Anderson's whirlwind marriage to musician Tommy Lee. As the drummer for the popular 1990s metal band Mötley Crüe, Lee's aesthetic was all barbed wire, hair gel, and leather. As his wife, Anderson's styling followed suit. Her spiky, top-heavy bun looked like it was made to be worn on the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle — windswept, off-the-neck, with soft tendrils dangling down. 

The brassy hue from her "Baywatch" days remained, but this look put more emphasis on the curtain bangs. The key to achieving Anderson's iconic updo is to tease one's fringe right alongside those longer-hanging locks, creating a loose and curly beehive of hair that sits atop the crown. Although Anderson's marriage to Lee only lasted four years, with the couple saying "I do" in 1994 and then divorcing in 1998, it was this Mötley Crüe-inspired look that would become one of the most replicated hairdos from this era in entertainment history. From Kim Kardashian to teens on TikTok, the 2020s have seen a massive resurgence in interest in the "Pammy." 

Feeling nostalgic for early 2000s hair? This Y2K look from model-turned-actor Pamela Anderson is sure to throw you right back to the days of *NSYNC, low-rise jeans, and flip phones. Although it might look dated now, Anderson's long, crimped hair look was actually on the cutting edge of fashion when she first wore it to the 2000 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo, Monaco. 

Crimping irons were invented in 1972, with the style seeing a bump in popularity in the 1980s, but it wasn't until the 1990s when this rogue style took over the entertainment industry, spreading around Hollywood like a virus. Christina Aguilera is considered one of the first celebrities to adopt the wavy look, with Anderson's entry into the crimped hair catalogue proving that there was just something that attracted Hollywood blonde to the crimping iron in the early 2000s.  

Part arthouse chic, part mermaid, the crimped style involves running locks of hair through an iron carved into zigzag plates. This intricate pattern prints itself onto each slip of hair, resulting in an ultra-wavy, zigzag hairstyle. For a star who was known for her appeal to sitcom audiences, with her bright smile, blue eyes, blond locks, and All-American appeal, this more avant-garde look signaled that Anderson was interested in exploring the limits of her public image and trying new things. With her divorce finalized and "Baywatch" winding down, it was time for a fresher look.  

After her marriage to drummer Tommy Lee ended in 1998, Pamela Anderson was back on the dating scene. However, it wasn't long before she was walking back down the aisle, this time to country rock singer Kid Rock. The two were both married and divorced in 2006, but Anderson's stormy romance was not without its fashion moments. 

With two sons at home, Anderson's vibe in 2006 was not exactly the ingenue energy she was serving in the late 1980s. This was a woman who had lived a life, and the flip style — '70s hair like Farrah Fawcett — that she wore throughout her marriage to Kid Rock signaled history, Americana, and mature glamor. Better yet, it also fit nicely with her image as a country star's wife. 

The hairstyle, often called the Farrah Fawcett flip, skyrocketed to fame when the "Charlie's Angels" star wore it for a swimsuit campaign in 1976. Big, textured, and fanned out around the face, there's nothing that screams nostalgia like this old school 'do. In her 2023 memoir, "Love, Pamela," Anderson detailed how her time with Kid Rock was mostly spent in Motown, surrounded by other musicians. "Our life in Detroit was full of music," she wrote (via Rolling Stone). And this hair look says it all. Soulful and traditional, you can almost hear the slide guitar when you see Anderson's retro flip.

Pamela Anderson may be best known for the iconic red swimsuit she wore on "Baywatch," but one could argue that her true legacy is in her animal activism. A longtime advocate for animal rights, Anderson has worked closely with organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for decades. Starting in 2008, she became more vocal about her beliefs. 

With this new branch to her career came a new hair look as well — a shorter, bouffant style that was a sharp departure from the sensual looks she was known for. In the same year that Anderson announced she would be selling one of her cars and donating the proceeds to PETA, she was also seen attending a party in Miami Beach, Florida, with the then-Senior Vice President of PETA, Dan Mathews. 

Paired with her black and white geometric dress and dramatic eyeliner, Anderson's bumped-up, shoulder-length hair was reminiscent of the stars of the 1960s, like Dolly Parton and Priscilla Presley. In addition to this more refined hair styling, Anderson also stepped back a bit from the blond hair dye in this era, with her brown roots seeping out and adding a darker dimension to her overall hair look. It was an aesthetic that showed the world she was ready to storm Capitol Hill to demand an end to animal testing — which she did in 2008 — rather than the beaches of L.A. 

It can be difficult for some to pull off a pixie haircut, but not for Pamela Anderson. Despite being internationally known for her flowing, blond locks, the actor took a daring step forward when she sheared off her hair in 2013. The spiky new pixie cut 'do was first unveiled to the public thanks to paparazzi shots of Anderson captured in October 2013, but this new look of hers wasn't a secret by any means. 

Throughout 2013, Anderson appeared on many red carpets and talk shows flaunting her dramatic new cut. Why chop her legendary tresses? The socially conscious star wrote that her shorter hair was more "aero dynamic" than her longer styles (via Yahoo). She later expanded on her definition, saying the pixie cut would make it easier "to run the NYC Marathon for Haiti — it's been a nice change." 

Unsurprisingly, though, there was a deeper motive behind Anderson's decision to cut off her sunshine-hued hair. Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show in 2013, the former Playmate said, "I just thought, you know, my hair had had a life. And I wanted to kind of put that behind me and start fresh" (via Us Weekly). The "life" Anderson referred to could potentially be her former life as a sex icon on screen, with her flowing hair playing a big part in her image as a seductress. By taking away that iconography, Anderson reclaimed her full personhood. 

In 2023, Pamela Anderson began to experience a renaissance. After years of lying low, the Hollywood legend was once again stepping into the limelight. Both her memoir and her Netflix documentary came out within months of each other, and she was also fresh off a stint on stage as Roxie Hart in the 2022 revival of "Chicago."  You may think that Anderson would be celebrating this resurgence of fame by hiring the best glam teams money could buy, but you would be mistaken. 

Instead, she shocked fans by making public appearances wearing no makeup and sporting her long, blond hair in easy, DIY hairstyles. While walking the red carpet at the 2023 Fashion Awards in London, Anderson made quite the splash with her raw skin on show, complemented by a low-slung ponytail with soft tendrils curled around her ears. Her updo was sleek, simple, and looked as if she had quickly tied it up before stepping out of the car. 

This wasn't a one-off event. Rather, it seemed that whatever new era Anderson was stepping into, it was crucial to her that she eschew all the expected trappings of Hollywood stardom. Repeatedly, the former "Baywatch" star stepped in front of the firing squad of paparazzi's cameras with her hair in an uncomplicated ponytail. One interviewer for Allure made note of the fact when interviewing Anderson, the actor had "her hair pulled back messily."

The 2024 film "The Last Showgirl" proved that Pamela Anderson's return to the limelight was not just a blip. No, the blond bombshell was here to stay. After years of living under the radar and raising her two sons, Brandon and Dylan, the mom of two locked back into action in 2023, starring as Shelly, the titular showgirl who is forced to reckon with her decades-long career on stage after her Las Vegas show goes under. An arthouse film, Anderson's career took a more serious turn with this film. Her looks? Well, they were evolving too. 

The former model made headlines when she appeared at a screening of "The Last Showgirl" in Los Angeles in December 2024, sporting a simple and mature fringe cut. Anderson's blond locks were still a bright shade, but this pared-back hairstyle gave off an almost academic aesthetic. With a pair of glasses perched on the edge of her nose, the star could have been mistaken for someone's film history professor. 

The look also revealed something no one could have guessed about Anderson's no-makeup era: She's still paying attention to fashion trends. Declared one of the hottest winter styles for 2025, the choppy fringe was on the up-and-up at the exact same time Anderson chose to opt for the serious snip. With this style, Anderson showed her cards, proving that she isn't as style-agnostic as people might think. 

The 57-year-old actor was a vision in gold and white at the 2025 SAG Awards. Nominated for her film "The Last Showgirl," Pamela Anderson served vintage glamor with a one-shouldered, white gown designed by Dior and custom-made jewels from Pandora. Despite her sparkling attire and accessories, though, it was her sweet hairstyle that tied the whole ensemble together. 

After decades of sex goddess curls, edgy updos, and rebellious pixie cuts, these carefully crafted curls marked a return to Anderson's girl-next-door origins. Seemingly inspired by Old Hollywood, her medium-length, honey-toned hair sat neatly on the crevices of her shoulders. Her voluminous fringe was coiffed, curled, and pulled to one side, mimicking her one-shouldered gown. 

It was a fashion-forward look and one that screamed "respectable" and "regal" rather than "Playboy model." She, of course, also paired her Greta Garbo-esque hair with a beaming smile and zero makeup — a look that has become Anderson's calling card in recent years. Ever since she burst back onto the scene with her documentary and memoir in 2023, Anderson has experimented with her hair. First, she appeared on red carpets with zero-effort ponytails, then she opted for a blunt fringe look. With this 2025 entry, Anderson has finally found her middle ground: unpretentious yet effortful; genteel yet alluring. After a lifetime of being defined by her appearance, Anderson is reinventing herself, one lock at a time.