Paris Jackson's Hair Transformation Through The Years Couldn't Go Unnoticed

Being born into stardom is an experience Paris Jackson is uniquely familiar with. While leading a relatively unconventional lifestyle as a young child to then suddenly being thrust into the public eye, everything from Paris' dating history to her personal appearance has been up for discussion. Of course, as the daughter of music legend Michael Jackson, this was to be expected. However, alongside Paris' growth came a wide range of style transformations that the public grew privy to, including her experimental hairstyles.

Throughout her life in the public eye, Paris has also been somewhat of a hair icon, oftentimes expressing herself through bright colors and punk hairstyles. In 2023, Paris even dished that she credits the '90s for inspiring her alternative-slash-hipster style. Her hair is seemingly an aspect of her appearance that she takes seriously, as she's someone who tends to see her hairstylist roughly every other month. "I don't like a different color of the rainbow every week, but I usually ask for something different every time I go," she said in an interview with Allure. "I change it up a lot, always in very subtle ways." Whether it be her rebellious foray into emo cropped cuts or a Y2K-inspired bohemian tousled updo, here are a few of the many hair transformations Paris has upheld over the years.

In a way, Michael Jackson's three kids all lived relatively lavish lives when they were growing up. This, however, didn't come without prioritizing their privacy. This culminated in each of his children — Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson — sporting a veil anytime they made public appearances, which was one of the many details Paris revealed about her childhood with Michael. During their 2010 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Paris spoke candidly about this time, stating that she understood why her father was trying to shield them from the public. "I appreciated it," she said. "It wasn't always comfortable, but, yeah."

As a result, Paris spent most of her childhood wearing hairstyles that accommodated her wearing the veil. Although it was hard to take notice of this from behind the veil, she'd frequently be seen wearing her hair pinned back into a bun underneath the translucent shroud. Sometimes, the ends were braided, and she'd top it off with a pretty bow that peeked out from the gauzy material. The elegant hairstyle complemented her go-to color choices, which were typically a soft pink or pure white. Given how sheltered she was at the time, the royal-like get-up was a perfect fit. However, during Paris' appearance on a 2020 Facebook Watch docuseries, she noted that the almost-too-perfect ensemble made her resemble a "porcelain doll," which she wasn't necessarily a fan of (via E! News). 

In 2009, Michael Jackson died from acute propofol intoxication. While the world was mourning his death, his family was photographed through an array of public appearances that saw them celebrate his life — including his children. From his memorial service to public interviews, this was the first time we'd see Paris Jackson in public without her veil. This was undoubtedly also the first time we'd see her wear her hair out, as opposed to it being pinned back. 

During her 2010 appearance at the Grammy Awards, she and her brother, Prince Jackson, accepted a lifetime achievement award on her father's behalf. There, she sported a long, slightly tousled hairdo that was parted down the middle, paired with glasses and a formal outfit. Since it was clear her identity was now known by the public, Paris did away with the veil, allowing everyone to see all the aspects of her natural brown hair. As she made more public appearances, Paris opted to keep her hair straight. It was fairly unique, as she had slightly tousled strands of hair toward the front to frame her face. She wore it long, too, as most of her layerd locks toward the back were long enough to be draped over her shoulders, while the strands in the front appeared shorter. 

By the age of 14, Paris Jackson became a notable face in the public eye. In turn, it became clear that Jackson was in between styles as she found her look, both with her wardrobe and her hair. This ultimately resulted in Jackson making a sudden change in hairstyle that publications couldn't ignore, which, in hindsight, hinted at Jackson's desire for more experimental 'dos. 

In 2012, Jackson was spotted in Los Angeles with a mystery boy — who People deemed a Justin Bieber doppelganger — and she sported her new front bangs. She continued to wear this straightened fringe hairstyle throughout the year, through baseball games to energy drink launch parties. The bangs covered all of her forehead and eyebrows, resting just above her eyes. Jackson kept her hair relatively long and natural like before, too, with her sun-kissed ends giving a two-toned appearance. Aside from her first few years wearing a trendy style that matched her youth, this was the first time we saw Jackson experiment with a unique hairdo. Safe to say that she pulled it off with ease. 

Growing up, Paris Jackson had an affinity for more alternative styles. In a 2022 interview with Vogue, she noted that once she began to lead a normal life, she daydreamed about adopting this one specific hairstyle (via Hello! magazine). "I've always been drawn to a dark, grunge look, even from a young age," she said. "I always had this image in my head, probably [from] when I was 7 years old, I remember going to the Middle East and being like, 'When I get older, I'm gonna have black hair with red streaks.'" She first played with this aesthetic in 2013 when she appeared on the cover of The Irish Mail, sporting a short, choppy cut with side bangs dyed black with red streaks. While this effectively gave the Mötley Crüe-inspired look she aspired to capture, her experiments with red dye didn't always work out. One such experiment saw her take to X in 2013 to upload a selfie of her failed attempt at dying her hair red, only to end up with an orange-ish, Ron Weasley color (via E! News).

From there, Jackson luckily found more success with red. For instance, in 2015, Jackson and her then-boyfriend, Chester Castellaw, attended the premiere of "Spring Awakening," where she wore brown highlights with red streaks. By September of that year, Jackson made the sudden jump and dyed her entire head bright red to commemorate reaching 100k followers on Instagram. 

Amongst the plethora of child stars growing up in the public eye, none were as polarizing as Miley Cyrus. Although Cyrus sustained a stunning transformation over the years, her iconic blond pixie cut phase in 2012 was one that fans at the time voiced their concerns over. Paris Jackson, however, notably defended the haircut on X. "I don't know why people keep hating on Miley's new cut ... I love it!" she wrote (via E! News). "She's being herself and she's being different, and I love her for that." 

The iconic hairdo seemingly inspired Jackson to adopt the style herself. In 2016, she took to Instagram to showcase her David Bowie-esque strawberry blond strands, which she deemed the "awkward phase" between her transition from jet black to blond (via Entertainment Tonight). As the caption suggests, however, it was only short-lived, as the end goal was a platinum blond pixie cut that somewhat resembled Cyrus' from 2012, both in its aesthetic and how rebellious it was publicly perceived to be at the time. For instance, during the peak of Jackson and Michael Snoddy's relationship, the two made a public appearance in Malibu, California to celebrate Bootsy Bellows' annual Fourth of July beach bash. At the celeb-studded party, Jackson revealed just how overgrown her pixie cut had become since she dyed it. As her roots continued to grow out, she'd then leave it generally unkempt and undyed, creating a unique hairstyle with blond at the top and her natural brown locks at the bottom.

Following the notable pixie-cut moment in 2016, Paris Jackson continued to style her hair accordingly as it grew in length. In 2017, Jackson had done away with her natural roots and wore a luminous platinum blond all over. She opted for a '70s rockstar bob, which she debuted while attending the Grammys in 2017, just seven years after attending her first Grammy event to accept an award on her father's behalf. 

Instead of wearing a middle part and glasses, the grown-up Jackson opted for a more alternative outfit. For the red carpet, she wore a stylish platinum blond bob alongside her elaborate multicolored Balmain gown. Her moderately tousled hairstyle included loose waves strategically layered to emphasize a bohemian-esque style she later became synonymous with. Paired with a side part, we got a hairdo that appeared purposely unkempt but overall made for a glamorous look. For the actual ceremony, Jackson, who got on stage to announce a performance by The Weeknd, switched her entire getup, sporting a disheveled top bun with strands of loose hair on both sides and some flowers for an extra hipster-like touch in a custom Jeremy Scott dress that she helped design.

After experimenting with various colors and cuts, Paris Jackson decided to keep her hairstyles relatively simple. As she grew older, she'd transition from the rebellious punk rocker aesthetic to a more indie chic look. Her style transformation was made clear once she found a more dedicated look that she could recreate time and time again, with only a few differences in between. This look happened to be her signature beach waves, which oftentimes revealed her natural brunette roots with blond highlights along the lengths of her hair. 

This hairstyle was her go-to for numerous occasions, such as the Motown 60th Anniversary event in 2019. In commemoration of Michael Jackson's history with the record label, the celebration saw Paris sport the same hairstyle, which she noted was her "standard" during a behind-the-scenes video with Vogue. The only difference this time, however, was that she wore it with a side part, helping to make the versatile hairdo appear more sophisticated. She's also not afraid to embrace a curlier 'do. In 2023, for instance, Paris took to Instagram to show off her music endeavors. Throughout the compilation video of her live performances that year, Paris was notably wearing surfer curls, which publications were quick to praise.

For Paris Jackson, 2018 was a year of new beginnings. From rocking bright red streaks to a rich platinum blond, Jackson fulfilled her aspirations of looking like her rockstar idols. Her hipster style, which frequently included chunky beads and multicolored threads, was always complete with her signature dirty blond beach waves. However, in 2018, she made a major transition that seamlessly blended with her go-to aesthetic.

Jackson's hairstylist, Riawna Capri, took to Instagram that year to share a picture of Jackson's rose gold hairstyle, which she described as "Bali Sunrise." The blended coloring was done tastefully, as her roots were left alone. Paired with her signature beach waves, Jackson's new hairstyle mirrored her old one, but instead of her highlights being blond, they were a peachy shade of pink. She fully experimented with this hairstyle later that month when she attended the Daily Front Row Fashion Awards, sporting a half-up, half-down hairstyle that was teased at the top. Jackson also wore extensions with pink and blue streaks. This ultimately created the illusion of her hair being multicolored, which, in turn, paired nicely with her minimalistic style. 

Alongside Paris Jackson's signature beach waves are her trademark blond highlights with brown roots. From 2013 onward, Jackson frequently experimented with her hair color, which reflected the different phases of her life. Whether it's sporting a jet black emo cut or prematurely wearing dark purple in commemoration of the late music legend, Prince, Jackson strayed away from her past as a full-blown brunette. That was until 2018, when she took to Instagram for a quick throwback moment.

On her Instagram Story, Jackson shared a selfie to showcase her long brunette locks, suggesting that she had fully transitioned back to her natural hair color. Not completely, however, as there were still remnants of blond through some of the ends of her hair. In addition to this, Jackson opted for a straighter look instead of her standard beach waves, which mirrored how she used to wear her hair when she was younger. The selfie captioned "now lol" was only a precursor for what she'd upload next (via Style Caster). In the next portion of her Instagram Story, Jackson posted a screenshot of herself at 12 years old wearing the same hairdo at a red carpet event in 2010.

The 2023 TV series "Swarm" took the internet by storm for its depiction of the realities of parasocial fandoms and the great lengths some fans would go to for the idols they admire. Alongside its comedic yet horrific storylines were shocking cameos that left fans in awe, such as Chloe Bailey and Billie Eilish. Amongst the star-studded lineup was Paris Jackson, who left fans confused, not because of her performance but rather her striking change in appearance. 

In the episode titled "Honey," Jackson portrayed Hailey, a biracial stripper who goes by the stage name Halsey — a play on the actual singer Halsey due to their shared ethnic roots — who conveniently found every opportunity to convey that she's Black. Instead of sporting her usual hair color, Jackson wore her hair jet black with a deep side part and laid edges. While this may not be the first time she's worn this color, it certainly caught viewers by surprise, with some not even noticing it was Jackson at first glance. Even her entire get-up was noticeably different from her '70s style, as her character sported more statement pieces. The sudden change in hairstyles, however, only complemented her performance. "Paris Jackson is a really good actor btw," one user wrote on X. "I need to see her in a lot more stuff."

Paris Jackson is no stranger to blending multiple styles at once and once described herself as a "melting pot" of her inspirations to Allure. This also reflects in how she chooses to wear her hair, as in 2022, she sported a hairstyle at the Vivienne Westwood Spring-Summer show that was a mix of her signature beach waves and French braids. Over the years, her uniquely tousled hair sometimes looked like locs, as some strands of her hair appeared more compacted than others. By 2023, she'd fully commit to this style by sporting faux locs from Marjolein van der Weide's company, Salty Dreads. 

As an admirer of the hairstyle, Weide sells premium handmade dreadlock extensions made out of either wool, synthetics, or actual human hair, all varying in length and size. Weide is no stranger to the Jackson family, as she worked closely with Janet Jackson for her 2022 Allure cover. Paris was next among her clientele in 2023, as Weide took to her company's Instagram to share a video of Paris sporting her loc extensions. They rested within the lengths of her hair toward the back, creating a nice blend between her beach waves and the extensions. The color suited her as well, as it shared the same brown-blond shade as her natural hair. "For 'Paris' with love," Weide wrote. "Beyond proud of you wearing my dread art."

Over the years, there have been a lot of peaks and valleys throughout Paris Jackson's entire style transformation. One thing always remained, however, and that was her affinity for an edgier aesthetic. As a musician herself who admired grunge artists such as Kurt Cobain when she was younger, this wasn't much of a surprise. What is surprising is her apparent transition to a more mature and elegant appearance. This shift became evident when Jackson covered her many tattoos during her 2024 Grammys appearance. She'd later take it a step further by sporting a hairstyle that highlighted this major style transition.

At the 2025 amfAR Gala in Cannes, Jackson wore an off-white sheer gown ensemble with beaded accents that sparkled, long sleeves that flowed well past her arms, a thigh-high slit, and white bodysuit underneath. Paired alongside the soft aesthetic was a tousled updo that proved to be different from how she's worn it in the past. While her platinum blond waves remained, the tresses she chose to leave out were conveniently swept to the side, emanating a more graceful feel. With Jackson's style transitioning away from colorful palettes to more neutral outfits void of her punk inspirations, this proved to be a hair moment that signified her maturity.