Erika Kirk Looks Unrecognizable In Childhood Photo With A Bowl Cut

Since her family tragedy skyrocketed Erika Kirk into the spotlight, the world has been seeing a lot of her. Consequently, we've gotten used to the former beauty queen's signature look. There are two things, in particular, that consistently stand out about Erika's appearance: her dark, severe eye makeup and her blonde, extra long hair extensions. Erika looks nearly unrecognizable in throwback Miss Arizona photos, and she looked so different in an old music video from her pageant days. Still, her long blonde locks seem to have always been a constant. Yet, Erika once revealed a photo of her from decades past. And, her childhood haircut may reveal why she is so committed to having tons of hair as an adult.

Diana Wallace/X

Erika was named Miss Arizona in 2012. Just after earning the coveted title, she gave an interview that made the rounds on X, formerly known as Twitter, after her husband, Charlie Kirk's, death in September 2025. During the interview, Erika recalled a haircut she had as a child, and it's hard to imagine based on her style today. "My mom hated combing my hair, 'cause it was so knotty, and my hair's super long," Erika explained. She added, " ... I didn't want it combed, and so we ended up cutting it like Bamm-Bamm — just like straight across bowl haircut." Erika showed a photo of her with the bowl cut, and it's easy to see why she later became committed to some serious hair extensions.

While describing the bowl cut she rocked as a kid, Erika Kirk laughed at the thought. Yet, it didn't seem like she disliked the haircut at the time the way so many kids might have. And, this fits with the picture she painted of her personality when she was growing up. During her interview, Kirk opened up about her youth, calling herself "super tomboy" and recalling her love of playing basketball and dislike for wearing dresses. "Everyone thought I was a little boy..." she recalled. 

Yet, Kirk explained that despite her disinterest in hair and makeup when she was young, "I think I always had that girly girl hidden within me." She noted, "After being such a tomboy and experiencing that my whole life, it was like — oh I can curl my hair; I can put on the mascara!" And, clearly that love of curling hair and applying mascara hit Kirk hard. These days, it's rare to see a photo of Kirk's makeup-free face, and her hair seems to get longer and thicker every time she makes an appearance. It's hard to imagine how different her look would be today if she never got that fateful bowl cut.