What These Celebrities Look Like When They Ditch Their Signature Bangs

Seeing a celebrity without their signature bangs can be so jarring — whether you come across a picture from before they developed their famous look or they decide to switch it up for a special event. Some stars just look totally unrecognizable without this definitive hair style, and that includes Taylor Swift. When the "Opalite" singer first broke out in the country music scene in 2006, she had long curly hair with long bangs parted to the side and away from her face. Taylor Swift's signature bangs have transformed a lot over the years, and she looks a lot different with a full fringe in 2026. 

Dakota Johnson is another actor who is known for her bangs — in fact, she started cutting them herself at just 4 years old. "I cut them myself when I was about four, and I absolutely loved them," she told Vogue Germany in October 2025. "I've had them my whole life, except for when I was about 10 to 14. I just feel like myself with bangs." There have been a few other times that she's ditched the bangs, and she is practically unrecognizable.

Oftentimes, bangs totally transformed celebrities' looks, which is why so many of them hardly ever go back to their pre-bang era. It's fun to reminisce, though. And, you never know: Looking at side-by-side photos of celebrities with and without bangs may just inspire you to get your own haircut!

Before she was the quirky and cute Jess from "New Girl" — with the colorful outfits and signature bangs — Zooey Deschanel actually went through a period of time showing her full forehead. (Without photo evidence, we wouldn't have believed it either!) In a snap from the Kiehl's 150^th Anniversary Motorcycle Tour in 2001, Deschanel was unrecognizable with her hair pulled completely away from her face and a headband on. The difference is unbelievable compared to a 2025 appearance at a screening of "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," where the star had bangs that were expertly styled over her forehead.

Sabrina Carpenter is another celebrity who got bangs after getting famous, and now it's hard to picture what she looked like before. In a photo from the premiere of "Vampire Academy" in 2014, her long blond curls were parted on the side, with no sign of bangs in sight. It's a far cry from her 2026 hair at the Grammy Awards, which was highlighted platinum blond and featured stunning curtain bangs curled on each side.

Although Dakota Johnson has had bangs for most of her life, she has taken a break from a fringe in the past. In 2010, for example, her hair was parted in the middle and showed off her full forehead at an appearance at the Art of Elysium "Bright Lights" event. Her hair was blonder at the time too, and even her makeup looked different with light eyebrows, eyeshadow, and bright-red lips. At the TIME100 Gala in 2026, she wore her signature style, with a messy-cut bang, darker eyebrows, and a nude lip.

Elizabeth Olsen has had many types of bangs through the years, and they all looked great on her. The most surprising hairstyle, however, was when she slicked her bangs away from her face completely at the "Eternity" U.K. premiere in November 2025. The wet hair look was amazing on her, showing off her beautiful features and bright eyes. It's definitely a change from her regular bangs, which we saw during her appearance at the Givenchy show at Paris Fashion Week in 2026.

Jennifer Lawrence has had several different types of bangs in her life, from a full fringe to curtain bangs and more. They all look beautiful on her, and surprisingly, a no-bangs style does, too! She attended the Gotham Film Awards in 2025, wearing her long blond hair parted in the middle and tucked behind her ears. However, we're much more used to seeing her with bangs, like the ones covering her forehead at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards.

Halle Berry has had an incredible hairstyle evolution throughout the decades. Before she had her signature bangs, she once rocked a pixie cut without bangs! She looked fierce with her hair styled straight up on her head at the Golden Globe Awards in 2010. With a full fringe (and less dramatic makeup), Berry was pretty and refined at the world premiere of "Crime 101" in 2026. How does she make both styles look so perfect?

Kardashian family matriarch Kris Jenner is now known for her short hair and full bangs, but she frequently used to style her hair without covering her forehead. Case in point: when she had a pixie cut with her bangs lifted completely off her face at Rihanna's Diamond Ball in 2014. Compared to her 2026 Met Gala appearance, where she had a blunt bob with bangs reaching down to her eyes, she looked totally different. Bangs look great with her face shape, so we're glad this has become her go-to look since, but we miss seeing her bright eyes so clearly.

Taylor Swift's beauty regimen can be summed up in three ways: cat-eye eyeliner, bright-red lips, and bangs. She had none of those signature items at the 2007 CMT Music Awards. Instead, she had regular black eyeliner, pink lip gloss, and curly hair parted on the side that revealed her whole face. She looked totally different in a much later photo taken at the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, with bangs cut to her eyebrows and the aforementioned beauty trends. One thing's for sure: She is beautiful either way!