Michelle Obama's Evolving Hair Transformation Comes With Some Bold Styles

During President Barack Obama's two terms, Michelle Obama kept her look befitting for the First Lady that she was. But since leaving the White House in January 2017, the bestselling author has let her hair down — literally. Long gone are the days of the power bob, layered lobs, and low buns. These days, Obama is finally getting to express herself again and she's doing so not just with her outfits, but with her hair too.

For years, not just while she was in the White House, but during Barak's presidential campaign, Obama played it very safe with her hair. "We were the first [Black family in the White House]. And I was like, first of all, they've got to get used to us," Obama told RevoltTV in 2022 about the hair styles she wore while her husband was president. "When we did a fist bump with each other, they turned that into a terrorist act. Who needs the hassle?"

But now that she is no longer First Lady, Obama has been rocking trendy hair looks left and right, proving when it comes to experimenting with style, she's fearless. If you need any sort of hair inspo, then look no further than Michelle Obama. With her unforgettable styles, Obama reminds us that we should have more fun with our hair.

While on her book tour for "Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry," the former First Lady stopped at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta Georgia in December 2022 looking a whole boatload of cool. Although the majority of her hair had been swept up into a high bun, a few micro braids were left down as tendrils to frame her face. To complete her look, Obama also wore a classic black leather jacket, proving that staying chic in your 60s and beyond is easily attainable with the right pieces.

In a move that would have had MAGA losing their minds had she still been in the White House, Michelle Obama went au natural with her hair during a conversation with Oprah Winfrey in December 2022. While the front was pulled into microbraids and parted down the middle, the back left her curls in big, wild, and beautiful ponytail. After years of keeping her natural hair texture under wraps during her husband's political career, Obama must have sighed a big sigh of relief that first day she was able to let her real hair breathe again. Especially in such an epic way.

 For National Book Lovers Day on August 9, 2024, Michelle Obama posted a photo of herself at a bookstore debuting one of her longest hairstyles to date: A loose braid that dangled past her waist. The look was a significant departure from the previous medium-length blowouts we had seen her wear during The White House Years. While we would normally associate a long braid with a princess-like look, Obama kept the vibe super casual by wearing a black jacket and a black baseball cap. Many followers chimed into the comments to praise the new 'do. 

In March 2025, Michelle Obama spoke on stage during the IMO Live podcast at the 2025 SXSW Conference and her hair was all the rage. Why? Because of the braids — so many braids — mixed with mermaid-like waves, which created a look that was completely show-stopping. But beyond the hairstyle being stunning to look at, it also marked a significant turning point in Obama's hair transformation. She previously shared that during her time at The White House, she didn't wear braids because she didn't want her hair to draw attention away from politics. Seeing her wear the style so confidently for a public appearance in 2025 is evident that Obama finally feels comfortable wearing her hair how she wants and doesn't mind if it causes any conversation. 

Though we typically associate space buns and y2k comeback trends with Gen Z, Michelle Obama proved the updo is a great hairstyle for older women who want to stay youthful. During an episode of IMO in April 2025, the 61-year-old wore two large, Princess Leia style buns on top of her long micro braids. Although the official guest that day was Tracee Ellis Ross, a fellow celebrity who proved styles gets better with age at the 2025 Met Gala, Obama's space buns pretty much stole the show. Several fans in the comments of her Instagram praised the look for giving her a playful vibe.