Jennifer Aniston's Hair Transformation Since Friends Ended
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Jennifer Aniston's bronzy hair has been a trendsetter ever since she starred in "Friends," with the popularity of "The Rachel," a choppy, shoulder-length cut named after her on-screen character, being an early testament to Aniston's influence on the beauty world. Even though it's been a long time since she's sported the voluminous lob, with the classic sitcom ending in May 2004, the Hollywood figure has continued to turn heads with her sleek layers and blonde highlights. So, while she has evolved a lot since entering showbiz in the '80s, her post-"Friends" hair transformation is a journey all its own.
Aniston's ongoing evolution includes the launch of LolaVie in September 2021, with the star releasing haircare products like LolaVie's Glossing Detangler and Intensive Repair Treatment. "I think our hair is a big part of our expression — of how we feel," she told Forbes. "You have a good hair day and you have a bad hair day, so it was really important for me to see proper haircare and to have products that had multiple benefits." With this ethos in mind, it's not surprising that Aniston has managed to maintain her glossy trendsetter status over the years.
Jennifer wore a tousled, layered look shortly after the show's end
Jennifer Aniston appeared at the premiere of "Troy" in May 2004, sporting a slightly tousled hairstyle made up of glossy, long layers and cheek-reaching pieces of fringe. The face-framing tresses feel like a grown-out rendition of curtain bangs — the bangs trend that will effortlessly update your look. What stands out most to us about this post-"Friends" hairdo is the subtle mixture of caramel brown and dark blonde that makes for a glossy, envy-inducing hair color. "Jen's the original bronde," her long-time colorist Michael Canalé told Vogue.
She sported a straightened hairstyle reminiscent of her TV show character
Next, the sleek hairdo that Jennifer Aniston wore at the 78th Annual Academy Awards feels like it would be right at home in a Rachel Green look, with the star straightening her layered locks and tucking her subtle, side-swept bangs behind her ear. While she wore her iconic, choppy bob in early seasons of "Friends," the actor transitioned to a longer, typically stick-straight style later in the series, with her hair iron even being the source of an apartment fire in Season 6. So, in addition to the Rachel outfits that would still be on-trend today, we think Aniston could effortlessly bring back this "Friends"-reminiscent hairstyle.
The star opted for a sleek middle-part at the GLAAD Media Awards
Jennifer Aniston kept the sleek and straight look for 2006, attending the GLAAD Media Awards with her signature long tresses worn around her shoulders. The "Cake" star changed things up by opting for fewer layers in favor of a more uniform cut with light feathering toward the ends, forgoing the face-framing fringe and voluminous layers of previous cuts. She styled her bronzy tresses in a middle part, showcasing hints of her natural brunette color at the roots, managing to look as chic and polished as ever with the glossy look.
She posed with a high ponytail and side-swept bangs in 2009
Fast forward to 2009, Jennifer Aniston styled her hair into a voluminous ponytail for the premiere of "He's Just Not That Into You," a romantic comedy-drama that the California native appeared in alongside stars like Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, and Bradley Cooper. She also wore side-parted bangs for the event, with her long-time hairstylist Chris McMillan speaking to her affinity for the ponytail-and-fringe combo. "She likes to use her hair as a prop, so she'll be able to look over and use her fingers to push the hair out of her eyes," the expert told People in 2014.
Jennifer debuted a shoulder-length cut at the Just Go With It premiere
Jennifer Aniston made a major change to her hair in 2011, showing off a shoulder-length lob at the premiere of her Adam Sandler-starring movie "Just Go With It." The highlight-infused cut was strikingly different from the voluminous Rachel cut, with the actor forgoing choppy layers for simple feathering. This same year, Aniston revealed in an interview with Allure that she wasn't a fan of her iconic "Friends" look. "How do I say this? I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen," she said per CBS News. In this way, it's not surprising that she chose to take her post-sitcom lob in a sleeker direction.
The deep side-part she wore in 2013 was fashionably tousled
Another notable moment in Jennifer Aniston's hair evolution came in 2013, with the actor returning to a chest-length cut by the time she attended the European premiere of "We're The Millers." She starred in the raunchy comedy alongside Jason Sudeikis, Will Poulter, and Emma Roberts. The celeb opted for a flirty and floral dress for the event, pairing the unexpected fashion choice with a voluminous side-part that featured plenty of highlights. Though we always love the star's sleek and straight looks, Aniston just as effortlessly rocks hairstyles infused with volume and texture.
The Hollywood figure used blonde tresses to frame her face in 2016
After that, Jennifer Aniston showed off her beautifully-colored hair at the 2016 Critics' Choice Awards. The chest-length cut featured dark, transitional roots and purposefully-placed blonde highlights, with bleached pieces framing the star's face for an enhanced effect. "Over time, you can see that I sanded out her hairline, making it brighter to bring out her eyes and warm complexion," her long-time hair colorist Michael Canalé told Vogue of her dye transformation. The subtle, but striking shading adds Aniston to the list of celebs who have rocked the chic money piece hair trend.
Jennifer rocked a curly, beach-ready look at the Patron of the Artists Awards
Jennifer Aniston demonstrated that she's the queen of beachy curls at the Patron of the Artists Awards in 2019. The "Just Go With It" actor sported a middle-parted 'do that hung in loose waves around her shoulders, with the blonde, expertly-twirled pieces surrounding her face bringing depth and dimension to the look. Chris McMillan opened up to Vogue about his secrets for achieving Aniston's messy, voluminous curls, highlighting a combination of Ishi Sculpt Texturizing & Sculpting Paste and Kerastase Discipline Oleo-Relax Advanced Hair Oil as his go-to texturing products.
The star turned heads with a sleek lob in 2024
Jennifer Aniston added another chapter to her post-"Friends" hair transformation with her return to a shoulder-grazing lob in 2024. She wore the look for a "The Morning Show" event at PaleyFest LA, styling the cut into a sleek side-part with some subtle layering around her face. Many outlets drew comparisons between the hairstyle and the iconic Rachel, but we think the modernized lob is a sleek and chic reflection of just how much the celeb has evolved. Even so, we still can't wait to see what the future has in store for Aniston's envy-inducing tresses.