Ashley Tisdale Looks So Different Embracing Her Natural Hair & We're Stunned

Ashley Tisdale is joining the list of celebrities who look nearly unrecognizable with their natural hair color, as throwback pictures and natural-hair selfies reveal that the former Disney star is actually a curly-haired brunette. The New Jersey native has sported blonde tresses for some of her most iconic roles, including as hotel cashier Maddie on "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and as the spoiled Sharpay Evans in the "High School Musical" franchise. Even so, Christy Carlson Romano, who starred in "Even Stevens" alongside Shia LaBeouf,  shared a childhood snapshot with Tisdale showcasing the "Phineas and Ferb" voice actor's dark ringlets. "We were so young (before Disney)," Carlson Romano captioned the post. 

Equipped with a wide smile and cow-print jacket, young Tisdale's curly hair looks almost black in the throwback photo, marking a stark departure from the bright blond she sported during her Disney Channel days. The Hollywood figure showed off slightly more familiar brown-toned curls in a 2020 Facebook post, opening up about embracing her natural beauty. "I feel the most beautiful with no makeup, in a bathing suit swimming," she wrote. "No pressure, nothing to prove, just me." Instead of the near-black hue seen in Tisdale's childhood photo, the summery snapshot shows the star with a golden brown shade that absolutely suited her. While we love seeing her embrace her natural texture and color, Tisdale has revealed that there was a more practical motivation behind her shift from blonde.

Ashley Tisdale expanded her beauty and wellness brand, Frenshe, to include haircare products in January 2025, releasing thirteen products aimed at improving hair health. "It's a collection of gentle and effective formulas designed to help you simplify your routine and embrace your hair," she said in a press release via Maesa. Just as Selena Gomez's health issues impacted Rare Beauty's accessible packaging, the "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure" star revealed that her personal hair journey was a major motivator behind the holistic brand.

"I was diagnosed with alopecia in my 20s," Tisdale told Cosmopolitan. "I know people find that so crazy, because I have pretty thick, coarse hair, but obviously alopecia is different for everyone." While she was limited in how she could address the hair loss caused by the autoimmune disorder, she explained that the diagnosis prompted her to rethink her haircare. "I have always been pretty brutal to my hair, and it started with bleaching it blonde for a role, and then it was just a continual spiral of bleaching and extensions," the New Jersey native explained.

Since her diagnosis, Tisdale has avoided going back to the bright blonde of her Disney Channel days, choosing instead to embrace shades of brown inspired by her natural brunette color. She added that she also lets her natural curls shine when she's not working, opting for a less intensive hair routine. The celeb clearly has some meaningful motivations behind embracing her natural hair, with stunning results simply being a bonus.