Miley Cyrus' Jaw-Dropping Hair Transformation Through The Years

If there's one celeb who constantly stuns fans with her hair transformations, it's definitely Miley Cyrus. Known for her lustrous long locks during her "Hannah Montana" days, the "Wrecking Ball" singer has since experimented with numerous edgy styles, from a platinum pixie to out-there Texas hair. We're not surprised that the singer rocked short 'dos several times, as she was forced to wear hundreds of hair extensions by her mom, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, while filming the Disney series. "If it was under 250, my mom wasn't having it. Tish would say we need another row. Tish would be like, 'Take another row up.' We would have 250. Which they don't even do that anymore," Cyrus revealed on Harper's Bazaar's "The Good Buy" podcast.

Just like the transformation of Cyrus' bangs over the years, the rest of her hair has gone through dye jobs, breakup switch-ups, and COVID-19 DIY cuts. The Grammy winner is fearless when it comes to trying new coiffures, and if she gets bored with her current style, there's always a new one to try. Although some of Cyrus' hair looks had us cringing, we always have to give her props for never being boring.

Miley Cyrus was just a young teen when "Hannah Montana" debuted in 2006, and just like her character, she was known for her long, brunette hair, usually worn in bouncy waves. While Cyrus' locks had to be dark as a contrast to Miley Stewart's alter ego's blond wig, the "Flowers" singer infused some lighter highlights for a warm, multi-dimensional effect. Many fans undoubtedly copied Cyrus' look, and we now know that much of the volume was thanks to the magic of extensions.

Cyrus kept the same look during her "Hannah Montana" run, save for a couple of months when she decided to go dark. In 2008, she debuted inky locks, which was a reflection of her heartbreak after breaking up with Nick Jonas. "At first, I bawled for a month straight. I was so sad. I just went into this weird funk. And I dyed my hair black," she told Seventeen (via People). She explained that when the two pop stars were together, Jonas requested Cyrus get highlights, which she did. However, after their split, the "LOL" star went the complete opposite way. "I don't want to look pretty; I want to look hard-core. I was rebelling against everything Nick wanted me to be," she stated. By the time "Hannah Montana" ended its run in 2011, Cyrus' hair was noticeably lighter, with honey-colored highlights in her amber tresses. She was one of the many celebs who rocked side-swept bangs at the time, with hers just long enough to graze her cheekbones.

When it comes to changing her look, Miley Cyrus is always going to go for drama. No longer tied to Hannah Montana, the singer chopped off all her locks in 2012 and went for a platinum blond pixie with subtly shaved sides. She kept the top long enough for a quiff, which she wore sky-high and brushed slightly to one side. Cyrus was obviously thrilled about her new style, and in a now-deleted tweet shared by the LA Times, she told fans, "LOVE my hair ... feel so happy, pretty, and free." Amid some shade thrown by fans at her fresh cut, Cyrus tweeted (via Glamour), "[Liam Hemsworth] loves [my haircut] ... Last night he said I look the happiest he's seen me in a while. He likes seeing my eyes more."

Cyrus kept her hair on the short side during her "Bangerz" era, with different versions of a pixie, and she never felt freer. "I could never see myself having long, long hair again," the "So Undercover" star told E! News in 2013. Cyrus added, "I love it, my fiancé loves it. I mean, I'm feeling it. It's so much easier to like, just go shave the sides once a week, rather than like, getting your roots done." Despite vowing to keep her short hair, Cyrus sported a warm, buttery blond bixie in 2015, and the following year, fans saw her with long locks once again.

In 2016, Miley Cyrus proved that she was just like us when she attempted to dye her hair at home out of boredom but ended up with a platinum disaster. In a long Facebook rant, she told fans, "Learned a valuable lesson in this meaningless process. Bleached my f***ing natural healthy a** hair rebelling out of boredom while dealing with a consecutive amount of time off on the Woody project (2 months ago)!" She added, "Everything is a learning experience.... Even hair LOL."

Throughout the year, Cyrus grew out her DIY dye job and went with a more professional color, eventually settling on a warm golden shade in 2019. She opted for long, eye-grazing bangs and tousled waves for the "Avengers: End Game" premiere, complementing her laid-back California girl look with natural peachy makeup. After several rock star haircuts, Cyrus was clearly in her girl-next-door phase, reminiscent of her "Hannah Montana" days.

Proving that she's an utter hair chameleon, Miley Cyrus began 2020 with a brand new 'do — this time, a shaggy version of a mullet. "New Hair. New Year. NEW MUSIC!" she posted on Instagram in January of that year. The "Flowers" singer's cut included wispy bangs, short layers on the side, and choppy edges that fell right above her shoulders. "Ugh I LOVE girls in this style!" a fan raved.

Miley went even shorter a few months later with the help of her mom, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, and hairstylist Sally Hershberger during the COVID-19 quarantine, per People. The expert guided Tish via FaceTime, who gave Miley cropped bangs and uneven layers throughout. "A sharp pair of scissors, a feather razor, a comb, a few clips, and a spray bottle are essential," Hershberger shared. She revealed, "Instead of just telling them the step-by-step instructions, I physically do the cut with them. I find that actually demonstrating allows the client to get the best results."

Miley eventually grew out her mullet and went back to her brunette roots, going for big Texas hair at the 2024 Grammy Awards. In one of her most avant-garde looks yet, she showed up to the event wearing a sheer dress made out of safety pins and hair teased to the skies. While this wasn't one of her best 'dos to date, we love that Miley is never afraid to experiment, and she certainly made an entrance that night.

Miley Cyrus continued to bring the glam with her hair at the 2025 Oscars by channeling an iconic figure in pop culture. "For tonight's look, I was inspired by fictional character Jessica Rabbit for Miley's voluminous, marcel waves," her hairstylist Bob Recine told People. Cyrus' bangs were teased high into a loop that fell to one side, with the rest of her hair falling in big, bouncy waves. The Old Hollywood style went perfectly with the "End of the World" singer's embroidered black halter gown, while her bleached eyebrows and slightly smoky eye makeup gave her that edge she's known for.

A few months later, Cyrus revealed lighter blond strands at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival, with tousled waves and '70s curtain bangs. While talking to Variety, the actor teased that her new look may have something to do with the 20th anniversary of "Hannah Montana." Although she couldn't reveal any details, she did cheekily share, "You see the bangs." Cyrus has had numerous hair transformations since the show launched two decades ago, and we love that she's going back to her roots — but we don't expect her to keep her 'do for too long before she surprises fans with a new style.