Side-By-Side Pics Of Celebs Who Look Totally Different Rocking Bangs

Bangs. Sometimes the word alone can strike fear in those who have dared to give bangs a try only to regret it. Then there are those who, on a whim, dove headfirst into the latest bangs trend and consider it the best beauty decision of their life. However, it's this latter group that got lucky, because not only do bangs require some upkeep, but depending on the shape of your face and the texture of your hair, not every style of bangs is going to suit every person.

"Bangs should balance out the shape of your face," celebrity hairstylist Alexander von Trentini told Vogue in 2025. "This means that if you have a round face, the bangs need to go outwards to create a heart shape ... If you have a long and narrow face, you would opt for longer bangs, like curtain bangs and fringes along the face, to soften it." According to von Trentini, no matter the bangs you go for, they'll always be extra work, especially if you have long hair.

While there are some low-maintenance bang styles that make changing your look easy, it's definitely not something you want to try on your own. As we've seen on celebrities, bangs don't only instantly change your appearance, but they can also make or break it. So, if you're thinking of getting bangs, first consider just how much you're invested in switching up your look. Next, make an appointment with a hairstylist. In the meantime, let these side-by-side photos of celebs show just how drastic bangs can be.

Let's not beat around the bush: Dakota Johnson doesn't just look totally different with bangs, but she looks even better — as if that were possible. Granted, Johnson has already graced us with her most iconic cool-girl hair looks, but this lash-grazing fringe is absolutely phenomenal on her. Unlike her pre-bang days, Johnson looks sophisticated, sexy, and sultry with bangs, and since she's had her bangs, she's also showcased how versatile they can be, working for casual and dressy occasions. Frankly, Johnson currently has some of the best bangs in Hollywood, if not the very best. 

When Lupita Nyong'o hit up the 11^th Annual Governors Awards in October 2019, she brought her natural bangs along with her. As someone who tends to keep her hair very short and in draw-dropping gorgeous updos, Nyong'o's bangs were definitely a fun change for her. She paired her bangs with a bun and the overall style just gave a cool, relaxed vibe — despite her being at an awards ceremony. Although we haven't seen bangs on Nyong'o since, it would be cool for her to bring them back every once in a while to keep her fans on their toes.

If there's anyone in Hollywood who put bangs on the map, it's Zooey Deschanel. As Deschanel told Glamour in 2013, when she first started acting, she basically looked like every other woman with dark hair and blue eyes, so she wanted to change that. "I used my look to help create an identity," Deschanel told the publication. "Now people know me as the girl with bangs. They're not for everyone, but they work for me." While bangs have been her look for decades, photos of Deschanel without them do exist and she looks shockingly different without her signature bangs.

Although we all know by now that Nicole Kidman wears wigs and the reason why – to protect her stunning natural curls — that gives her even more of an opportunity to play with hairstyles. When she does shake things up with a shorter 'do or wigs with bangs, Kidman immediately turns into someone else, something that could help her when preparing for a role. But what's interesting with Kidman is even if she sticks to her usual golden blond shade, once bangs are added to the equation, it really changes her overall appearance. 

Since Michelle Obama left the White House in January 2017, she's been embracing her authentic self. Not only has her style evolution since leaving the White House been incredible, but after eight years of playing nice, biting her tongue when she didn't want to, and doing all the right things, Obama is so evolved in who she is as a person that she's now able to give a masterclass in unlearning people pleasing behavior. Since 2017, Obama has kicked the bobs and bangs to the curb, looking not just better, but relieved and happier for being allowed to literally let her hair down again. 

Although Sabrina Carpenter doesn't look as different with bangs than without bangs compared to other celebrities, the energy she delivers with bangs is in another stratosphere. Without bangs, Carpenter looks conservative and almost pious, as though she's going to church. But once she turns into one of the celebrities who perfectly rocks chic curtain bangs, you're suddenly dealing with a sex kitten who isn't just out to seek revenge on a man who wronged her, but about to do so in a way that makes her an inspiration to women everywhere.

As one of the stars of HBO's "Euphoria," Hunter Schafer really got to experiment with a lot of different looks, especially when it came to hair and makeup. But even offscreen Schafer has proven herself to be a total style icon, as well as someone who isn't afraid to give new and sometimes quirky things a try, as evidenced by these fringed micro bangs. With Schafer, it's amazing how much bangs make her into a punk rock diva in her villain era, compared to no bangs — in which she's the pure embodiment of old school Hollywood glamour.

Let's be honest, there's nothing Rihanna can't do, so it only makes sense that's she rocked the chicest bangs on several occasions and, every time, looked like a completely different person. It's not just because she changes the color sometimes when she goes from bangs to no bangs, but similar to Sabrina Carpenter, her entire vibe does a 180. Rihanna goes from trad wife to sultry vixen, then when she shows off just how well she's mastered the art of the red lip in addition to pulling off bangs, everything about her is elevated and she redefines cool.

Although Miley Cyrus' bangs transformation over the years has been impressive, it was the super-micro bangs that she rocked at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, after having walked the red carpet with no bangs and big bouncy curls earlier in the night for the awards ceremony, that had people talking. While there's nothing new about actors doing a dress change after the Oscars and before the parties, getting an entirely new hairstyle during that time definitely isn't as common. However, that's exactly what Cyrus and her hairstylist, Bob Recine, decided to do and they nailed it.