Celebrities put a lot of time and effort into their looks, whether they are simply stepping out for dinner or doing a red-carpet appearance. They always have to look good. And for most celebrities, that involves wearing wigs and extravagant outfits to fit the aesthetic required.
Thanks to this intense pressure to always look the part, it’s no surprise to learn that most stars have to wear wigs when they’re outside. From rappers to musicians and actors, wigs aren’t anything new for celebrities. While they often strive to look perfect for the paparazzi and fans, we understand that it’s not always easy to step out in their natural hair. Even we struggle with that!
That said, different celebrities have different reasons for wearing wigs. So, here are a few of them you probably didn’t know wear them and why they do it!
1. Gwen Stefani
This former “No Doubt” band member and The Voice judge always looks stunning anytime she appears on TV. While she is currently focusing on new music, one of her most iconic looks for the last few years has been her blonde wigs.
While her day-one fans know her as a brunette, the star has never been shy to try different looks and wigs, and she has never been shy about admitting it. She’s previously been quoted saying it’s not real, and it’s been a long time since she’s rocked her natural hair.
2. Kylie Jenner
Reality TV star and makeup business mogul Kylie Jenner has always made the news because of her looks. Her fans are constantly anticipating what she will do next, whether it’s bigger lips, her outfit, a banging body, or her latest Instagram post.
When her business was in the early stages, Kylie did everything to gain the young generation’s attention, including donning bold-colored wigs. While stepping out, she wore red, green, and even yellow wigs, which undoubtedly made her stand out in any crowd or room she was in.
3. Cardi B
While Cardi B is now a world-famous musician and business mogul, she once lived hand-to-mouth and had to work in strip clubs to survive. When her hit song, Bodak Yellow, became a worldwide hit, she started owning red-carpet events with beautiful colorful wigs.
From pink to yellow, red, and black wigs, the singer never disappoints when she is on Instagram live, attending the Grammys or a party. Although she has beautiful natural hair, the wigs help her express herself and match her outfit for the day.
4. Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox has never shied away from revealing who inspires her looks and outfits when it’s time to show up and show out for an event: the multi-talented Beyonce. And we can all understand why because Beyonce never misses! For her, this inspiration also includes the hair department.
So it’s not surprising to see Laverne rocking booty-length hair extensions with blonde highlights, just like the former Destiny’s Child star. Frankly, she always looks amazing in them. Laverne says she ‘lives in wigs’ because she loves to be versatile and protect her natural hair.
5. Beyonce
Being a superstar and having to travel, create music and perform on tour for most of your life can be stressful. But now that Beyonce has established herself as a legend in the industry, she seems to be slowing down and enjoying the fruits of her labor.
We’ve only seen her natural hair a few times, but it’s long, beautiful, and healthy. She likely maintained this by wearing wigs for years to protect her brown curls. And it worked. She isn’t afraid to throw on a wig for her performances and appearances to suit her look of the day.
6. Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams gained popularity as a radio host before transitioning to TV for her daytime talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. Spending all that time on camera required her to change her looks frequently, so wearing wigs only made sense.
But there are a couple of times she has taken off her wigs and thrown them to her fans. She loves to rock different colors but always sticks to a distinct style she has loved for years. The different colors and textures are simply fun to experiment with.
7. Lady Gaga
The talented Lady Gaga was known for a long time for her crazy outfits on the red carpet or while performing on stage. She knows how to capture people’s attention using her fashion sense, which has never failed her. What some people don’t know, however, is that she is naturally a brunette.
But you will often see her rocking blonde, white, and black wigs on the red carpet, during performances, or in her movies. Her natural hair isn’t too long, but the wigs help give her a sense of drama and style that she enjoys while out with her fans.
8. Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks is a bonafide pioneer in fashion and beauty and also a talk show host who made a name for herself in Hollywood because of her hard work. But it didn’t come easy because she always had to look a certain way thanks to the world’s beauty standards.
So that meant constantly being in wigs on the shows she’s been a part of and while modeling, which she’s done for most of her adult life. Tyra isn’t a stranger to wigs in her closet. That said, her natural black hair is beautiful, and she loves to rock it while enjoying some downtime.
9. Adele
Adele is a British songstress known for her heartfelt, relatable songs and powerhouse vocals. While she’s gone through numerous changes throughout her career, one thing that has always stayed the same is her iconic natural hair. And she loves to flaunt it on stage.
But the singer has always been honest, admitting that it isn’t always natural. She loves wigs because of the volume they add and because they save time when she wants to get ready for the red carpet. She says she’s even named some of them because of how much she loves them!
10. Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna is famous for many things, but most people don’t know much about her natural hair because she always wears wigs. That said, in 2023, she has decided to go for more natural looks by getting rid of her fillers and implants, so we might be seeing more of her natural hair as well.
The social media influencer rocked pink, black, or blonde red wigs, especially while she was doing a reality show with her ex-husband, Rob Kardashian. Her natural hair is beautiful, long, and black, so don’t be surprised when you see her in a different look next time she steps out.
11. Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has been wearing wigs since she started her music career decades ago. But she has never been shy about that fact. Although her iconic hairstyle is a blonde wig, many of her fans will be surprised to know that that’s not her natural hair.
During an interview with Jimmy Fallon, she explained that she’s committed to being authentic, which includes being honest about her lifestyle and even her hair. No matter what she is wearing, though, Dolly always looks fly, and we can only hope to look that good at 70!
12. Emily Ratajkowski
EmRata is a famous model known for her beautiful magazine covers and social media presence, which has gained her millions of followers. She rocks different looks almost every day, and she constantly shares what she does to achieve her enviable looks.
She once captioned one of her photos, “another day, another wig.” Unsurprisingly, fans were happy to know the model uses different wigs to change her style because we would, too, if we had that kind of money! But whether it’s a brown or blonde wig, Emily always looks stunning.
13. Kerry Washington
Famous for her role as “Olivia Pope” in the series, Scandal, Kerry Washington is a renowned actress who’s gained fame and respect all over Hollywood. Whether on the show, on the red carpet, or just having fun on Instagram, it’s not surprising to see Kerry in a black wig.
On the show, she had to wear different wigs either for the storyline or sometimes because it would be faster that way. Plus, let’s face it, “Olivia’s” wigs were always fierce! But on her other recent one, Little Fires Everywhere, she decided to rock her natural hair because it better fits the narrative they’re portraying.