Patrick Dempsey's Hair Now and Then, in Photos

See five decades of PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive's changing looks

PEOPLE's 2023 Sexiest Man Alive Patrick Dempsey has a lot going for him — wife! kids! career! this title! — but there's been one constant that fans have always seemed to really love: his incredible hair.

Ever since he hit the scene in the 1980s, the actor has had some particularly luscious locks, whether he's wearing them naturally and wavy or perfectly salt-and-pepper styled (by wife Jillian for PEOPLE's cover!).

Here, take a look at Dempsey's five decades of hot hairstyles.

Patrick Dempsey's Hair in 1986

In one of his first roles, on the 1986 CBS series Fast Times, Dempsey kept his thick black curls long and tall.

Patrick Dempsey's Hair in 1992

At the Independent Spirit Awards, the actor sported the early makings of what would become his signature hairstyle.

Patrick Dempsey's Hair in 2005

As Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, Dempsey was absolute #hairgoals with his perfect dark coif.

Patrick Dempsey's Hair in 2005

In the 2010s, the actor went shorter for a while, and started letting his pops of gray come through.

Patrick Dempsey's Hair in 2022

When he began filming his upcoming movie Ferrari, Dempsey went platinum blond for the role of race car driver Piero Taruffi — a process he said took six hours.

Patrick Dempsey's Hair in 2022

And what'd he do when filming was done? Shave it off!

Wife Jillian told PEOPLE at the time that the cut was a beauty "rebirth" much needed for the star after dyeing his hair, which resulted in hard-to-manage roots that looked almost "invisible" as they grew out.

Patrick Dempsey's Hair in 2023

When Dempsey hit the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival to promote Ferrari earlier this year, he broke the Internet with his silver fox status.

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