Rihanna's Best Hairstyles and Cuts Through the Years

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Rihanna has been a hair, beauty and fashion icon since she arrived on the music scene in the mid-2000s.

From tousled, island-girl waves to her Good Girl Gone Bad era's iconic black bob, no hairstyle is off limits for the artist. She's known to get particularly creative for red carpets or events like the Met Gala — and she isn't afraid to experiment with her hair color either. The Anti singer has sported honey blonde locks, bright red updos and even blue-streaked bangs over the years. No matter what color or cut she's rocking, it's abundantly clear that the Barbaros-born star is the ultimate hair chameleon.

From daring pixie cuts to creative braided styles, take a look back at Rihanna's best hair moments over the years.

RELATED: Rihanna's Best Outfits: Her Most Iconic Looks Yet

Sleek and Straight

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At the beginning of her career, Rihanna kept things simple with a sweet, girl-next-door vibe. At Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Awards party in 2007, the singer graced the red carpet with long, copper-tinted locks and a sunkissed makeup look.

Asymmetrical Bob

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Later that year, Rihanna dramatically changed her look with the release of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The now-iconic bob haircut was created by celebrity stylist Ursula Stephen and helped propel the singer's new, edgier image. At the 2007 MTV VMAs, Rihanna rocked an asymmetrical bob with side bangs and a few streaks of platinum blonde.

Edgy Pixie Cut

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Rihanna's short hairstyle quickly evolved into a pixie cut. At the 2008 Grammys, the star wore her newly cropped hair with choppy bangs framing her face.

A Colorful Updo

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For the 2008 MTV VMAs, Rihanna revamped her pixie cut by adding lots of curly texture. The star also experimented with dark blue streaks at the front of her hair, along with platinum highlights.

Honey-Blonde Pompadour

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Rihanna's short hair era continued with a dramatic pompadour style that she wore to the 2010 Grammy Awards. The gravity-defying look featured shaved sides and a new honey-blonde shade.

Beehive Updo

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In 2010, Rihanna debuted a bold new hair color. At the MTV Europe Music Awards, the singer's freshly dyed locks were styled into a voluminous beehive updo, giving her red carpet look a retro-glam feel.

Bouncy Red Curls

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At the 2010 American Music Awards, Rihanna played up her red hair with a matching red dress — but her bouncy curls were the star of the show. The fun style fell just above her shoulders and featured face-framing layers and tons of volume.

Fiery Red Bob

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Rihanna's red hair made its Grammys debut at the 2011 ceremony. The star's vibrant locks were styled into a bouncy, shoulder-length bob, which served as the perfect complement to her off-the-shoulder Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture mermaid gown.

French Side Braid

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Rihanna seemingly channeled Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid at the 2011 Met Gala. The star wore her copper-red hair in two face-framing braids that met to form one long braid, which she wore draped over her shoulder.

Platinum Curly Shag

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At the 2012 Grammys, Rihanna wore a blonde curly style. The layered look featured dark roots and fluffy texture for an effortless, rockstar feel.

Updo with Shaved Sides

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Rihanna is known for her interesting hairstyles, but her Met Gala looks are always show-stopping. For the 2012 event, she wore an artful updo with multiple buns all around her head. The addition of shaved sides infused the style with the singer's signature edge.

Pixie Cut with Baby Bangs

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Rihanna returned to the pixie cut in 2012 with this chic style. At the MTV VMAs, the singer appeared in a cropped cut with baby bangs, reminiscent of hairstyles that were popular in the 1960s. Her fluttery lashes and red lipstick amped up the retro-inspired look.

Side Pony with Finger Waves

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At the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Rihanna looked like a vintage screen siren. The singer took the stage for her performance in glamorous finger waves that were gathered into a ponytail. At the front of her hair, the retro waves were styled to give the effect of swooping bangs.

Bouncy Ombré Curls

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Yet again ahead of the trends, Rihanna appeared at the 2013 Grammys with an ombré hairstyle. Her long, voluminous curls enhanced the brunette-to-blonde gradient, and the center part kept things simple and elegant.

Rock 'n Roll Mullet

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At New York Fashion Week in 2013, Rihanna shocked fans by debuting an edgy mullet cut. The jet-black style looked like a chic pixie cut from the front, but in the back, had tapered layers that fell below her shoulders.

Romantic Updo

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If there was any doubt that Rihanna can truly do it all, her hairstyle at the 2014 MTV VMAs is solid proof. Fresh off of her '80s-style mullet, the singer opted for a very different look — a wispy, romantic updo with face-framing curls.

Bantu Knots

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Rihanna loves to experiment with different protective styles, and her Bantu knots look at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards was certainly one of her best.

Messy Updo

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The Met Gala may be one of the poshest events of the year, but that didn't stop Rihanna from rocking a messy updo in 2014. The star's textured waves were piled high on top of her head, draping over her face for an effortless sexiness. Her silver hair accessory also paired perfectly with her gown's bejeweled collar.

Sultry Scarf

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There's no question that Rihanna's see-through crystal-embellished gown at the 2014 CFDA Awards was one of her most memorable red carpet moments. The glittery ensemble by Adam Selman featured a matching headscarf that the star wore over her longer pixie cut with face-framing tendrils, courtesy of hairstylist Yusef Williams.

Red Bob

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At the 2015 Met Gala, Rihanna embraced bold color with both her choice of gown and her hair. The massive golden-yellow ensemble from Chinese couturier Guo Pei became instantly iconic along with her flipped-out red bob. To accentuate the short style, the singer wore an intricate headpiece featuring red gemstones.

Tousled Bob with Bangs

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In 2016, Rihanna was still loving the bob, but she traded in her vibrant red hue for a dark brown. At the Billboard Music Awards, the singer wore her hair in tousled waves with center-parted bangs.

Mermaid Waves

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At the 2017 Grammys, Rihanna's long, textured waves — which had recently been dyed a warm copper shade — matched her flowy black skirt by Armani Privé.

"She could be a bit more relaxed because she wasn't performing — not overthinking or overdoing," hairstylist Williams told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. "We did decide prior to color her hair! Not for the Grammys per se, but for life."

Sleek Top Knot

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A top knot was the only logical hairstyle to accompany Rihanna's avant-garde Comme des Garçon gown at the 2017 Met Gala. The star's hair was piled high on top of her head and twisted into a neat bun, her eyebrow-grazing bangs just short enough to still show off her dramatic pink makeup look.

Lots of Locs

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To play the character of Nine Ball in the 2018 heist-comedy Oceans 8, Rihanna donned massive locs that her hairstylist Williams said were a nod to her Caribbean roots.

"It probably was the easiest style she's ever had, since she got to be free and cool and see herself differently," the stylist told Allure. "She's a huge pop star, and then we kind of stripped her down and gave her locs that we didn't make super, super pretty. She made them glamorous when she wanted, and then super casual when she wanted. I thought it was cool to see her locs own the night whenever she went out."

Blunt Lob

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Rihanna embodied Parisian chic at Paris Fashion Week in 2018. The singer wore her hair in a blunt, side-parted lob, along with a breezy, all-white ensemble and white graphic eyeliner.

Red Box Braids

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This summery look is the epitome of Rihanna's bold, playful glam. In June 2019, the star attended a Fenty event in a hot pink dress and long red box braids that fell below her waist.

Effortlessly Chic Updo

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Rihanna embraced classic glam at the 5th Annual Diamond Ball in 2019. Her jet-black hair was styled into a perfectly messy updo with thick, face-framing strands courtesy of Williams.

High Half-Pony

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There seems to be no limit to the number of ponytail hairstyles in Rihanna's arsenal. While out and about in New York City in 2019, the singer's dark hair was pulled into a high half-pony with voluminous waves falling around her shoulders.

Fulani Braids

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At the 2019 Fashion Awards, Rihanna opted for medium-length Fulani braids created by her hairstylist, Williams. The protective style, which Byrdie reports was made popular by the Fulani people of Africa, usually incorporates cornrows and intersecting braids.

Straight Hair with Bangs

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Rihanna was back to brunette again in 2021. At the premiere of Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3, the star looked sophisticated with long, straight hair and blunt bangs.

Braided Updo

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Perhaps an homage to her heritage, Rihanna wore an intricate braided style while attending the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony in her native Barbados in 2021. The updo featured one larger braid on the right side of her face and a smaller one beginning just above her left ear, with multiple braided loops around her head.

A Playful Pony

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Rihanna's pregnancy glam was in full swing at the launch of Fenty Beauty in Ulta stores in March 2022. No hair was out of place in the sleek, flipped-out high ponytail created by the mogul's go-to hairstylist Williams.

Cascading Waves with Micro Cornrows

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Rihanna's return to the red carpet was nothing short of stunning. At the 2022 premiere of Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever, the star wore tousled waves that fell over her face for an effortlessly glam feel. Her hairstylist Williams also included micro cornrows above her ear on the left side of her head.

Sculptural Updo

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She may have skipped the red carpet, but Rihanna's jaw-dropping look at the 2023 Golden Globes did not go unnoticed. Hairstylist Williams put a modern spin on Old Hollywood glam with a sleek, sculptural updo featuring a single curl framing her face.