Lindsay Lohan's Hair Transformation Throughout The Years

Though Lindsay Lohan is famous for her gorgeous red mane, she's changed up her tresses more than you might remember over the decades. "My hair has definitely been a big part of my look throughout my career, and I love how versatile it can be," she told Byrdie in October 2024. "I've gone through so many different styles and colors over the years, and I like that my hair can change to fit different roles and moments in my life." And she wasn't kidding when she said she'd tried quite the array of looks. Lohan has been the "Ultimate" (if you know, you know) hair icon, rocking almost every color from the darkest brunettes to the lightest blondes, and everything in between.

In 2006, Lohan explained why she's changed up her color so many times telling Mail Online, "I feel more chic when I have really dark hair. It's fun to change your hair color a lot and it's also good for my work as it's harder for audiences to believe I'm playing someone else in a movie if I always look the same. And I like shocking people." And shock us she has, because Lohan's transformation has been quite the wide-ranging journey.

In 2004, Lindsay Lohan was the It Girl of the moment and her tresses quickly became her signature. She was already in the spotlight thanks to movies like "The Parent Trap" and "Freaky Friday," in which she sported super red locks, but for the premiere of one of her most iconic movies, "Mean Girls," that April, she underwent a more grown up, celeb makeover. The starlet rocked amber hair (which would become a celeb staple in 2024) that shone blonde in the paparazzi flashbulbs and brought a lot of warmth to her skin. She kept things glam with a side-part and cascading waves that had every teen girl totally envious.

But she ditched the blonde undertones and returned to her classic red as the year closed out. For MTV's "Iced Out" New Year's Eve eight months later, Lohan was all about long, dark auburn curls with rich, red undertones.

Lindsay Lohan was a bona fide star by 2005 and was ready to change things up in the hair department. She left red behind and tried both ends of the color spectrum,  first giving bright blonde tresses a go for a Dior and The Cinema Society event in September. The highlighted, warm tone complimented her fair skin and she'd seemingly cut her locks into a bob and added long and dramatic sideswept bangs (the kind that trended again in 2023). Only, she told Allure in 2023 it was all an illusion. "I tied my hair in a bun and we just clipped short hair over it and we made the bangs. It wasn't even real," she said. The actor admitted she probably wouldn't recreate the look though, noting, "I don't know if I'd do that again ... I have a pretty round face and I don't know that bangs do me justice."

But this ever-evolving actor was done with blonde by the year's end and she attended the VH1 Big In '05 Awards with her darkest hue yet. Lohan opted for a dark brunette that was a little too deep for her skin tone and was close to washing her out. Lohan said she went so dark because she was trying to get back to red, but had to transition slowly.

Lindsay Lohan was still having a lot of fun with her hair in 2008. That February at the 3rd Annual Los Angles Italia-Film Fashion & Art Fest, she returned to a shade similar to her natural red, just a little darker. She wore her long mane down in a gorgeous auburn shade that gave a nod to her classic color as it toed the line between red and brown. But she made a move back to blonde a few months later. For an "Ugly Betty" preview party in September, Lohan opted for an ombre style full of dimension. She sported slightly darker blonde roots that blended into light, strawberry blonde ends.

As January 2017 rolled around, Lindsay Lohan was officially a classic redhead again. The beauty rocked her bright, iconic color for the Firenze4ever 14th Edition Party in January when she proudly showed off a dazzling intense copper. Lohan's hair was still long (as it has been for most of her career) and she styled it in long, glamorous waves that cascaded over her right shoulder. She toned down the vibrant red slightly by May, though, choosing a slightly more muted and cool toned version that made the perfect color match for her skin's cool undertones. The actor went for a classic aesthetic at the amfAR Gala and pulled her locks up into an Old Hollywood glamour-esque up-do with loose curls.

Lohan admitted she got a lot of compliments on her red tresses and regularly had people encouraging her to return to it throughout her career. "I would get from everyone I worked with, 'Oh so glad you're going back to red ... Finally, you're red again!'" she told Allure. "I feel like it takes you learning yourself to know what suits you best and over time, after messing with my hair and trying different things I ended up realizing I loved my hair red the most."

Lindsay Lohan was very much back to being a redhead in 2024. In January, she attended the "Mean Girls" remake premiere with her signature rich, glossy, red hair. She wore her stunning ginger locks in classic waves with a deep side part. But Lohan also went a blonder in 2024 when she put a new, lighter spin on red. In an October Instagram upload, she wore minimal makeup and thrilled fans with a vivid strawberry blonde hue styled in a middle part and beachy waves. "You look great, Lindsay," one person commented. "Gorgeous and beautiful," another wrote.

Lohan told Byrdie that same month that she'd learned to be proud of her natural, fiery tresses. "I've always loved my red hair, but I think it did take some time to fully embrace it as one of my trademarks," she said. "... I always found myself coming back to my natural red. There's something special about it — it feels uniquely me," she added. And we love to see her embracing her natural beauty.