Sarah Hyland's Stunning Hair Transformation

Sarah Hyland's stunning transformation has included more hairstyles than you might think — despite her needing to keep her locks a certain length while filming "Modern Family." "I have to make sure that my hair is long enough by the end of the summer, so that if 'Modern Family' needs me to put extensions in, it's long enough to blend," she explained to Style Caster in 2015, revealing she'd been desperate to try a pixie cut. Though we haven't seen Hyland go that short (yet), there are plenty of other styles she's rocked with fierce confidence.

The former "Love Island" host has worn everything from super long curls and waves to chic and short bobs, trying out striking brond shades (a brunette and blond hybrid), red tints, and super dark dyes. She's also joined the ranks of celebrities who look gorgeous with their natural hair, proudly showing off her un-styled curls on social media and red carpets.

"I don't really know how to do my hair and since I haven't been working recently, I guess I've gone au natural. I've got the 'fro out for the summer," she joked toThe Hollywood Reporter in 2017. The actor's also made candid confessions about keeping her tresses in shape, sharing extension confessions and opening up about her experience with hair loss, which is why we're taking a look back at her inspiring mane journey.

When a teenage Sarah Hyland rose to fame as Haley Dunphy on "Modern Family" in 2009, she rocked chest-length long, brunette hair. "They curl it and then put their fingers through it so it doesn't look curled," Hyland told AlloyTV about how the show's glam team styled her tresses. "It kind of takes the frizz out ... I call it the Disney girl because everybody on [The Disney Channel], their hair looks like that," she added.

The actor embraced the youthful look in her own life, too. She was regularly spotted on red carpets sporting her lengths curled a la the oldest Dunphy child and, just like Haley, she didn't deviate from the cut for a while. It wasn't until 2011 when we saw the star try something different as she sported wispy bangs with her deep chocolate locks in a sophisticated up-do on the Golden Globes red carpet.

After rocking her signature brunette for a very long period of time, Sarah Hyland was clearly read to make a major change in 2014. That August, the New York native dipped her toe into the bleached world with chunky highlights, which looked gorgeous in the large, sophistical bun she sported on the Emmys red carpet.

By November though, it was apparent that she was ready to take things one step further. "They say blondes have more fun. Let's see how this goes," she captioned a mirror selfie that she posted to Instagram. The actor looked totally different in the filtered snap, which showed her with totally blond wavy hair that was arguably her lightest and longest look to date. Fans couldn't get enough of her new Hollywood It Girl style in the comments, with one fan writing, "Gorgeous! Love the locks!!"

2016 saw Sarah embrace a couple of dramatic hair changes. Though many people choose to lighten their locks around spring, Hyland did the opposite that March ahead of her role as Lisa Houseman in ABC's live TV production of "Dirty Dancing." Fans were used to seeing her "Modern Family" character as a brunette, but Hyland put her own stamp on things by cuttingseveral inches off and dyeing her tresses a very dark brown. "Sarah just wrapped another season of 'Modern Family' and was itching for a change," her hairstylist Nikki Lee, co-founder of Nine Zero One salon, told Glamour. "We wanted her hair to look almost black when she's inside, but once she steps outside it has a rich warmth to it. It's a beautiful dark truffle color," she added.

But going to the dark side wasn't a permanent change, as she turned the dial the opposite way after her "Dirty Dancing" stint. Six months after debuting the deep bob, Hyland tried brond and debuted a much lighter curly look on the red carpet for the Audi celebration for the 68th Emmys. The caramel hue marked a fun and flattering change for the star.

By 2019, Sarah Hyland was back to familiar long lengths ... but with a twist. Her shiny tresses were a deep, stunning brown on the Golden Globes red carpet that January, but she'd ditched Haley Dunphy's signature loose curls for a more modern wave with a center part. The star was in the final year of her 20s and, that February, it was announced that "Modern Family" would be entering its 11th and final season, so Hyland used the approaching life change as an opportunity to change up her look. 

She told Refinery29 she'd spent much of her time on the show wearing extensions amid her health issues. "With medications and stuff, it can make your hair fall out," she said, referring to her kidney dysplasia and endometriosis. Hyland ditched the extra strands and noticed her mane was growing back curlier than before. "It's like I'm four years old now, I guess," she joked. 

The star also opened up about her 'do to Allure, sharing that her natural hair had been short since 2013. "I didn't know just how curly it was going to be, though," she admitted. Hyland welcomed her new texture and unaided length at various events and on social media, including sporting a gorgeous, voluminous 'do while attending the Winter Wonderland Toys for Tots Party that December.

Like so many of us, Sarah Hyland was left to her own devices when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but she got brave and dyed her locks a gorgeous rich shade of red from home. "I wanna be where the people are..." she captioned a May 2020 Instagram uploadthat displayed her new tone while borrowing lyrics from "The Little Mermaid" song "Part Of Your World." She added, "I did this all by myself! Very proud." And fans couldn't get enough of the new color on her mid-length 'do. "Wow! You look Great as a Red Head! What a Fun Change! You did a Great Job! Awesome!" one person told her in the comments. "You look stunning," another wrote.

The "Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin" star also proudly showed the world her natural texture during lockdown. That September, she posted an Instagram selfie that revealed the results of her brushing out her curls after her once-bright red hue had faded. "Rubeus Hagrid's daughter," she joked in the caption, referring to the Harry Potter character.

In February 2021, Sarah Hyland hit the Golden Globes red carpet with a stunning take on cowboy copper locks (which became a go-to, celebrity-favorite hair trend in 2024). Her long blowout flowed down her back and complimented her fire engine red gown. "Getting back to my Scottish/Irish roots," she captioned an Instagram snap that showed off the vibrant color and brought out the green in her eyes.

Hyland was also ahead of 2024's flirty bell-bottom bob trend that year, because she cut the chic 'do years before Gigi Hadid sported the warm weather haircut. The beauty debuted the much shorter look on the People's Choice Awards red carpet, wowing fans with a healthy-looking, elegant bob that featured flipped-out ends and eyebrow-skimming, wispy bangs that complimented her face shape. Gone, too, was her flirtation with red, which she'd swapped for a glossy deep brown.

As host of the dating competition "Love Island USA," Sarah Hyland got into the show's sultry aesthetic. In a picture from the set posted to Instagram in 2023, she opted for a sexy, mermaid-esque, island vibe. Her super-long, dark chocolate, wavy style looked gorgeous against her tan skin and was perfect for tropical Fiji , where she show was filmed.

However, the actor and host seemed ready for something more manageable after the show wrapped. That November, she confirmed she'd gotten the chop again (and removed any remaining extensions). In a series of Instagram snaps, Hyland showed that she'd opted for balayage, with ends that were slightly lighter than her roots. She looked uber sophisticated after styling the 'do with a deep side part. Fans loved her return to short locks, as one commented, "Love the new hair style!!!" 

Clearly, Hyland is a true chameleon. If her hair transformation has taught us anything, it's that she can successfully pull off countless colors and styles.