Harry Styles's Complete Hair Evolution

It's not often that a male superstar changing up their hair makes headlines, but Harry Styles isn't like most other celebrities. The musician and budding actor has gone from boyband bowl cut to envy-inducing natural waves — and a few other notable looks between. He's literally grown up right before our eyes and found his own lane, from opting for gender-bending accessories and clothes to letting his hair embrace its natural texture or taking things in completely different directions.

Here are the most notable looks from Styles's catalog of coifs, all the way back to his stint on the U.K.'s X Factor.

2011

17 years old. The X Factor. Nobody could have predicted that Styles would go from losing a reality TV singing competition to a worldwide star beloved for his very good hair.

2012

Just a little more grown-up, Styles nabbed a seat at the Burberry Prorsum show at London Fashion Week. Not only did this start his fashion cred, it showed the world that he (or his stylist, at least) was very familiar with a round brush and blowdryer.

2013

A year later, at the premiere of One Direction: This Is Us, Styles showed off his natural curls in an upswept coif.

2014

Styles took his hair to new lengths and topped his 'do with a Coachella-ready wide-brim hat at the 2014 American Music Awards.

2016

After One Direction goes on an "indefinite hiatus," Styles teases a new hairstyle on Instagram.

2017

With the debut of his solo career came a brand-new look. Short hair, bold suiting, and enough sex appeal to get just about everyone talking.

2019

Met Gala Harry had medium-length locks and say it with us: he looks sexy with his hair pushed back.

2020

By now, Harry has settled on a style that just about all of us know and love. Not too polished and not too wild, it looks like he settled into a go-to length that's just about perfect for any look, whether it includes a pearl necklace or feather boa.