Gwen Stefani is known for her platinum blonde hair, but many fans wonder – is that her natural color or does she dye it? As one of the most iconic pop stars of the 1990s and early 2000s, Gwen’s hair has gone through many different phases, from brunette to bleach blonde. Let’s take a look at Gwen’s hair history and find out what her natural hair color really is.
Gwen’s Early Hair History
Gwen Stefani first made it big in the mid-1990s as the lead singer of the band No Doubt. Looking back at photos from the band’s early days, Gwen had dark brown hair with lighter highlights. This seems to be close to her natural shade.
In the late 1990s, as No Doubt’s popularity grew, Gwen began lightening her hair color to a bright platinum blonde. Her bleach blonde locks became part of her signature look throughout the 2000s. Gwen has cited blonde bombshells like Marilyn Monroe as inspirations for going platinum.
Has Gwen Ever Revealed Her Natural Hair Color?
In several interviews over the years, Gwen has stated that she is naturally brunette. Here are a few direct quotes from the singer about her real hair color:
- “I’m naturally a brunette. My mother is 100 percent Italian, and she has black hair.” – Allure interview, 2007
- “I was born with black hair. The first time I dyed it was blue-black.” – Marie Claire interview, 2009
- “I was a brunette my whole life, but when I started blonding my hair I became myself.” – People interview, 2014
Based on Gwen’s own statements, it seems clear that her natural hair color is dark brown or black. The platinum blonde look that she became known for was achieved through aggressive bleaching and toning over her naturally dark locks.
Gwen’s Hair Colors Over the Years
While platinum blonde has become Gwen’s signature, she has experimented with different hair shades over the past three decades. Here is a quick overview of Gwen’s hairstyle history:
- 1980s: Natural dark brown hair color
- Late 1990s: Began lightening to bright platinum blonde
- Early 2000s: Maintained icy platinum locks with dark roots
- 2004: Had a brief brunette phase
- 2006: Dyed her hair blue-green for a bit
- 2007: Went back to blonde and has stayed mostly platinum since then
- 2016: Started growing out her natural gray/silver hair color
So while platinum is considered Gwen’s signature, she has tried out her natural brunette shade as well as various fashion colors over the past 30+ years of her career.
The Impact of Gwen’s Blonde Hair
It’s clear that going platinum blonde had a huge impact on Gwen’s image and success. In her own words, “I was born with black hair. But when I started blonding my hair is when everything changed because I became myself.”
Gwen has said that her blonde look gave her the confidence to come out of her shell and develop her iconic style. It also made her stand out from the other brunette pop stars of the era like Courtney Love and Shirley Manson.
However, maintaining platinum locks has required a lot of upkeep. Gwen has said, “I’ve been getting my hair bleached twice a week for 20 years. I have a lot of experience, and I’ve learned what moisturizers and treatments work for me.”
Over the years, she has also lamented the damage from constant bleaching, saying “I crave having my natural hair color back… your natural hair color really is so beautiful.” This damage has likely inspired Gwen to start growing in her natural gray in recent years.
Highlights From Gwen’s Blonde Decades
While Gwen has changed her hair many times over her long career, platinum blonde remains her most iconic look. Here are some highlights from her blonde decades:
- No Doubt era: Gwen stood out from the other band members with her bright platinum hair, often styled up or with cute ’90s accessories like barrettes.
- Return of Saturn (2000): Gwen appeared with icy white-blonde hair on the album cover.
- Rock Steady era (2001): She paired her blonde locks with the bindis and saris that became her signature look.
- Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004): Gwen’s coif was ultra long, straight, and bleach blonde during this solo era.
- The Sweet Escape (2006): She began playing with platinum blonde highlights on top of darker roots.
- No Doubt reunion (2012): Gwen went back to her bright blonde No Doubt-era hair.
Even as she ages, Gwen continues to reinvent her platinum blonde hair in fresh, stylish ways.
Gwen’s Natural Hair Color in Recent Years
In the past few years, Gwen has started to grow out and embrace her natural gray hair. In 2016, she debuted a striking new look, blending her grown-out gray roots with her platinum lengths.
Gwen has commented, “I’ve been dyeing my hair platinum blonde for 20 years so I thought it would be nice to give it a break… I’ve been letting my natural gray hairs come in.” She also joked that the dyslexic son she shares with Blake Shelton kept reading her name as “Gray Stefani.”
While she still colors the bottom portion of her hair, leaving her roots gray allows Gwen’s natural hair color to show through in a stylish way. She has called the look “an ombré of sorts… It doesn’t look like I just have gray roots growing in, it’s more blended.”
This semi-natural gray/blonde blend has become Gwen’s go-to hairstyle in recent years. Fans are also hopeful that she will let her full natural brunette color grow in someday soon!
How Often Does Gwen Dye Her Hair?
To maintain her signature platinum blonde locks, Gwen gets her hair dyed frequently. Sources estimate that over the past 20+ years of blonde hair, Gwen has been:
- Getting her roots bleached every 2-3 weeks
- Toning her hair weekly to keep the color icy and bright
- Using purple shampoo to reduce brassiness
- Getting regular Olaplex and conditioning treatments
Even though her hair is damaged from years of bleach, Gwen says the upkeep is worth it: “I think every girl likes to be blonde… I see roots every two weeks and get it coloured.”
Now that she is growing in her gray, Gwen still gets the bottom portion of hair dyed platinum every month. But she is giving her natural roots a break from harsh chemicals.
How Gwen Cares for Her Bleached and Damaged Hair
To counteract the drying effects of constant bleaching, Gwen uses conditioning masks and Olaplex treatments to care for her hair. Here are some of her haircare tips:
- Use a deep conditioning hair mask 1-2x per week
- Alternate between protein and moisture masks as needed
- Get regular Olaplex No. 3 treatments
- Use Olaplex No. 6-9 maintenance products
- Apply leave-in conditioners and oils, focusing on ends
- Get trims every 6-8 weeks
- Use heat protectant before styling
- Take hair vitamins and supplements
Gwen has said that while her hair is damaged, she does everything she can to keep it strong and shiny. Her current gray/blonde look lets her natural hair rest while keeping her iconic color.
Gwen’s Influence as a Blonde Pop Icon
Over her decades as a platinum blonde, Gwen Stefani has had a huge cultural influence. After she made it big with No Doubt, Gwen’s unique look inspired the entire California surf-pop aesthetic of the 1990s. Her blonde hair paired with red lips and retro fashion created a striking signature style.
Here are some of the key ways Gwen influenced beauty and fashion trends with her platinum locks:
- Mainstreamed punk/ska style: Gwen made punky highlights and bleached spiky hair more feminine and mainstream.
- Y2K pop icon: Her high-volume blonde hair defined the glam pop star aesthetic of the early 2000s.
- Inspired imitators: Many aspiring pop punk and pop stars emulated Gwen’s hair from Avril Lavigne to Ashlee Simpson.
- Paved the way for edgy blondes: Gwen’s look allowed later stars like Pink and Lady Gaga to push boundaries with light hair.
- Signature red lip: Pairing bleach blonde hair with a bold matte red lip is still a go-to look.
- Athleisure style icon: Gwen’s recent blonde braids and topknots still inspire yoga fashion.
Now in her 50s, Gwen Stefani is beauty icon who paved the way for fearless platinum blondes in music. Even as she embraces her natural hair, Gwen’s influence remains.
Conclusion
While Gwen Stefani is best known for her platinum blonde hair, she has confirmed many times that she is naturally a brunette. Gwen started dyeing her hair in the late 1990s as her fame with No Doubt was rising. Going platinum blonde became a key part of her image and success.
Over the past 20+ years, Gwen has maintained her icy blonde locks through near constant bleaching and toning. This has damaged her hair significantly. Recently Gwen has started growing out her natural gray hair at the roots for a stylish blended look.
It’s clear that Gwen’s bold beauty choices, including dyeing her hair platinum, had an enormous influence on pop culture and fashion. As she continues to age gracefully, Gwen is learning to embrace elements of her natural brunette locks by letting her gray hair grow in. But she will always be known for her iconic platinum blonde era.
| Decade | Gwen’s Hair Color |
|---|---|
| 1980s | Natural dark brown |
| 1990s | Bleached platinum blonde |
| Early 2000s | Icy white-blonde |
| Mid 2000s | Platinum with dark roots |
| 2010s | Growing out gray blended with blonde |
Tracing the evolution of Gwen Stefani’s hair color over time shows how she built her signature platinum blonde look starting the 1990s. While her roots are now gray, she still keeps the bottom portion bleached. Gwen remains an inspiration for bold, fearless hair makeovers even after going blonde over 20 years ago.
