Kim Kardashian’s hair evolution through the years

She’s undergone many different hair makeovers over the years in keeping with her constant style evolution. 

And while she’s well-known for her glossy raven long locks, Kim is equally suited to the platinum blonde ‘do she first sported in 2017 and again for the 2022 Met Gala. 

Having previously said ‘I don’t really do wigs’, Kim has put her natural locks through a lot, having dyed it honey blonde, pink, red, blue AND lime green over the years.

The influencer did try clip-on bangs  in 2012, an idea her sister Khloe recently copied herself, because it’s a way to get the look without the commitment.

And while she has the best hairdressers in the world at her disposal, it was only when Kim’s daughter North West, nine, filmed a Christmas TikTok, that the true extent of Kim’s damaged locks was revealed.

The reality star’s real hair – without extensions, wigs or styling – looked much thinner and drier than normal having been over-styled and over-dyed.

MailOnline has taken a look at all of Kim’s many hair transformations over the years to see what looks made the cut. 

PLATINUM BLONDE  

Kim dyed her hair platinum blonde in May last year to fully resemble Marilyn Monroe, as she wore her dress to the Met Gala.

After debuting her lighter locks, Kim detailed the transformation to Vogue the same month,

She explained: ‘I did want a physical change, too, so I thought I would wait and do it for this, so I’m spending a day straight dyeing my hair — 14 hours straight! — to get it done.

She later revealed that she feared her hair would fall out after bleaching it for the glamorous event.

It’s not the first time Kim has gone blonde, after revealing in 2018 that she bleached her hair as a wedding anniversary ‘gift’ to her ex-husband Kanye West back in 2017.

‘Kanye’s favorite is blonde, so I did it for our anniversary,’ she said at the time.

She also previously bleached it three times in three weeks in 2015 for an appearance at Paris Fashion Week, and was spotted some time later with her battered locks looking frazzled as a result.

FIERY RED

In 2019 Kim debuted a new flame-haired look, sporting bright red hair in an Instagram video.

She then relaunched the look in 2020, confirming it was her real hair, by saying: ‘You guys, I dyed my hair red. Do you love it?’

Her long-time hairstylist Chris Appleton also shared video of her new look and emphatically insisted it was not a wig.

He captioned the post: ‘Red head it’s NOT a wig before you start with that s***.’

ICY BLUE

In 2017 Kim unveiled an icy blue bob hairdo as she took her children to a holiday party on Christmas Eve.

She then opted for another blue look in 2019, with the mum-of-four sporting subtle mermaid blue waves.

She shocked her followers when she posted the dramatic new do to Instagram, captioning it with a mermaid emoji. 

LIME GREEN

After going blue, Kim debuted a long neon green wig during a night out in Miami in 2018. 

Her long tresses reached all the way down to her perky behind, as she donned a black metallic PVC dress that made the hairdo stand out. 

Kim stepped out of a white Ferrari, switching into a green Lamborghini that matched her new hairstyle.

BUBBLEGUM PINK

In 2017 Kim sported a bubblegum pink hairdo, debuting the look on Snapchat while working on a photo shoot.

She continued to sport the hairstyle in 2018, seen wearing a slightly darker pink shade at Haneda International Airport in Japan.

The mother-of-three showed off her vibrant tresses on Instagram and Twitter, saying: ‘Hey guys, do you like my new pink hair?’

After some of her fans questioned whether it was a wig, the E! star took to Twitter to clear things up.

‘I don’t really do wigs . It’s real.’ she wrote. 

A month later, she had gone back to her natural hair colour, but posted a throwback saying: ‘I miss the baby pink hair’. 

HONEY BLONDE

As well as going platinum, Kim has also gone honey blonde in the past, debuting the golden shade in 2009.

In December 2022 she went back to the warm colour once again, debuting it on Instagram with a honey emoji as the caption.

 Recently she took to Instagram to ask her followers for advice, saying: ‘Thoughts on Honey? Should I dye my hair platinum again or go dark?’

BLUNT BOB

For her Met Gala look in May 2017, Kim underwent a drastic chop – losing her long extensions in favour of a sleek lob. 

The next year, she went even shorter, debuting a blunt bob in her natural black colour.

She showed off the look once again in 2019, and then in 2022 she showed off the hairstyle with her platinum blonde locks.

Kim posed for a snap with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who was sporting her signature bob and captioned it: ‘BOBBSEY TWINS’.

EDGY BANGS 

Kim flirted with the idea of bangs when she attached a faux fringe at the front of her raven locks in 2012.

She then bravely snipped the style into her hair for real in 2013, debuting a block fringe.

Kim also experimented with a side fringe as her bangs grew out, but seems to have decided that the hairstyle is not for her in recent years. 

CONTROVERSIAL CORNROWS 

In 2018, Kim faced furious backlash from fans, after showing off her new braided hairstyle on social media. 

The reality star took to Snapchat to unveil her silver corn rows, which she called her ‘Bo Derek braids’ – in reference to the actress’ appearance in 1979 film, 10.

However, the comment was immediately blasted by her followers, who branded her ‘disrespectful’ and accused of her cultural appropriation.

The TV star was immediately slammed by her followers after revealing in the selfie video she was ‘really into’ her new look, inspired by the famous American actress.

Nevertheless, she repeated the braided look several times, including in Paris in 2020. 

In 2021, Kim said she ‘would never do anything to appropriate any culture’ in her style, which is sometimes influenced by her oldest daughter, North, nine, who is biracial.

‘Honestly, a lot of the time it comes from my daughter asking us to do matching hair,’ the reality TV icon – who is also mother to daughter Chicago, four, and sons Saint, seven, and Psalm, three, with estranged husband Kanye West, 45 – said.

She explained how she’s addressed the issue with North with measured candor.

‘I’ve had these conversations with her that are like, “Hey, maybe this hairstyle would be better on you and not on me,”‘ she said. ‘But I also want her to feel that I can do a hairstyle with her and not make it that big of a deal either if that’s something that she’s really asking for, and really wants.’

Kim pointed out her own cultural background, noting that ‘there’s also a history of braiding hair in Armenia, and people forget that I am Armenian as well.’

In the chat with the publication, she said she has ‘definitely learned over time, and … tried to pass that culture of learning onto [her] kids too.’

LIGHT BROWN 

While Kim has often favoured dramatic looks, she has also opted for more natural hair changes.

In 2013 she went for a light brown ombre look, with dark roots and blonde tips. 

She also went for a medium brown shade in October 2019 and October 2020, reflecting the autumn season. 

 

DRAMATIC EXTENSIONS

Kim is also partial to long extensions to add extra drama to her striking looks.

She’s frequently sported extensions to give her hair added length, sometimes all the way past her waist.

In 2017, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star stepped out in New York with hair that reached all the way down to her legs. 

THE OG 

Despite her many different hairstyles, wigs and extensions over the years, Kim has often reverted back to the original Kim Kardashian look – raven black.

Her natural long tresses are her go-to and it appears she has gone back to black for the new year.

On Monday, she took to Instagram to show off her dark hairdo in a string of selfies, writing ‘2023’ as her caption.