Is it a wig or real hair: exposing celebrity hair transformations

Celebrities are constantly switching up their looks, and displaying the results on Instagram. Whilst many of us love getting a sneak peak inside their glamorous lives, it does mean that clients often come into the salon with unrealistic expectations for their own hair transformations - not always realising that what they see might not be quite as it seems. After all, it's no secret that various celebrities are partial to a wig. So, next time your 3 o'clock comes in requesting to go bleach blonde in one sitting, don't forget to remind them that even the stars on social media can't pull that off. With this in mind, HJ asked wig experts Jay Birmingham and Darrel Starkey to share their thoughts on a few styles, offering the verdict: Wig or Real?

Emma Watson – Pixie cut

Darrel – With Emma, I think I am more convinced that this is not a wig and is in fact a gorgeous new look for the actress. Having displayed a love for shorter hair over the years, this gorgeous ‘chixie’ crop is so flattering and really works for her. The additional of the micro, choppy fringe adds a touch of uniqueness to the look, with the longer sideburns drawing attention to the jawline.

Hailey Baldwin Bieber – Midnight Black hair

Darrel – in the theme of the Versace campaign, Hailey Bieber also opted for a wig, this time for Halloween. Matching perfectly with her costume, it was very evident from other images that this was a wig, as this was cut in completely different from her normal hair and was placed on top of her natural hair, with the hairline very obviously in place. Her hair was also much more voluminous and shorter, which all signifies that wig was used to achieve the look.

Megan Fox – Long and Blonde

Jay – Megan Fox has been breaking the internet recently with her double denim looks and controversial halloween content with fiancé MGK. For me, I definitely believe this platinum look to be a wig. It’s not the first time we have seen Megan rock a wig and she looks incredible. I love the toned platinum look on her and the cool tone to the wig is perfect for her current look.

Kim Kardashian – Bleach Blonde

Jay – This one is definitely up for debate, the internet is divided on blonde Kim K. Of course this look is super long so we know Kim is wearing either a wig or some hair pieces. I think it’s most likely a wig with a carefully painted root to look as natural as possible. Without a doubt, she looks incredible either way.

Lily James – Jet Black for Versace

Darrel – A wig at its best, completely transforming an individual instantly, giving them a whole new look and feel, and in Lily’s case making us question if it really is her! Through this campaign for Versace, it was vital for Lily to play the dark and mysterious character to match the theme of the new collection. Instead of completely changing the cut and colour, a wig was used to achieve the desired look without drastically altering her natural hair. Such a drastic change and the perfectness of the style shows me that this is a wig.

Kylie Jenner – Blonde Marilyn Moment

Jay – Kylie Jenner is renowned for her incredible display of diverse wigs. Halloween is a time to have fun with wigs and that’s definitely what Kylie is doing here, I believe. The Marilyn Monroe inspired colour and shape is iconic and gorgeous. However, I don’t think Kylie will have moved away from her iconic dark locks for good.

Kendall Jenner – Copper hair

Darrel – Kendall's hair is absolutely not a wig, and she has been rocking this gorgeous copper look for a few months now. Having first debuted the colour on the runway in Milan for Prada, the colour has become much more subdued and isn’t as drastic as it was originally. The colour really works with her skin tone and overall style. Having been natural and dark for so long, this change is a fantastic change for Kendall and is one that she will stick with for a while.