Carrie Underwood has never shown her real hair color.
Not since she was 12, at any rate.
Now, however, that is changing. The controversial country singer is ditching her signature blonde look.
She’s all but unrecognizable at first glance, now. But given her recent choices, is that such a bad thing?
Carrie Underwood is sporting a brand new ‘do
On Monday, August 4, Carrie Underwood took to Instagram to share an unfamiliar “new” look.
She shared two photos and a short video, all highlighting her wavy, just-past-the-shoulders hair.
The healthy, glossy shine of her hair is familiar.
But the color … that’s not blonde. Instead, her hair seems mostly light brown, with some blonde highlights.
“Well, the last time I saw my natural hair color, I was probably about 12 years old,” Underwood admitted in her caption.
“But,” she explained, “I thought it might be time to give it a second chance.”
Giving a shout-out to a Nashville-area hair colorist, Underwood concluded:
“Thanks, @hairbykatelin_ at @parlour3beauty for helping me get back to my roots! #NewOldMe #Bronde”
Why did she dye her hair to return to her natural hair color?
Some may be scratching their heads in confusion. Why would Carrie Underwood need to see a colorist if she’s showing her natural hair color?
It is actually very common for people to dye their hair — sometimes including highlights — while returning to their natural hair color.
It eases the transition. Remember, it can take many months before the last of the dyed hair is gone.
The alternative would be an awkward period of hybrid hair.
This change has been a long time coming. Underwood acknowledges as much back in 2012, when she told Refinery 29 about her desire to change her signature look.
“I’d love to do a little more with hair color. I’ve always been blonde!” she stated at the time.
“The problem is, I don’t want to shock people,” Underwood admitted.
“Like if I dyed my hair brown, I don’t want people to think I’m turning dark and serious.”
Is this purely about hair?
Messing with your signature look can be a risk for an artist. But it’s not always such a bad thing.
Carrie Underwood chose to wade into controversy early this year by performing at Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Though she has insisted that she is not the bad person that this makes her appear, maybe new hair means that she’s turning over a new leaf. In the celebrity world, a makeover can sometimes signal a new beginning.
Or an attempt at one. We’ll see.