No longer strictly reserved for performances or fancy dress, wigs are now an integral part of celebrity red carpet looks – designed to disguise thinning hair and extenuate both length and volume.
But as they become increasingly more prevalent among A-listers, many are keen to decipher the tell-tale signs that a celebrity’s long locks are not quite au naturale.
From Stacey Solomon to Nicole Kidman, stars’ incredibly undetectable wigs have frequently left social media users stunned.
Yet, other public figures have strongly denied using wigs to accentuate their red carpet looks, with Adele previously insisting that her long locks are ‘all mine’, while Odessa A’Zion declared that she spent ‘five hours’ styling her natural curls.
According to celebrity hair stylist Danilo Giangreco, ‘high quality HD lace wigs can replicate the scalp and hairline so well that even professionals have to look twice’.
He told The Daily Mail: ‘Many celebrities with naturally thick, healthy hair can achieve what people perceive as a ‘wig look’ without wearing one. That comes down to precision cutting, high level styling, and immaculate hair condition.
‘The key tells are usually in the details – natural hairlines are slightly irregular, with softer density around the temples, while wigs can sometimes appear a little too uniform or “perfect” if not customised perfectly.’
So, as carefully hidden wigs become more prevalent on the red carpet, can you tell which A-listers are using them?
Read on to discover which public figures are opting for carefully crafted wigs, and who may have naturally more glossy locks…
Odessa A’Zion
When Marty Supreme star Odessa A’zion stepped out for the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, her corkscrew curls sent the internet into overdrive – with speculation rife about whether she had opted for a wig.
However, the American actress later addressed the overwhelming online discussions and confirmed that at the premiere of Marty Supreme in Los Angeles, she was wearing a wig.
Yet she insisted that the majority of her other signature hair looks are indeed natural.
She told Deadline: ‘There’s a whole debate, ‘Is it a wig? Is it not?’ I guess we’ll never know. No…I’m kidding.
“The gag is, the LA premiere was a wig, and for the New York premiere, it took me five hours to do my hair, and everyone thinks it’s a wig.’
She continued: ‘You think I can afford a wig like that and wear it all the time? Those are so expensive. I’ve heard wigs can go up to like twenty-, or thirty-thousand dollars. Are you fucking kidding me? I don’t even have a hair, makeup, or stylist because I’m trying to save my money. Maybe one day.’
Stacey Solomon
Famous for her long blonde locks with a light wave, Stacey Solomon’s hair has been a key part of her image since she first entered the public eye in 2010.
However, the television personality has previously been candid about her use of wigs to help accentuate her hair.
In 2018, Stacey revealed to her Instagram followers that her wig, fondly nicknamed ‘Suze’ helped her to disguise her ‘long, grown-out roots and frizz’.
The Loose Women star later disclosed that she had invested £1,000 in her trusty wig after ‘years of bleaching, tonging, blow-drying and straightening’ had left her natural locks ‘completely ruined’.
Warren Edwards, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Warren & The Hare told The Daily Mail: ‘After years of bleach and “traction alopecia” from heavy extensions, a high-end wig (like Stacey’s famous ‘Suze’) allows the natural scalp to breathe and heal while still providing that red-carpet-ready confidence.’
Nicole Kidman
Hollywood star Nicole Kidman has certainly not been afraid to embrace the use of wigs over the years – sporting looks ranging from slick pixie cuts to long beachy waves.
Indeed, during Paris Fashion Week in January, the movie star, 58, appeared to be wearing a hair topper as she stepped out at the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer show.
According to celebrity stylist Adem Oygur, Nicole’s tendency to opt for wigs will be due to her desire to protect her natural locks.
He previously told The Daily Mail: ‘Years of bleaching, colouring and heat styling take a toll, even for someone with access to the best products in the world.
‘Wigs let stars like Nicole still look glam without causing more damage.’
Meanwhile, Danilo added: ‘Nicole Kidman has long been known to use wigs as part of her red carpet and film transformations.’
Sabrina Carpenter
Renowned for her signature bouncy, voluminous blonde hair styled with glamorous 90s-inspired blowouts, Sabrina Carpenter’s gorgeous blonde locks have become a staple part of her image.
However, while one may be under the assumption that the popstar opts for wigs to enhance her look, her gorgeous curls are believed to be more on the natural side, and made a rare appearance at the 2025 MTV Music Awards.
Her natural curly hair was also showcased at the Variety 2024 Power of Young Hollywood Party.
According to her hair stylist Scott King, Sabrina’s glamorous and voluminous blonde locks during her Short n’ Sweet tour were not achieved with wigs but, rather, with a ‘Wavy Talk blowdryer overdirecting the hair’ and a ‘Wavy Talk curling wond’.
Taking to Instagram to share his hair secrets, Scott added: ‘After the hair cooled I took down her hair and combed through the curls with a wide tooth comb so that the curls separated a little bit but still held the shape of the bouncy curl’.
During a previous interview with Time Magazine, Sabrina failed to candidly disclose whether she uses wigs on the red carpet, and responded: ‘I will not confirm or deny’.
‘I don’t even know what a wig is, but I also don’t know what not a wig is.’
Warren noted that the use of ‘massive rollers and specific velcro-set techniques’ enables sylists to create a root ‘lift that mimics the structural height of a wig’.
Adele
Famous for her bouncy blow dry and 60s-inspired volume, Adele’s gorgeous tresses give many serious envy and have also become a staple part of her public image.
Yet while it may appear that the singer relies upon wigs to achieve her incredible look, Adele, 37, has previously insisted her locks are more natural.
While debuting a longer, blonde hair look during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in October 2020, she proudly told the camera: ‘This is all mine by the way’.
Danilo explained that Adele is often able to ‘showcase incredibly well-maintained natural hair that can appear just as polished’.
Meanwhile, according to celebrity hair stylist Gustav Fouche, Adele has ‘naturally good, strong hair’ and ‘may not’ need extensions in situations where her hair is worn up.
However, he added that while Adele may not use extensions, he would be surprised if she uses ‘no enhancements at all when her hair is worn down, especially as lighter, bleached hair can become thinner over time’.
‘Maintaining natural thickness often comes down to high-grade scalp care and avoiding the “mechanical stress” of daily heat—ironically, sometimes by wearing “protective” pieces during rehearsals so their real hair stays pristine for the cameras,’ added Warren.
Vicky Pattison
Television personality Vicky Pattison has previously spoken openly about suffering from Traction Alopecia as a result of excessive use of hair extensions.
Speaking to the British Hair Clinic in 2025, Vicky revealed: ‘I’ve done all sorts to my hair. Subsequently my hair is quite thin, it’s quite damaged, I do have some patches from Traction Alopecia . Its just an insecurity for me.
As a result of suffering from hair thinning and loss, the star, 38, has utilised wigs to create fun and playful red carpet looks – ranging in colour, style and length.
During the pandemic, Vicky took to social media to share photos of her sporting a blonde wig, with the caption: ‘I can confirm they do have more fun’.
She added: ‘Nobody panic, this is not some sort of Isolation breakdown… Just a lovely wig.’
The following year, she donned a wavy brunette wig and took to Instagram to share: ‘Curly Sue Coming through…. Ok, so this wig makes me miss my dark hair.
Zendaya
From fringes to pixie cuts and waves, Zendaya’s hair has undergone numerous transformations over the years, however, the actress has previously been transparent about trying her best to ‘avoid wigs’.
Taking to Instagram in 2017 to reveal her natural waves, she wrote: ‘When you’ve spent the past however many years growing your damaged hair back, avoiding heat, wearing wigs and trying every natural product in the world and you finally see a little curl pattern coming back…’
During an interview with People the year before, the Euphoria actress admitted she had grown to love her natural hair over the years.
She said: ‘Growing up, I wasn’t very confident in my curls. It wasn’t like the hair that girls around me had. And nobody really knew what to do with my hair.
‘My mom is white and my dad is black — they have two very different hair types. So we learned how to manage my hair together, and I also watched YouTube videos to find easy styles to do.’
When Zendaya stepped out at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in 2024, she showcased her natural tresses at their finest, alongside a plunging open-back Roberto Cavalli gown.
Sydney Sweeney
While Sydney Sweeney’s glamorous blonde locks have often fuelled speculation of wig-wearing, the star’s hairstylist previously denied such claims.
Making an appearance on The Tonight Show in December, Sydney debuted a sophisticated short blonde bob, prompting internet personality Blakely Thornton to describe the American actress’ hair as ‘the stiffest wig’.
In response, Sydney’s hairstylist Glen ‘Coco’ Oropeza allegedly fired back: ‘Wasn’t a wig but you can’t get my girl’s name out of your mouth. You’re obsessed’.
According to Danilo, Sydney is able to ‘achieve what people perceive as a ‘wig look’ without wearing one’.
He added: ‘Ultimately, it’s less about whether it’s real or not, and more about how well the finish is executed.’
