10 Celebs You Probably Didn’t Know Secretly Wear Wigs & Hair Extensions – Photos

Hair problems are a common issue for many. For some celebrities, the issues differ as some experience hair loss because of health issues while others have had their hair damaged due to different reasons.

From Kristin Davis to Viola Davis, here are the 10 show business stars who have been wearing wigs and hair extensions secretly throughout the years.

Jada Pinkett Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith has been open about her battle with hair loss for years and has discussed it in depth on social media and “Red Table Talk.” She admitted on the May 21, 2021, episode of her Facebook show that it was “terrifying when it first started.”

The star was showering when she noticed her hair falling out. She feared the possibility of going bald and explained why she cut her hair shorter.

Smith said her hair “has been a big part of” her, and taking care of it is a “beautiful ritual.” She appreciated having the choice of having hair or not.

In 2021, she posted a video of her bald head that showed the marks where her hair had fallen out due to alopecia. “This here hair is act’n like it’s try’n a make a come back. Still have some trouble spots, but — we’ll see,” Smith posted, giving updates about her hair which has since grown.

Kristin Davis

After Smith, another celebrity who has faced hair challenges is Kristin Davis. One day, Davis noticed her ponytail felt significantly smaller. “My hair just was not what it used to be,” she said. This realization led her and her thinning hair to the chair of her hairstylist, Luke O’Connor.

“It was very fine, like it had gone away, there just was hardly any hair there.…[…] When I tried to do something or had to go somewhere I was like, ‘where is my hair?'” she recalled.

O’Connor suggested she try Volaire products, but Davis was skeptical. She did not want to spend too much time styling her tresses and having sticky hair on top of that.

Instead, she decided to try it and took before-and-after selfies to document the results. Pleased with the outcome, she eventually agreed to be part of the Volaire project.

Viola Davis

In a 2014 interview, Viola Davis revealed that she has been dealing with alopecia since she was 28. “I woke up one day, and it looked like I had a Mohawk. Big splash of bald on the top of my head,” Davis shared.

She learned that her hair loss was stress-related and has since worked on being kinder to herself. Davis also mentioned that she used to wear wigs everywhere to cover her head but has now grown to accept her condition and feels less need to conceal it.

Following her diagnosis, she wore wigs in every aspect of her life. “I never showed my natural hair. […] I was so desperate for people to think that I was beautiful.” said Davis.

At the 2012 Oscars, she decided to reveal her natural hair. Although she still uses wigs for her roles and photo shoots, she no longer wears them daily.

During an appearance on “Anderson” several years ago, Davis was asked about the buzz around her going natural at the 2012 Oscars. “I took off my wig because I wanted to step into who I was,” she revealed.

“For me, it felt like every time I put on a wig I was apologizing for being a dark-skinned woman with curly hair, like I was hiding it. […] I felt like I didn’t want to do that anymore,” Davis further explained.

Wendy Williams

Another celebrity who has faced hair challenges is Wendy Williams. In a Lifetime documentary titled “Where Is Wendy Williams?” the talk show host, known for her varying wigs, removed the one she was wearing to show her real hair.

In a 2017 interview, Williams spoke candidly about the reason she wears wigs. “I have thyroid disease and there are a few byproducts of having thyroid disease that a lot of people aren’t aware of,” she explained.

Her condition has led to hair loss, which is why she opts for wigs. Williams finds wigs “fun” and mentioned that she would never go out in public with her real hair except when she is at home.

Over time, Williams has openly discussed her use of wigs on her now-defunct talk show, “The Wendy Williams Show.” She shared that her now-former husband met her when she wore her natural hair most of the time.

However, this changed over the years as she began to wear a wig daily. She even joked about the moments she has had while wearing one, including the fact that they tend to slip off when she laughs too hard.

Moreover, the TV star has been caught fixing her wigs on camera several times during her show. In one episode, she pushed some of her front hair back and remembered that her hairstylist advised her not to touch her wig on top but only at the bottom.

In another episode, Williams recalled a time when she met Lil Romeo for the first time, and he boldly asked her if she was wearing a wig. “You know kids just say any damn thing and so he called me out,” she stated. As for maintaining her wigs, the media personality revealed that she colors the front and deepens the roots to keep them looking fresh.

Keira Knightley

Also on the list of celebrities who has been open about wearing wigs is British actress Keira Knightley. In 2016, the star, who has sported pixie cuts interspersed with longer locks in the past, finally admitted that she’s been wearing wigs for the past several years.

Knightley revealed that she used wigs to deal with her hair loss. “I have dyed my hair virtually every color imaginable for different films,” she shared, adding, “It got so bad that my hair literally began to fall out of my head!”

Thinning hair affects a significant number of women in the UK, with hair loss becoming increasingly common. However, like Knightley, if dyeing has led to hair issues, she assures that hair can grow back.

With her hair now back to its original state, Knightley explained that it changed again after she gave birth to her daughter. “I have naturally crazy, curly hair and since I’ve had the baby, it’s become ten times thicker. So now I’ve been finding quite a lot of dreadlocks,” she disclosed. She has a particular product that helps detangle her dreadlocks which gets rid of of kinks without losing her hair.

In a 2018 interview, Knightley was asked about wearing wigs in films and her favorite one. She revealed that the pink wig from “The Nutcracker” is one of her favorites. She also has some “pretty nasty pink wigs” at her house that her daughter plays with and occasionally makes her wear.

Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke, the English actress best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen on “Game of Thrones,” has also embraced the use of wigs. In 2018, she surprised her fans by revealing a blonde pixie cut on Instagram, humorously captioning her post with, “Me: I’m thinking when Gwyneth and Brad had the same haircut.”

In an interview that same year, Clarke explained the reasoning behind her short hairstyle saying it was dying. “[…] It’s almost the shortest it’s been. I’m honestly trying to grow out the blonde, because it’s just killed my hair, and I miss having nice hair!” she said.

Clarke frequently wore a blonde wig that closely resembled her character Daenerys’s hair on “Game of Thrones.” In 2019, she offered her followers a behind-the-scenes look at the process of getting her intricate, long, wavy wig with plaits installed, sharing the meticulous preparation involved.

Beyoncé

Another iconic figure in the entertainment industry who has also made waves with her hair care practices is Beyoncé. The singer expressed her excitement on social media showing off her “real” hair in April 2024.

“It has been such a special experience seeing all of your #cecredwashday rituals all over my timeline… I just had to join in with something I had in the archives,” the performer captioned her post.

She shared how being disruptive and challenging traditional processes has always thrilled her, and her hair and music have frequently embodied this spirit.

Maintaining her signature blonde look for 25 years, Beyoncé highlighted the role this experience played in developing Cécred’s products. She noted, “It’s the hardest to keep color-treated hair healthy and strong, but @cecred is here.”

In a video shared on Instagram, Beyoncé demonstrated her detailed hair care routine using Cécred, her new product line. The multi-step process included shampooing, conditioning, and moisturizing her blonde hair, which she has maintained for a quarter of a century.

Addressing the stigmas associated with wig-wearing celebrities, Beyoncé stated, “It ain’t nobody’s business,” reinforcing her stance on personal choice and privacy. She views her hair care routines with deep intentionality, considering them more than mere necessities.

Tyra Banks

Lastly, Tyra Banks is another star who has had trouble with her hair. Back in 2011, she revealed that her jam-packed schedule took an unexpected toll on her scalp.

“I got a little alopecia from the stress,” Banks disclosed in an interview. The stress stemmed from the five years it took her to write her book, “Modelland,” while balancing her numerous other professional duties.

A Philadelphia-based dermatologist at the time, Dr. Orr Barak, weighed in on the issue, saying, “Writing a book can definitely be a stressor that can lead to hair loss or alopecia.”

“For women experiencing hair loss, doctors also check for thyroid issues or low iron levels, though these are less common causes compared to emotional stressors like what Tyra described,” added Barak. The doctor suggested that Banks experienced “telogen effluvium,” a type of hair loss induced by stress.

Naomi Campbell

Like Banks, Naomi Campbell has also faced significant hair challenges throughout her career. One of the most iconic supermodels of our time, Campbell, is known for her stunning looks and impeccable style.

However, on a 2012 Ibiza trip, her receding hairline was visible, showing the damage from long-term extension use. Diagnosed with traction alopecia, which happens when extensions pull too much, causing hair loss, she faced the risk of permanent damage.

By 2017, she was taking better care of her hair, which was growing back. “I do take more care of my hair now because I lost all of it with extensions. I am more careful and I do different things,” she explained.

Ricki Lake

Actress and television personality Ricki Lake is another celebrity who has turned to wigs and hair extensions. The daytime talk show diva known for her roles in cult classics like “Hairspray,” has also faced significant hair challenges.

In a heartfelt Instagram post on January 1, 2020, Lake revealed that she had been struggling with hair loss for most of her adult life. She described the experience as “debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely,” and shared that it had deeply affected her mental health.

Lake’s hair issues began during the filming of “Hairspray,” where her hair was frequently processed and teased, leading to long-term damage. Over the years, her hair was further impacted by diets, hormonal changes, pregnancies, and stress.

Despite trying wigs and extensions, she felt self-conscious. After a long search, Ricki found a hair system that gave her comfort. By sharing her experience, she hoped to reach out to others facing similar issues and to free herself from the burden of suffering in silence.