Zendaya Looks So Different With Her Natural Hair

Between her time as a Disney Channel star to her seamless transition into an Emmy-winning TV and movie star, Zendaya has rocked basically every hairstyle in the book. On "Shake It Up," the multi-hyphenate often wore her hair in sleek styles with the occasional curl thrown in now and again. "K.C. Undercover," which premiered in 2015, allowed the emerging star to play around with lengthier versions of her curly blowouts. Years later, Zendaya transitioned into more mature roles, including her highly-anticipated role in "Challengers," which premiered in April 2024 — mere weeks after she switched things up with her most striking hair transformation yet: a bleach blond blowout.

These examples are a teeny-tiny sampling of the gorgeous star's experimentation with hair over the years, which has also included faux locs, beachy waves, messy top knots, and cornrows (to name a few). As for why she cycles through different hairstyles so frequently? "When I am able to experiment and have fun with hair, that allows me to have confidence because you're not worried about what other people think," shared the actor with The Cut in 2016. "When you do things for other people, that's when you give up the control of your life." She continued, "For me, experimenting and having fun have allowed me to be in a really free space where I do things for Zendaya." Of course, the starlet's most loyal fans know her hair is naturally curly. And while her natural tresses haven't had quite as much time to shine on the red carpet, she does let them come out to play from time to time. 

Surprisingly, Zendaya looks very different with her natural hair.

Zendaya has proven she can turn heads with pretty much any hairstyle, especially when she's decked out in all glam. However, the A-lister also has a casual side that she usually embraces when she's wearing her natural hair. For example, Zendaya filmed a video that walked fans through the five steps she takes to style her gorgeous curly mane. And though Zendaya wasn't wearing any makeup in the 2018 tutorial, which also saw her start with soaking wet hair, her natural beauty still managed to shine through. As for her routine? Well, it was pretty simple. After cleansing her hair, Zendaya combed through her curls, applied a dollop of curling cream, and removed all the excess moisture with a microfiber cloth. Then she pulled out her diffuser to dry it (the longest part) before moving on to the fluffing stage.

The next step? Making sure her curls thrive all day long. Of course, she has tips for that, too! "One hard thing is maintaining curls throughout the day. They can get frizzy or sort of limp," shared Zendaya with Seventeen. "I carry around a little spray bottle with conditioner or oil mixed with water. Just spritz it on and it brings the curls back to life." Careful not to undo all her hard work, she also has a fix for preserving her curls at night. "I put my hair on top of my head with a loose scrunchie," she explained. "It's not really a bun, it's just piled there so I don't crush the curls. And I sleep on a satin pillowcase." Giving credit where it's due, the star revealed that she learned this from her older sister, who also has curly hair.

Whether rocking curly or straight styles, Zendaya is always a 10!