Dolly Parton's Natural Hair Looks Nothing Like We Expected

Dolly Parton has a known preferences for wearing wigs, but her real hair is nothing to scoff at, and it looks nothing like we expected. While the "I Will Always Love You" songstress could be hiding a hair disaster underneath her arsenal of hair pieces, her real hair is actually gorgeous and deserves some shine of its own. Unfortunately, you'd be hard-pressed to find any recent photos of Parton, who's undergone a head-turning transformation, rocking her natural tresses, but then again, that's what throwback photos are for! Luckily for the singer's fans, there are several old pictures floating around of what her real hair used to look like when she was much, much younger. They're eye-opening!

vintage.dreamings/Instagram

For example, the Vintage Dreaming account on Instagram posted several throwback photos of Parton in her all natural glory. As you can see in the photo above, wigs were obviously not necessary for the beloved star, as she had a full head of thick, luxurious hair that cascaded down her back. Unfortunately, the black and white nature of the photo makes it impossible to peg down the exact hue of Parton's natural hair. However, we know one thing for certain, thanks to a quote she posted to her Facebook in 2017: "I'm not offended by dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb. I also know I'm not blonde."

When it comes to the "9 to 5" singer's carefully arranged coiff, there's a little beauty industry magic going on there. Parton's real hair is usually tucked snugly under her iconic wigs, which she rarely emerges in public without. This is no secret, of course, as Parton has always been open about the real reason she wears wigs. While Parton revealed to Allure in 2024 that she doesn't wear wigs 24/7, specifically while she's at home, she touted the benefits of reaching for a pre-made style. "Wigs are just so handy," she admitted. "I am not the kind of person that can wait and sit under a hairdryer. It's not healthy for your hair to use it the way that I [would have to]."

While speaking with Elle Magazine, Parton expressed similar sentiments about the convenience of wearing wigs. "Wigs are just so handy, "she revealed in 2019. "I'm so busy, and I have so many choices. I never have a bad hair day, and that's a good thing." However, she also stressed the fact that her wigged-up moments are only for the public. At home, it's a different story. "I don't always wear them in my daily life, but I always still pouf up my hair," she continued. "I still like to have that flashy hair. When I'm around home, I wear my little scrunchies, but I always put on some makeup and fix my own hair as cute as I can fix it."