Buzzed, Bald And Beyond: John Travolta's Complete Hair Transformation In Photos

John Travolta has been a star for over five decades, so it only makes sense that in that time, he's switched things up in the hair department. From billowing blowouts to iconic coiffures (and, of course, buzz cuts and going fully bald) and in different shades too, Travolta has just about covered every hairstyle available to him.  

Starting off with Travolta's OG '70s look, when the actor first began making waves, he had ... well, waves. Side-swept and thick, Travolta's mane was envy-inducing to say the least, and as "Welcome Back, Kotter" fans will likely remember, its luscious movement even became a talking point on the show. As his character Vinnie Barbarino quipped in one episode while coaching Arnold Horshack on how to attract the ladies, "Your hair, for instance. It's very casual. It should look like it's being blown by unseen winds" (via Shout! Studios). An accurate description of Travolta's 'do on screen and off. We're not surprised the actor sported similar iterations for years to come, sometimes slightly longer or shorter, sometimes a little straighter, and with and without facial hair. Even with the subtle differences, though, it was always recognizable as Travolta (or dare we say, "The Vinnie Babarino Look"). 

As an aside, while we've always thought Ella Bleu Travolta was Kelly Preston's twin, now that we've seen a throwback to her dad with those dark locks, we can't unsee just how similar they are, too. But without further ado, let's get back to the hair. 

Sticking with John Travolta's 1970s looks, it bears mentioning he wasn't always rocking a sideswept bang and waves. Au contraire, there were also times he went for a more polished vibe. While it might not have qualified as a slickback proper, his other signature hairstyle at the time looked very put together all the same. 

Thick, voluminous, perfectly coiffured, and still showing movement? TBH, we're shocked he didn't make a cameo in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," because if anyone represented "silky smooth," it was a '70s-era Travolta.

Okay, so strictly speaking, John Travolta's "Grease" hairstyle was for a character, but he's forever associated with it all the same. The 1950s 'do is as iconic as the film itself, and fans will probably even know that Travolta brought it out of retirement in 2025 for an appearance at the Hollywood Bowl's "Grease Sing-A-Long."

Granted, the 2025 iteration was sandy blond (and much less greasy) than it had been a few decades prior, but even Danny Zuko has to roll with the times. Plus, with a style that timeless, we dare say the grease itself wasn't a requirement anyway (just don't tell the T-birds).

John Travolta might be remembered as a '70s icon more so than an '80s one, but he certainly had range, and naturally, he even had a George Michael-esque blowout in the early 1980s. There was volume, there was a teensy mullet (please note: this is not an endorsement), and there was what might just have been some crunchy mousse. 

Truth be told, this isn't one of our favorite hairstyles from the star, but we'll give Travolta props for keeping things fresh all the same.

On to another character whose hair we couldn't not include, next up is John Travolta's "Pulp Fiction" ponytail. Vincent Vega's long, stringy hair was a far cry from Travolta's "Grease" days, but it's worth noting that the actor actually suggested the style for the character (and contributed the extensions).

Speaking to Variety, Travolta shared that Quentin Tarantino had initially been skeptical about what he described as "the Dutch haircut." However, after Travolta got the extensions and showed him, Tarantino was sold. But outside of the film, Travolta hasn't tried to rock the look IRL.

John Travolta was almost synonymous with long-haired characters for the majority of his early career, so it certainly came as a shock for many when he debuted a much shorter crop in the '90s. Shock or not, though, he stuck with it on and off for a few years. Of course, it wouldn't be the shortest he'd go (after all, we promised a look at his bald and buzz cut looks), but we reckon it was a noteworthy point of departure from what we were used to seeing from him all the same. 

Other than the odd tribute to his past looks, it seems safe to say that from the mid-'90s onwards, John Travolta stepped back from his long locks. However, that doesn't mean he swore off any pizzazz. On and off in the 2000s and 2010s, the '70s heartthrob sported a short 'do with a little bit of length on the top (and a middle parting to boot). 

Side note: even with the shorter length, Travolta's volume was still very much in the room. 

Yes, at first glance, it's basically the same style as the last one, but as the king of hair product-themed musicals, naturally, we had to include John Travolta's style for the "Hairspray" premiere. Of course, as many will know, Travolta played a woman in the film (and racked up awards doing so), but he opted to keep the wig confined to the "Hairspray" set. However, perhaps in reference to the film's title, his own roots looked even more voluminous than usual, and pretty tightly-held, too.

No, you're not the only one hearing James Marsden whoop out, "It's hairspray!"

Is a Buzzcut called a Buzzcut because of Buzz Lightyear? No, but in John Travolta's case, he certainly repped everyone's favorite cartoon astronaut. The actor went super short for the premiere of "Savages" in 2012, and this time all the hair was cut to the exact same length. A massive change from the Travolta of the 1970s, but we respect the commitment to keeping things interesting. In fact, the more we delve into Travolta's hairstyles over the years, the more we realize he's more committed to switching things up than most of Hollywood's leading men.  

John Travolta has had dark hair for most of his time in the public eye, but when he started letting those grays grow out (and likely played around with some sandy blond toner)  ... we've got to say, the shade looked perfect for him. In fact, we're considering putting him in our list of celebs who look better with gray or graying hair. 

Like we mentioned earlier, Travolta had that same sandy hue when he made his surprise "Grease: Sing-A-Long" appearance, but this just proves he can pull the color off in a number of cuts. 

John Travolta went bald in 2019, and he joked on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "This is Pitbull-inspired." Travolta and Pitbull fans alike will know they collabed on "Gotti" and the rapper's "3 to Tango" video, so it's safe to say the admiration goes beyond hair. 

Speaking to ExtraTV about shaving his head, Travolta joked that it made his life easier, but added that he'd loved the public's reactions. "The only other time I was in the leading story was when I mispronounced in the Oscars," he joked, referencing the awkward Idina Menzel mess-up. Talk about taking something from a negative to a positive!

Okay, so this one is an honorable mention, but it had to be included all the same. Since going bald in 2019, John Travolta has opted to stay that way. That said, you can't keep a trendsetter down for too long. So it only made sense that even with a shaved head, he began playing around with a new look, which he debuted at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. 

In addition to glasses, Travolta started wearing a beret, and you better believe he's opened up about why. Speaking to "Today," he quipped that because "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" was his directorial debut, he wanted to look the part. "Every era ... for a hundred years, has directors wearing berets. I said, 'Well, I'm not an actor this time, I'm a director. Show up like a director!'" he said. 

One thing's for sure: Travolta is seriously committed to a look, and whether that's long hair, short hair, or no hair, we're here for it.