The Weeknd hasn't always been sporting bandages and fake bruises on his face at award shows and in music videos, but he has always had a unique sense of style. The saga of the singer's personal beauty choices over the years has been a long one, and he's adopted a handful of different personas to match his musical eras.
Before his career reached its height, The Weeknd's looks were a lot more toned-down and regular-looking, but his image soon became synonymous with the freeform locs he wore for years before cutting them off in 2016. Then, in conjunction with the release of his fourth studio album After Hours in 2020, he debuted a new persona to match. These days he can be seen wearing makeup and prosthetics that mimic the results of excessive plastic surgery, so you can say that he's come a long way since his musical beginnings.
Read ahead for a quick look at The Weeknd's beauty evolution throughout the years.
In the earlier days of his career, like during the Coachella Music Festival shown here, The Weeknd wore his hair in a short 'fro.
Not long after, the singer locked his hair and frequently wore it in short ponytails around his head.
By 2014, the locs became a key part of his look.
By 2015, he was usually seen sporting his locs in a half-up, half-down hairstyle as they grew longer.
Though plenty of fans had become attached to the locs over the years, the singer cut them off in 2016 and transitioned to more of a textured, faded pompadour hairstyle.
In the following year, The Weeknd slightly grew out his hair into a longer faded cut.
In 2019, he stepped out at a film festival wearing a slightly longer, more rounded afro and a horseshoe mustache.
He kept his 'fro throughout the rest of the year and wore it again at the premiere of A24's Uncut Gems. By this time, his mustache had grown into a handlebar shape.
By 2020, the singer kicked off a new era, frequently attending awards shows with bruises and bandages on his face to raise awareness about drunk driving.
After wearing bandages at the AMAs, The Weeknd revealed his "new face" in the music video for "Save Your Tears." He didn't actually get plastic surgery though, as some people online were convinced at first — his glam squad was just able to transform him using lots of makeup and prosthetics.