Hayden Panettiere has opened up about the severe damage her hair endured two to years of bleaching, coloring, and styling for various acting roles. The 35-year-old actress recently praised stylist Becker Chicaiza for rescuing her hair, which had taken a toll from hours spent in the hair and makeup chair.
In an Instagram post, Panettiere shared her struggles with damaged hair, saying, “My hair was so damaged from all the bleaching and color changes—not to mention all the heat from styling. Hours in the hair and makeup chair on set had also taken its toll.”
She thanked Chicaiza for his help in restoring her blonde locks, adding, “I’m in love with how this turned out!”
The actress, known for her role in Heroes, also shared a video from her styling session, admitting her hair was a “disaster” before Chicaiza worked his magic. In the video, she explained that her hair was in bad shape after a film role required her to bleach it blonde. “For the film, I had kept my roots but bleached my hair Barbie-blonde, and it zapped my hair off,” she said.
Chicaiza not only restored Panettiere’s blonde color but also added subtle lowlights. The actress was thrilled with the result, exclaiming, “This is the color I should have had all along. This is gonna make me want to strut down Broadway. Oh, my God, wow! This is insane.”
In addition to the color correction, Chicaiza added length and volume with extensions, styling Panettiere’s hair into soft waves that reached just below her shoulders. Panettiere expressed her happiness, saying, “I feel beautiful. I thought I lost my hair forever. I feel like a beautiful ‘Becker Babe!’”
Chicaiza responded to the post with praise for Panettiere, calling her “such a dream to work with.” He also reflected on the transformation, noting, “This transformation was all about restoring strength, shine, and movement. Welcome to the #BeckerBabe family!”
Panettiere, who shares a nine-year-old daughter, Kaya, with her former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, has previously discussed how her hair began to fall out due to stress and alcohol use while battling postpartum depression. In an interview with Woman’s Health, she shared that the combination of depression and alcohol use affected her health, leading to physical symptoms like thinning hair and weight gain.
“I should have gone on antidepressants, but you have to find the right one that works for you,” she said. “They don’t mix well with alcohol, and I wasn’t ready to stop drinking. My body was like, ‘Enough.’ I hit 30. My face was swollen. I had jaundice. My eyes were yellow. I had to go to a liver specialist.”
Despite these struggles, Panettiere’s hair and health have since improved, thanks in part to her work with Chicaiza.
