Meghan Markle is definitely not a hair chameleon who changes her hairstyles with passing trends or TikTok fads that will eventually look dated. I’d say she’s following the same path as the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez - looking back over the years, I find it hard to detect that any time has passed at all because they’ve found a timeless style that looks both gorgeous on them and eternally modern. Basically, icon behavior!
That’s not to say, like both Jennifers, that the Duchess of Sussex hasn’t occasionally tweaked her hairstyles. I still remember the buzz in 2020 when she reappeared after a break away from the spotlight with gloriously long tresses in a video shot at her and Prince Harry's then-new Montecito home.
© Getty Images for the Invictus GaFive years later, With Love, Meghan is trending globally on Netflix and fans are once again admiring Meghan's picture perfect tresses, with sleek and subtle California waves, and wondering: what are Meghan's secrets for perfect hair?
- Highbrow Hippie Root Replenish Active Growth Serum, $88
- Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, $26 / £22
- Highbrow Hippie Essential Wellbeing Complex, $118
- Kevin Murphy Smooth Again frizz-reducing cream, $41 / £27.49
- Wella Professionals' Oil Reflections Luminous Oil, $45.30 / £14.95
- Kérastase Oleo-Relax Discipline hair mask, $68 / £40.50
We have the answers for you, from whether the Duchess has hair extensions and naturally curly hair, to Meghan's fave haircare products. We will even show you how to create her famous messy bun – so let's get started...
Who styled Meghan’s hair in 'With Love, Meghan'?
© COURTESY OF NETFLIXFor a number of high profile moments, including With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has relied on the talented hairstylists at Venice, California salon Highbrow Hippie - where clients include Julia Roberts and where a haircut by Meghan’s go-to Hector (@hectorsworldd on Instagram) will run you about $275.
© GettyThe salon's founder Kadi Lee - whose Highbrow Hippie Haircare and Wellness line counts Meghan as an investor - is responsible for the Duchess of Sussex’s gorgeous hair color on the show. The star colorist has even shared some of Meghan’s secrets on Instagram in the past. For example, for an appearance at the Invictus Games, Kadi revealed she’d created a “chocolate chestnut brunette” for Mrs Sussex, and gave Hector (who styled the Duchess' hair in With Love, Meghan) a shoutout for Meghan’s “bounciest, long lasting blowout”.
She explained: “This mixture of red and golden undertones makes a dynamic shade of brunette that not only gives skin the healthiest glow, especially during the colder months of winter,” Kadi wrote, “it also provides the hair with a next level high power shine.”
© GettyAnother member of Meghan's hair team is famed celebrity hairstylist Serge Normant, who famously created her wedding day look back in 2018. Last year, Meghan had a reunion with both Kadi and Serge - whose clients include Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Julia Roberts and Sarah Jessica Parker - at Kadi's new Highbrow Hippie Haircare and Wellness launch.
What hair products does Meghan Markle use?
As a Hollywood actress and lifestyle guru with her own now-defunct blog The Tig, Meghan has spoken numerous times in the past about her fave hair products. That said, Meghan hasn’t recently revealed too many of her beauty secrets - as fans of her former lifestyle blog, we’re hoping that changes now that she’s back in the spotlight. I did take a deep dive, however into products she has used in the past, so get ready to take notes…
First up, though, is Mrs Sussex's latest haircare find - products from Highbrow Hippie, founded by friend Kadi who "has a mastery of hair health", Meghan has said. The brand, which launched in 2024, has two hair wonders (for now, anyway!). They are the Root Replenish Active Growth Serum, $88 - which one reviewer called "miraculous" - and the Essential Wellbeing Complex, $118 for 120 capsules, a 7-in-1 hair supplement that "addresses the root causes of hair health issues", from helping support hormone levels to improving gut health.
Going further back into Meghan's hair history, her former Suits hairstylist Lydia Sellers has previously spilled some secrets about hair care products that have helped keep the Duchess' hair camera ready.
The celebrity makeup artist and hairdresser has used cult favorite Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, $26 / £22 for Meghan’s hair prep, "to give it that boost" and Kevin Murphy Smooth Again frizz-reducing cream, $41 / £27.49 to make the royal's locks sleek and shiny while protecting them from heat.
Meghan once raved about Wella Professionals' Oil Reflections Luminous Oil, $45.30 / £14.95 in an interview with Beauty Banter. "It smells like vacation and makes your hair slippery and touchable. I love this stuff! It also doubles as a pretty amazing body oil post bath."
And one of the haircare lines Meghan has said she loves is Kérastase's Oleo-Relax. While her favorite Kerastase deep conditioner, Kérastase Nutritive Oleo-Relax Anti-Frizz Masque, has been discontinued, have no fear! You can try the new formula, Kérastase Oleo-Relax Discipline hair mask, $68 / £40.50.
Does Meghan Markle have hair extensions?
© GettyThere’s an assumption that everyone who regularly needs to make a glossy appearance in the spotlight has hair extensions, but UK hairstylist George Northwood, who has styled Meghan's famous tresses, said not so fast. He told the Telegraph, "People think that Meghan has had hair extensions, but I never put any extensions in her hair in the two years that I worked with her. It's all her own hair."
The hair expert also commented on the significance of Meghan's super long locks, which she debuted after her move from the UK back to her home state of California. "She's making a statement with hair that long – it represents strength and a sense that she's really got everything sorted. This straighter, longer hairstyle marks a new chapter in her life without such strict protocols."
Is Meghan Markle's hair naturally curly?
Yes. While Meghan prefers to wear her hair straight, with slight waves or in her signature messy bun, she has, rarely, shown her natural curls. In a 2025 International Women's Day Post, Mrs Sussex shared a childhood photo of a moment with her mother, Doria Ragland. Little Meghan is absolutely adorable with beautiful, short, tightly-curled natural hair.
And photos from the former actress' childhood teen years show that when she was younger she was just as gorgeous with a head full of naturally curly hair. In 2011 the Duchess, who is from a mixed-race background, described her stunning locks: "My mom [Doria Ragland] is Black and my dad [Thomas Markle] is Dutch and Irish, so the texture of my hair is densely curly."
In August 2022 the Duchess appeared on a Zoom call from her LA home rocking her natural waves. It was the same month, that, in a conversation with Mariah Carey on the Duchess' podcast, Archetypes, she talked about what it was like growing up with natural hair.
© Getty Images"My hair is so curly and it's so thick," she remarked before recalling how her maternal grandmother Jeanette would do her hair. "She'd go, 'Just hold onto the sink,' and I would grip my little hands on both sides.
"You have no luxury of being tender-headed because she would take the brush and just whoosh, whoosh and tie it."
And Meghan empathized when Mariah commented how, as a mixed raced girl, she found that hairdressers didn't know how to style her hair. The pair bonded over memories of budget-friendly classic Lusters Pink hair lotion, and especially Murray’s pomade. "Yeah, I know, so much… so much heavy hair grease," the Duchess laughed.
Does Meghan Markle straighten her hair?
© Ted TalkIn 2011, the actress said she was a fan of Brazilian blowouts, but her go-to hair straightening technique seems to have changed in recent years. While in the UK during her pre-Harry days, Meghan saw hairstylist Theonie Kakoulli at Nicky Clarke for Keratin treatments to straighten her curls. "She has really beautiful hair," Theonie told People. "Her hair was in such lovely condition, and you could tell that she really looks after it and that she was proud of it – it's really stunning."
How does Meghan Markle create her messy bun hairstyle?
© GettyWhen Suits star Meghan began attending royal engagements, one thing royal style watchers fell in love with was her signature messy bun hairstyle. Her perfectly imperfect, relaxed look immediately set a trend.
If you'd like to create it for yourself, check out our 90-second tutorial on how to create Meghan Markle's messy bun hairstyle above.
© KOLA SULAIMONIn addition to the messy bun, Meghan really seems to love a great ponytail - from sleek styles to bobble waves and everything in between.
Has Meghan Markle always been brunette?
© USA Network/NBCUniversal via GettyWe've yet to see a photo of Meghan rocking blonde hair – well, we've seen her as a 'blonde', but not officially – but the Duchess has experimented with different shades and tones over the years.
In the summer of 2009, the up-and-coming star wore her hair in a pretty warm auburn hue, and a year later she went NEARLY blonde with a light brown highlighted look.
Meghan has experimented with hair colors but generally stays close to her signature brunette shade, sometimes, as I’ve mentioned above, going a deeper chocolate for winter with the help of her colorist Kadi Lee.
Has Meghan Markle ever had short hair?
With the exception of her shorter locks during her childhood and high school curly hair days, Meghan has preferred to stick to her tried-and-true straight, or sometimes wavy, locks that cascade at least an inch or two below her shoulders.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesWhat does Meghan eat to get such shiny hair?
It's hardly surprising that health-conscious Meghan eats a balanced diet, which translates to healthy hair and skin! You can see by her wholesome and healthy meals that she prepares in With Love, Meghan that she tries to use pure, organic ingredients in her daily life, especially when it comes to her and Prince Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet.
© NetflixIn the past, she’s revealed that she loves to kickstart her day with a green juice, previously revealing she blends apple, kale, spinach, lemon, and ginger together. Lunch is often sushi or a salad, and she's also a big fan of avocados. Leafy greens are rich in vitamin E, which work at the cellular level to protect and strengthen hair and encourage its growth.
