Fans are beside themselves about this hair makeover.

We never thought we’d be saying this, but here we are. After days of rumours circulating on social media and anxious fans pleading for the news not to be true, photos obtained by TMZ on November 9 confirmed many fans’ worst fear — Harry Styles has, in fact, shaved his head.

We know, we’re shocked too. If you’ve been going through the seven stages of grief due to the sudden loss of Styles’ locks, you’re not alone. Styles stans are, for the most part, not OK.

Styles was spotted sporting a fresh buzzcut while attending a U2 concert at the Las Vegas Sphere with rumoured girlfriend, Canadian actress Taylor Russell. And, although the concert was one of Styles and Russell’s most public outings to date, the singer’s new nearly bald head overshadowed his new romance.

As a celebrity whose hair has been synonymous with his superstar image over the years, it’s no surprise that fans had a strong reaction to his new haircut. And they had some pretty unique ways of expressing their *passionate* feelings about the new look.

Some used humour to cope with their shock, like one fan who captioned images of his new look with cheeky lines like “harry styles but no hair to style.”

Others weren’t handling it as well, with some expressing feelings of complete and utter despair at the sudden loss of Styles’ beloved curls.

Fans have also noticed how ironic it is that Styles chopped off his famous locks right after Taylor Swift came out with a new song from her recently released album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) that mentions one of his most memorable hairstyles. Titled “Now That We Don’t Talk,” the new tune contains lyrics that seem to be directed at how Styles grew his hair long after the pair broke up in 2013. 10 years later, it’s a funny coincidence that Styles’ hair is now the shortest it’s ever been — by far.

Despite seeing the paparazzi-style photos of his new hairstyle, one fan decided that she needed confirmation from a very trusted source — Styles’ mom, Anne. After coincidently running into her over the weekend, the fan asked Anne if she could confirm that the new look was real. Her response? She allegedly stated that “[Harry’s] on holiday and he fancied a change.” There you have it folks, confirmation straight from Harry’s mum herself!

Amid all the wild, eccentric, sequin-filled and boa-adorned outfits that Styles has sported in recent years, his famous brunette curls have remained relatively unchanged. The power of this hairstyle also extends far beyond Styles’ solo career; fans who’ve watched the singer grow up before their eyes for the past 13 years have only known him with long-ish, sometimes shaggy, brown waves.

Looking back on his early X Factor and One Direction days, Styles’ curly chestnut locks were what made him distinguishable from his bandmates. As the years went on, the singer’s hair remained one of the focal points of his image, whether it was on the shorter side or if it was grown out into his infamous Tarzan-esque mop of the mid-2010s.

As he embarked on his solo career, Styles debuted a much shorter hairdo, but the curls were still on full display. Even as he’s transformed his look over the last few years, his iconic tousled hairstyle has mostly stayed the same — except for the close-cropped looks he sported in the films Don’t Worry Darling and The Policeman.

Still, no style has ever been as drastic of a change as the shaved-head look that he’s sporting now.

Nevertheless, Harry’s mother’s explanation of her son switching up his hairstyle because he wanted a change while he takes a break from the spotlight makes total sense. Up until July 2023, the “As It Was” singer was on tour for almost two years straight, while simultaneously filming movies, developing his beauty brand, Pleasing, and putting out a new album. Since wrapping up his final stop on the worldwide Love On Tour last summer, the singer has been taking some time off and has rarely been spotted in public.

During the few instances where fans have caught a glimpse of Styles this fall, he’s often been seen with Russell, the Bones and All star who has sported her own fair share of unique hairstyles. Although neither Styles nor Russell has yet to confirm their relationship, the two have been spotted holding hands in London, Barcelona and Russell’s hometown of Vancouver.

While we wait to see what’s next for the singer, we’ll be trying to console ourselves with the hope that this won’t be our final farewell to Styles’ infamous curly locks. Because, after all, hair grows back… right?