The History of Metallica’s James Hetfield’s Hair in 30 Photos

For a band that isn’t hair metal, the subject of “hair” sure has continued to follow Metallica around.

Even in 2026, James Hetfield has helped bring the band’s hairstyle choices back into discussion with his recently debuted black streak dyed down the middle of his hair.

READ MORE: Metallica’s James Hetfield Reveals Unexpected Hairstyle Ahead of Las Vegas Residency

Papa Het has gone through several eras (seasons?) of hairstyles to get to this point.

There was the long hair of the early days, the short hair that debuted in the 1990s and also some slicked-back variations.

At some point in the early 2000s, a website complete with charts and timelines was created to track Hetfield’s hair throughout time. Sadly, it seems to have gone dormant as it’s missing some of his more recent hairstyles. So that’s where we come in.

In 2017, more than 20 years after Metallica infamously cut their hair leading up to the release of Load, Hetfield was still being asked in interviews if he missed his long locks.

“Yeah. When we’re onstage,” Hetfield told the Vancouver Sun. “But the rest of the time? No, man, not at all.”

Look, no one expected him to keep the same long hair from when Kill ‘Em All came out in 1983. But could anyone predict the appearance of the black streak in 2026?

Here is a look back at Het’s hair through the years.