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

For a band that is not hair steel, the topic of “hair” certain has continued to comply with Metallica round.

Even in 2026, James Hetfield has helped deliver the band’s coiffure selections again into dialogue along with his lately debuted black streak dyed down the center of his hair.

READ MORE: Metallica’s James Hetfield Reveals Sudden Coiffure Forward of Las Vegas Residency

Papa Het has gone by way of a number of eras (seasons?) of hairstyles to get up to now.

There was the lengthy hair of the early days, the brief hair that debuted within the Nineties and likewise some slicked-back variations.

In some unspecified time in the future within the early 2000s, a web site full with charts and timelines was created to trace Hetfield’s hair all through time. Sadly, it appears to have gone dormant because it’s lacking a few of his newer hairstyles. In order that’s the place we are available in.

In 2017, greater than 20 years after Metallica infamously minimize their hair main as much as the discharge of Load, Hetfield was nonetheless being requested in interviews if he missed his lengthy locks.

“Yeah. After we’re onstage,” Hetfield advised the Vancouver Solar. “However the remainder of the time? No, man, in no way.”

Look, nobody anticipated him to maintain the identical lengthy hair from when Kill ‘Em All got here out in 1983. However might anybody predict the looks of the black streak in 2026?

Here’s a look again at Het’s hair by way of the years.