Sabrina Carpenter is everywhere. Between the "Short n' Sweet" tour and those inescapable "Espresso" riffs, she’s basically the face of 2026 pop culture. But honestly, if you look at the comments on any of her Instagram posts, people aren't just talking about the music. They are obsessed with her hair.
Specifically, that massive, honey-blonde, 1960s-doll hair.
It looks fake. It looks like a wig. It looks too perfect to survive a two-hour concert involving heavy choreography and stage lights that probably feel like the surface of the sun. But here’s the thing: it’s real, and the way she maintains it is actually pretty logical once you strip away the "pop star magic" of it all.
The "Secret" Formula Behind the Blonde
Most people think her color is just a generic platinum. It’s not. If you went to a salon and asked for "Sabrina Carpenter long hair," and they just slapped some bleach on you, you'd be disappointed.
Her colorist, Laurie Heaps, has been pretty transparent about the recipe. She uses Redken Shades EQ, which is a demi-permanent gloss. It doesn't live in the hair forever, but it provides that "glass-like" shine that permanent dyes usually kill.
The actual mix? It’s a cocktail of 09N (Cafe Au Lait), 09G (Vanilla Creme), and 010GI (Tahitian Sand).
The "N" stands for neutral, which keeps it from looking like a brassy penny. The "G" adds that buttery gold warmth that makes her look like a vintage Barbie. And the "GI" is the iridescent part—that’s what catches the light on stage. Without that specific mix, her long hair would just look flat.
Why Her Hair Doesn't Just Snap Off
Bleaching your hair that light and keeping it that long is usually a recipe for a "chemical haircut." You know, when it just breaks off at the chin?
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Sabrina is the global ambassador for Redken, so obviously she uses their stuff, but her stylist Scott King emphasizes one specific line: the Acidic Bonding Concentrate (ABC).
Because her hair is constantly being fried by 400°F curling irons, the "bonding" part is non-negotiable. This isn't just marketing fluff. The acidic pH helps seal the cuticle back down after the bleach blows it open.
King has mentioned that for the tour, he preps her damp hair with the ABC Leave-In Treatment every single time. It protects up to 450°F. If you're trying to grow your hair out like hers, skip the expensive "miracle oils" and just get a solid heat protectant. Honestly, it's the only way to keep the ends from splitting into a million pieces.
The "Short n' Sweet" Styling Routine
If you've seen her live, you know her hair is bouncy. Like, aggressively bouncy.
How does it stay up for two hours? It’s a process that takes way longer than you’d think.
- The Prep: They start with a volumizing mousse. Specifically, the Redken Root Lifter. You have to apply this to wet hair. If you put it on dry hair, you just get a sticky mess.
- The Blowout: King uses a WavyTalk Pro Fast Drying Hair Dryer with a large round brush. The trick he uses is "overdirecting." He pulls the hair up and away from the scalp while drying. That's how you get that 60s height at the crown.
- The Curls: For the tour, he uses a 1-inch curling wand. He does small sections. Tiny ones.
- The Pin-up: This is the part most people skip at home. As soon as a curl comes off the iron, he pins it to her head with a clip. He lets them sit for hours.
If you let the hair cool down while it's still in the shape of a curl, the "bonds" in the hair set in that position. If you let a hot curl drop immediately, gravity pulls it straight before it can set. That’s why your curls fall out in 20 minutes and hers don't.
The Bangs Situation
We have to talk about the curtain bangs. They are arguably more famous than her actual music at this point.
They aren't just cut straight across. They are feathered and styled to "flick" outward. Laurie Heaps trims them every 3 to 4 weeks. If they get even a quarter-inch too long, the weight pulls them down and they lose that "fluffy" look.
To style them, King uses a round brush and sometimes Velcro rollers. He sprays a boar bristle brush with Redken Brushable Hairspray and sweeps them back. Using the brush to apply the spray—rather than spraying the hair directly—stops them from looking crunchy or "piecey" under the lights.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that she just has "good genes."
While she definitely has thick hair to start with, the "Sabrina look" is 90% maintenance. It’s a lot of work. It’s weekly 5-minute masks. It’s avoiding high heat when she’s not working. It’s using a Redken Purple Shampoo once a week to keep the yellow tones away.
It's also about understanding that her hair on stage is a "construction." It’s built to last. For a normal day, she usually goes for a much looser, 1.25-inch barrel curl that looks "softer."
Actionable Steps for Your Own Hair
If you want to replicate the Sabrina Carpenter long hair vibe without a professional glam squad, do these three things:
- Switch to Acidic Haircare: If you bleach your hair, your pH is likely too high (alkaline). Using a bonding shampoo and conditioner like the ABC line will physically feel different after one wash.
- Master the Pin-Curl: Buy a pack of 50 silver duckbill clips. Curl your hair, pin it, and do your makeup while it cools. It is the only way to get that "bouncy" look that lasts.
- The Hairspray Brush Trick: Stop spraying your bangs directly. Spray a comb or a brush, then style. It gives you the hold without the "helmet hair" look.
Maintaining hair this long and this light is basically a part-time job. But if you focus on the health of the "bonds" first and the styling second, you can actually get pretty close to that pop-star finish without it falling out.