Other outlets are running this story like Keira Knightley is the second coming of the Duchess of Wiglets. But is that the truth? Keira did a wonderful little interview with InStyle UK about beauty, hair, makeup and skincare – go here to read the full piece. She ended up saying that she had damaged her hair so much because of repeated dye jobs, and that “for the past five years I’ve used wigs, which is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to my hair.” I think she’s saying that she wears wigs for film jobs, not in life. Keira isn’t wandering around red carpets wearing wigs, is she? Hm. Here are some highlights from the interview:
British versus American beauty-maintenance: “I think we Brits are very low-maintenance. For good or bad, you rarely walk around New York or LA and see women as grungy as you do in London. In the US they always have their hair and nails done, which isn’t big culturally in England. I am not a sleek person in any way. When I look sleek, I feel like I’m pretending.”
Her makeup style as a teenager: “I wore smudgy black eyeliner. And I didn’t do anything with my skin until I started getting acne, at which point I did everything possible to get rid of it. I tried a million products, but none of them worked. I had bad skin up until I was 25. I later learned that it was more about diet and hormonal changes.”
How her routine has changed now that she’s had a baby: “I have naturally crazy, curly hair, and since I’ve had the baby it’s become 10 times thicker. So now I’ve been finding quite a lot of dreadlocks. Tangle Teezer, £10.60, is the only thing that works for detangling my dreadlocks….My new approach is, “Do what you can remember, and don’t worry about it too much.”’
Hair loss: “I have dyed my hair virtually every colour imaginable for different films. It got so bad that my hair literally began to fall out of my head! So for the past five years I’ve used wigs, which is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to my hair.”
The best beauty advice: “I was told very early on that if a make-up artist tries to take your eyebrows off, that means he or she is absolute s***.”
Keira is like Helena Bonham Carter, in that I have a serious case of envy for their naturally thick, wavy/curly hair. I would love to know what that’s like just for a day. While I love my hair, it can’t take a curl. Ever. So I’ve never had the dreadlock problem. I’ve also never dyed my hair for any reason other than masking the grey. I probably do dye my hair too much, but I rationalize by thinking, “Well, I’m doing it darker, so it’s not so bad.” You know what I mean? I’m not bleaching it, therefore my hair will hopefully hold up. And yes, I do think Keira is talking about wearing wigs for films, not in life. She’s not Duchess Kate!
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Someone mentioned “anorexia face.” Does Keira have it??
What is that?
No she does not.
I had it big-time when I was at my worst and it is a very distinct look–wide mouth, gaunt face, prominent nasolabial folds. I have really big eyes and they looked even bigger but somehow longer/squintier when I smiled which was….weird.
I really do think that Keira is naturally thin. She’s just built that way with long, thin torso.
She’s also not nearly as thin as she was a decade ago, and hasn’t been for a while.
@Bridget exactly. i think she’s naturally slender, and you can tell now she’s at a healthy weight, in fact she looks amazing. 10 years ago she wasn’t at a healthy weight. i know some people are incredibly mean towards skinny people so there’s a tendency to go overboard with the ‘naturally thin’ comments, but tbh it’s important to recognise that yes, we’re all different sizes, shapes etc. but there are also health issues with being both too thin and too fat.
To me she does have a gaunt face in the header pic. She looks pretty and healthy in the three boobs dress pic. She looks very thin and fragile in the black dress. I don’t know when these three pics were taken.
Kitten, as a “former” anorexic, I hope you are doing well.
On general subject: I also believe she is naturally slim. However, sometimes being naturally slim is not enough if you are a perfectionist making inroads in Hollywood or in any stressful career or life situation. Being naturally birdlike just means you can deflect concern more easily than someone who is equally ill but of a bigger/more prominent bone build.
I don’t think she has it. She doesn’t look sickly to me or aged to me.
I guess her face is both angular and flat at the same time, but I don’t think that’s a symptom of it.
I mentioned it in another post (recovering anorexic here). No, she doesn’t have it, although about a decade ago she was definitely verging on it if not in the actual territory of it. If you’re fortunate enough to enter some sort of recovery/remission from that eating disorder, “anorexia face” can still mess up your proportions though in that you always seem to have remnants of it (for example my mouth is still weirdly wide/marionette like), so that may possibly be why her jaw area may look so prominent now in contrast to when she first broke out in Bend It LIke Beckham.
She was a teenage in that film. Most, if not all teens, are naturally thinner than they will be as adults.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that her hair was thinning when she was very gaunt and malnourished-looking. I’m sure dying and over-processing didn’t help her hair, but I suspect she lost hair due to undernourishment.
She has a thin upper body, stronger legs, sort of like Katie Holmes, but with nicer Proportions
HONK for KK!
Having followed her interviews over the years I think she’s gone from a bit pretentious to genuinely cool and fun.
Smart on her for using wigs. I’ve never noticed them in her films, but admittedly I am bad at noticing wigs in general.
I second that HONK.
I thought her hair in The Imitation Game was horrible and now I’m realising it was probably a wig.
Same here!
I just love her. Will always HONK for her. And yes, seems pretty clear she’s talking about using wigs instead of dyeing her hair for different roles.
I saw Bend It Like Beckham (again) the other day and enjoyed it as always. She was so young and spunky in it! She’s gotten so far ever since, it’s amazing.
I looooved that movie – I need to rewatch.
Clearly she hasn’t spent much time in Essex/Newcastle/Leeds or any number of places recently, if she thinks British women don’t roll with the super high maintenance, pruned to within an inch of their lives, look. It’s very much a part of British culture to be primped, although I’m not sure sleek is the word to describe it!
I’m actually really surprised she thinks Brit’s are ‘low maintenance’ – I mean, even the laid back Marylebone/Chelsea look takes effort…
lol especially in london, it’s the sort of low maintenance that actually takes ages to put together. it’s just a different style.
Yes, when I was in London I couldn’t believe that amount of make up and obvious salon hair women wore to work (my observations happened in the tube) They looked as if they were going to a party after work?
And there are huge chunks of the US that she hasn’t spent time in if she thinks that all American women do their hair and nails all the time. “Fly-over country” between New York and LA covers about the middle 7/8 of the US.
Last time I was in London I felt like street trash with all the women walking around in heels and beautiful coats.
True! My goodness, I visited Liverpool and London and there were so very many highly polished ladies. I felt so schloompy (is that a word?) in comparison! And all with flawless full foundation and fake lashes. I was casting many admiring glances, as I can never get lashes on straight.
I would have never guessed that she had thick/wavy hair. I hate mine. It looks a mess.
I had my thick, wavy hair cut into a short bob. There is still a wave on my left side that looks like a Marcel Wave. I wish those were back in style again!
I definitely don’t consider her hair thick at all! I’ve got at least that on just one side of my head. I get my hair thinned regularly but it sucks because I find it tangles closer to the scalp (ouch!) if you get it thinned. Thick hair is overrated. Having to section 1 million sections means it takes forever to style, forever to dye, shed everywhere, etc, etc.
The single advantage is that it can look amazing when styled well. But that’s not much of an advantage. I think the cons out weight the goods.
I don’t think dying hair really causes hair loss if there’s no allergic reaction to the product. Hair is fried and can break if it’s overdone, maybe.
ED causes hair loss.
MANY things cause hair loss, some controllable and some not. Check any reputable medical website for confirmation.
Yep. B12 is a big one. Has to be significantly higher than just over the loer range limit for some people for optimal hair results. Same with ferritin. If you’re losing lots of hair, definitely have your thyroid hormones done as well.
Oh and biotin as well! Gotta try it but I heard great things, esp. from women going through menopause.
That’s actually a good point. Other than breakage and very frizzy, damaged hair….dye itself shouldn’t result in any hair loss
Even if she wore wigs in non-film life, it is not so bad. Why is there a stigma around wearing wigs or extensions? For us who have to wear them every day, it just makes it a lot harder to explain to others.
Yes! My girlfriend who lost her hair years ago won’t wear a wig because of it and she would have so much fun changing hair styles. Instead she wears a head wrap which is pretty on her but I know she wants a change. I hate that stigma. I always say if you buy it, it’s your hair.
I agree. Why vilifying wigs or extensions!? There’s no problem or big deal about it. No everyone has a head full of hair.
I say if something makes you happy, go for it, as long as you aren’t hurting yourself or someone else. If you want to wear a wig, wear a wig.
I don’t understand the stigma either. Wigs are gorgeous! If it wasn’t for my head getting hot I’d consider wearing them.
Jesus, thank you. Wigs are treated like the worst thing ever here and I’ve never understood it. I use wigs and clip ins all the time.
i don’t think it’s true that hair fall off your head if you bleach it, although it might break at the ends if you over treat it. i don’t want to be mean, and i do understand eating disorders are not something to make fun of or fault people for, but she used to be severely underweight for a while and that would definitely make your hair fall off.
Different things can cause hair loss – nutrition, components in water (shower), dye (from highlights to total hair), dryness, hormones, hair treatmens (perms, straighteners, frizz, etc).
Weaves can cause hair loss too, and Keira has had a ton of those. Any time she had the full long hair (what she called her “wench weave”) it was a weave.
Also-medication. It’s a shitty side effect.
Yup Jennet, I know all too well about hair loss through meds. Started taking a drug 7 years ago now (wow!) and I’ve lost overall about 1/3 of my hair. It wasnt thick to start with and any new hair that comes through is incredibly fine and thin and I’ve still got the menopause to go through, so even more thinning!
She mentioned her hormones causing acne and diet being connected, so along with the hair loss, that seemed like it could be combined hypothalamic amenorrhea-pcos, since increased androgens can cause hair loss and acne. Hypothalamic amenorrhea can be caused by undereating/overexercising.
I agree hormones, ED and anemia cause hair loss. I had some rating issues a couple of years ago and suffered from hair loss. Now that I’m recovered, my hair is better than ever even though I get highlights every two months.
Extensions can also be notoriously hard on hair and if not done properly, or too often, can cause hair loss as well.
I promise you, you don’t want thick curly hair. Bloody nightmare to deal with.
I’ve always liked Keira. She gets a bad rap in the UK, but I think she seems pretty chill.
Why does she get a bad rep in the uk?
“When I look sleek, I feel like I’m pretending.”
You and me both, sister. Today I have a meeting so I put on actual tailored pants and a shirt and nice shoes and a bit of eye makeup and I feel so out of my comfort zone…counting the minutes until I can thrown on my old jeans and t-shirt and get the makeup off.
I always get comments when I’ve done my hair and put on a little makeup, so this obviously applies to me BIG TIME. I love her for it!
Low maintenance, huh? Didn’t she have a lip implant? Nice try.
No she didn’t. Nice try.
Interesting response. And you would know that because?
Because she’s been making that stupid pouty face ever since Pirates 1, someone must have told her that was a good look on her then.
Also she was a child actress, there would be multiple receipts if she ever got any part of her face altered. Her lips have always been somewhat full/pouty, not Scarjo levels of pout but the kind that easily look fuller with just a change in how you hold your mouth.
“Keira is like Helena Bonham Carter, in that I have a serious case of envy for their naturally thick, wavy/curly hair”
That’s so strange. I always thought she had thin stringy hair. I wonder if hair loss also has to do with nutrition because since she has been an adult, she has been so pianfully thin. She does look better with a little weight on her and that might be why her hair is getting thick again.
Agree. I always thought her hair looked baby fine and weak, and not really curly – rather just slightly wavy (although perhaps what counts as curly varies in different countries). Helena Bonham Carter, on the other had, did have great thick curly hair.
A lot of people trying to bait an eating disorder discussion here. Crappy sebhorric dermatitis is a possible contributing factor to hairloss, in conjunction with dyeing. I’ve got the same issue. I dyed my hair platinum for ten years, and definitely had to fluff it up, and take breaks so it would grow. My hair also falls out more around my period, and I was basically bald in front after my two kids. She’s thin, she’s good at being thin and wearing corsets and it pays for her life. Nobody batted an eyelash at Julianne Moore saying she ‘stays in shape’ by living on granola bars alone. That’s not healthy eating, either :p
Good call.
talking about stuff respectfully isn’t ‘baiting’. i think keira is a good weight rn, i’m thin myself so i don’t go out of my way to skinny shame (quite the contrary in fact, i’m always complaining everytime the likes of alexa chung or others very thin women are shamed here), nevertheless when keira was younger she was underweight. you’d have to be blind not to notice. if she had an eating disorder and managed to get better more power to her, but i don’t see why the conversation should be avoided altogether for fear of upsetting people like you. if anything, we should start discussing eating disorders in the same way we’re now talking about depression or other mental disorders.
True. It’s doing nobody a favor by sweeping things away as if they are insignificant concerns. These are horrible, deadly illnesses with far too many taboos attached to them and far too many helpful places to hide in plain sight.
I don’t think it’s baiting if discussions go on tangents related to a trigger in the article.
People like me, survivors of ED? I don’t think someone saying ‘hey, does she have anorexia face’ is exactly bringing up an important discussion respectfully. That’s all.
I imagine this issue is common for actresses. Jennifer Lawrence cut her hair short since it became damaged with dying it brown for Hunger Games films and then back to her natural blond many times between films and she wore a wig for the final two films.
I love her, but wow — when I went to London, I made sure to wear nice clothes, good shoes, and a nice bag every day so as not to look like the stereotypical badly-dressed tourist, and I *still* felt like an unfashionable frump next to most of the women we saw walking by on any given day! Maybe it’s just Soho?
I said the same above. I seriously have no idea what she’s talking about.
Nah, I get what she was saying. I spent several years living in both London, then LA. I am neither British nor American, and as a low-maintenance person myself, I’ve always felt like American women, in general, make much more effort with make-up and hair-styling. It seems to start at a younger age, too.
I am familiar with the social groups of British women who go all out on hair and nails, but I wouldn’t say it’s the standard. When I look at how American women groom themselves and apply their make-up, I usually feel underdone. Never felt that way in the UK. But like most things, it’s all in the perspective, I guess.
White hair doesn’t dread…it gets matted.
Was it wrong for her to say it like that? To call it dreads? And I am seriously wondering if anyone can help me out. My son and I both have long stick straight blond hair… We call it dreads when we get big tangles in it. That’s what it looks like. Is that offensive or something?
Matted would be the proper term for white or european hair. It does not have the texture to dread like 2B hair so it can be seen as offensive to some because it implies that dreads are unkempt but with proper hair texture, dreadlocks can be very neat. I hope that makes sense 🙂
@Felice. That’s just nonsense. Dreads are sculpted matted hair, some are natural, most have had some help. But all hair can become matted (and also naturally form real dreadlocks). Curls and thin hair are best, but definitely not essential to form dreads.
Oh dear.
You really should read about it, dreadlocks have been around in so many cultures for such a long time.
I adore Keira. She seems like a real person who has a sense of humor about herself. I think her face is lovely and luminous.
And she was kind of a Duchess, when she played Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.
I detest when someone tells me I’m too thin. Would that same person go up to another and ask why they’re so fat?
Many women are low on iron. That can be another reason for hair loss. My hairdresser has told me the worst thing you can do to your hair is color it. Mine’s red so I don’t bother with colouring and when I’m old il just let it fade out.
“Would that same person go up to another and ask why they’re so fat?”
I think this happens. Whenever I’ve gained weight, people make sure to tell me. They make sure to tell me when I’ve lost weight too. I think weight is a topic frequently commented upon by other people.
every USA fly over state has a nail salon in almost every strip mall. even in podunk towns.
are nail salons as ubiquitous in tiny hamlets in the UK?
globally most major cities have their fair share of grooming happy, clothes loving, $$$$ spending people. even the folks that look very “natural” and “laid back casual” are usually very careful with and concerned about their appearance, just more subtle.
i am in no way saying there are not any naturally beautiful people that don’t care how they dress out there in the world. i do believe most people choose their own clothes and want to look attractive in their own way though. totally normal to want to look nice or good or healthy or casual or fancy or whatever you find appealing or want people to see.
the degree of effort varies wildly and in some cities it is more obvious what they care about.
in nyc the trend is more to look effortless whereas l.a. they almost want you to know exactly how much energy and $ they put in to their look. it was jarring to move from nyc to l.a. because the effort is way more obvious and yet sort of refreshing because in l.a. they wear their vanity on their sleeve so to speak whereas nyc they kept it on the way down low.
even the dentists had different aesthetics. needless to say in l.a. they recommended making the teeth as white as possible whereas nyc they suggested maybe a shade or 2 whiter than what was currently the color of your normal smile.
if you are spending 10 minutes daily waxing your mustache into an 1870’s style and wearing $1300 worth of shoes and eyeglasses you are pretty high maintenance imo.
it ain’t just ladies that care 😜
apologies for blathering but find this sort of information fascinating. sad there aren’t a gazillion more comments to read.
feel bad for her about her hair loss, think that issue is more sensitive for women?
it sucks for both sexes but since women wear longer hair in general it seems like any loss would be more noticeable and create more anxiety.
at least men get the more testosterone/virility pass with their lack of hair.
So she was’nt wearing a wig in any of the pics from the previous post? Cause’ I was thinking those wigs must cost a fortune.