We Almost Didn't Recognize Christina Haack Without Her Hair Extensions

HGTV personality Christina Haack, the star of multiple lifestyle and design shows like "Christina on the Coast" and "The Flip Off," has perfected California glamor. From her fashion, which swings between luxe athleisure and nouveau-riche minidresses, to her buffed and polished beauty looks, Haack is always put together. And no matter where she goes, whether to an awards show or a construction site, one of the star's most iconic qualities is her long, mermaid-like hair.

Haack — more recently known by her married name, Christina Hall — has sported long tresses pretty much continually for the last decade, and while some celebs can get a little coy about their beauty routines, Haack isn't afraid to reveal her secrets or talk frankly about the fact that her flowing locks rely heavily on extensions. On Instagram, Haack has repeatedly showcased her favorite hair pieces, admitting in one video, "I definitely have an obsession with long, thick hair!" In another pro-extensions post, she called super-long hair one of her "feel goods" and "favorite luxuries."

That said, the HGTV regular hasn't always relied on artificial lengths. Back when she made her TV debut, her hair was shorter (and probably lower-maintenance). Over time, however, Haack's public image has become so synonymous with her cascading hair that we barely recognize her without those extra extensions.

Some celebrities look totally different without hair extensions, and Christina Haack is definitely one of them. But way back in 2013 and 2014, Haack — then going by her first married name, Christina El Moussa — kicked off her HGTV career on the cult-favorite series "Flip or Flop" with a much more low-key style than she typically rocks today. This included her easy, breezy hairstyle, which showcased simply straightened strands. Rather than her modern sea-siren look, Haack's hair in this era tended to fall between her shoulders and chest — a thoroughly relatable mid-length cut. If Haack was using extensions during this time, they were definitely much shorter, but it seems that she was relying on her natural hair for this sleek, straight style.

Since then, however, extensions have been her reality. In fact, in 2023, she took them out for a single day and got backlash from her own family. "I've had my extensions out for 24 hours. It's the longest I've ever had my extensions out in, like, 10 years — and I know that sounds crazy, but normally when I get them out, I get them back in," Haack confessed in a since-expired Instagram video (via Hello! Magazine). Haack added that her sons didn't care for her short, natural cut, apparently telling her, "... [W]e want your long hair back!"

Young Christina Haack played her style a little more cool and casual with her super-straight, medium-length razor cuts, but nowadays, the design pro is rarely seen without tons of long, hyper-feminine extensions, whether straightened or curled. In fact, Haack is a proud brand partner to Lush Locks by Latitude, a line of premium human-hair extensions. Without her beloved extensions, though, Haack's hair bears a lot of resemblance to that of her initial "Flip or Flop" days. Haack shows off the transformative difference in periodic before-and-after salon videos, but we still feel a little surprised every time we see her naturally cropped lengths — and we aren't the only ones. Haack and her daughter enjoyed a joint hair appointment in August 2014, and in the footage, even Haack's own mini-me marvels at her mom's truncated "Before" 'do.

Once her extensions are in, Haack wears them for continuous periods of around six months, so good luck catching a glimpse of her natural hair in the wild. Hopefully, she's using a few simple tips for taking care of hair extensions to help her wefts look their best that whole time — and from her consistently flawless look, we're guessing so.

Even through the dramatic dissolution of her third marriage to real estate agent Josh Hall, Haack is still posting plenty of upbeat hair content around her beloved extensions. Nothing like washing a man out of your hair, right? But Haack might not be the only fan-favorite HGTV star embroiled in salon-worthy drama, as there are some glaring red flags in her ex-husband Tarek El Moussa's marriage to Heather Rae.