
PEOPLE’s 2023 Sexiest Man Alive Patrick Dempsey has a lot going for him — wife! kids! career! this title! — but there’s been one constant that fans have always seemed to really love: his incredible hair.
Ever since he hit the scene in the 1980s, the actor has had some particularly luscious locks, whether he’s wearing them naturally and wavy or perfectly salt-and-pepper styled (by wife Jillian for PEOPLE’s cover!).
Here, take a look at Dempsey’s five decades of hot hairstyles.
Patrick Dempsey’s Hair in 1986
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In one of his first roles, on the 1986 CBS series Fast Times, Dempsey kept his thick black curls long and tall.
Patrick Dempsey’s Hair in 1992
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At the Independent Spirit Awards, the actor sported the early makings of what would become his signature hairstyle.
Patrick Dempsey’s Hair in 2005
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As Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey’s Anatomy, Dempsey was absolute #hairgoals with his perfect dark coif.
Patrick Dempsey’s Hair in 2005
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In the 2010s, the actor went shorter for a while, and started letting his pops of gray come through.
Patrick Dempsey’s Hair in 2022
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When he began filming his upcoming movie Ferrari, Dempsey went platinum blond for the role of race car driver Piero Taruffi — a process he said took six hours.
Patrick Dempsey’s Hair in 2022
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And what’d he do when filming was done? Shave it off!
Wife Jillian told PEOPLE at the time that the cut was a beauty “rebirth” much needed for the star after dyeing his hair, which resulted in hard-to-manage roots that looked almost “invisible” as they grew out.
Patrick Dempsey’s Hair in 2023
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When Dempsey hit the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival to promote Ferrari earlier this year, he broke the Internet with his silver fox status.