The heat officially got turned all the way up in BEAUTY BADNESS 2025: The Fiercest Hair on Instagram, with last year's first- and second-place winners both knocked out of the competition by the Elite Eight round.
BEAUTY BADNESS 2024 winner Sara Bierman of Appleton, WI and first runner-up Ethan King of Austin, were both toppled in the Sweet 16 round of American Salon's March Madness-style tournament — making it clear there are no guarantees in this contest and that truly no one is safe!
Vote for your favorites in the Elite Eight! Tap the competitor's @handle to see their original post on Instagram.

THE RULES - PLEASE READ!
- Votes may be cast for each look once per day, per device. Any attempt to bypass that limit or artificially inflate votes will disqualify the competitor.
- Elite Eight voting is live from 12pm noon ET, March 26 to 12pm noon ET, March 30.
- Winners of these head-to-head battles will advance to the Final Four Round, where voting will go live March 31.
The champion will receive 2 tickets to the International Beauty Show in either New York or Las Vegas; an American Salon feature article; all-important bragging rights, and more.
Have fun, good luck, and may the baddest hair slay!
LEFT BRACKETS

1 — @hair.by.libby - "Tequila Sunrise Split" vs. @danikingxhair - "It's LIT"


2 - @motorcitycolormelt - “Rust Belt Angel” vs. @joyful.hair - “Cherry Bomb”


RIGHT BRACKETS

3 - @meaghanmastersonhair - “Sweet Honey Buckin’ ” vs. @hapagirl77 + @ygcolorartistry - “Snatched to the Gods”


4 - @hairbylunabelle - “Unicorn Fever Dream” vs. @stephanie.queen.921677 - “Oil Slick”


Voting for this round is open through 12 noon ET on Sunday, March 30.
The next round of voting goes live at 12 noon ET on Monday, March 31.
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