Dixie D’Amelio Shares the Inspiration Behind Her Dramatic New Gold Hair for 24th Birthday (Exclusive)

The TikTok star, who turns 24 today, has pulled off several dramatic hair transformations since she rose to fame in 2019

NEED TO KNOW

  • As Dixie D’Amelio turns 24 on Aug. 12, she’s debuting a new gold hair color
  • The star tells PEOPLE that the switch-up was partially to honor her zodiac sign, Leo
  • In addition to her hair transformation, D’Amelio also reveals how she plans on ringing in her big day

The social media star, who turns 24 on Aug. 12, recently debuted her new golden locks on her Instagram Stories ahead of her birthday, and she tells PEOPLE there was a special significance behind the hair switch-up.

“I’m a Leo and turning 24,” says the star, referencing her zodiac sign. “My golden birthday’s the 12th," she continues. "I don’t know, I was doing some crazy math.” 

(Golden birthdays are typically when the year you are turning coincides with your age, but hey, we’ll take it!) 

It's only fitting that the influencer would do a big hair transformation for her birthday, seeing as her zodiac sign is associated with the lion archetype, which is often admired for its long, luscious locks of hair.

In astrology, Leos are known for trying new things, according to astrologer Valerie Mesa. "Just like the sun, Leos shine the brightest when bold and courageous in their pursuits, remaining true to their heart's desires and solar plexus power," she tells PEOPLE. "This hair makeover goes hand-in-hand with this Fire sign's desire for unapologetic self-expression."

In March, D’Amelio shocked her fans when she unveiled a deep red hair look, a break from her natural dark hair.

“All of my friends have been saying that the red was my best look ever,” she tells PEOPLE. “I'm like, ‘OK, well I’m a natural brunette, so we'll deal with that.’ But I like the red and orange. I think this color's so fun.”

Since D’Amelio rose to fame on TikTok in 2019, she’s been no stranger to a dramatic hair transformation. In 2022, she buzzed her head, and she has dabbled in a variety of colors over the years: her natural brown, a light blonde, red and now golden.

“I think that I just like doing it because I can,” she previously told PEOPLE about her hair transformations last year. “Hair grows back, and I think it's just a fun and easy way to change your personal style.”

When asked if there were any former looks she would never do again, D’Amelio said it was only the styles she “didn’t take care of properly.”

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"But no,” the influencer continued. “I love everything I did. I loved shaving my head. I like having long hair."

In addition to debuting a new hair look, D’Amelio tells PEOPLE that she’s celebrating her birthday this year by taking a trip to Hawaii with a friend. “We’re going to go learn how to surf,” she says.

“I went when I was 12 and it was my dream vacation, and I remember it was the most beautiful place,” D’Amelio continues. “I talked about that trip for years. I cried when we had to leave. I loved it.”

“Now I'm turning 24 and I was like, ‘Let me go back and have the same experience and see how much I've grown,’ ” she adds. “I'm very excited to go and just relax.”

The trip to Hawaii will cap off a more laid-back summer for the influencer, who has shared less frequent updates on her social media accounts over the last few months — a break from her daily posting at the height of her fame.

“I’ve been training my dogs all summer,” D’Amelio, who is the proud mom of a 1-year-old golden retriever, tells PEOPLE. “We’ve been working on sitting and staying a lot.”

“I wanted to take some time to just figure out what I wanted to do — what direction I want to go in,” the star says of her break from posting. “I needed to get in my body and my mind and regroup and become an adult.”

This has also meant that she’s sharing less about her love life. When asked if she’s had any summer romances, the star says she’s “keeping it personal,” which has been “something I've been so happy with this past year.”

“It’s just like, ‘Oh, I can keep that to myself. Why not?’ If that makes me feel safer and better, then sure,” she adds.

But as the fall approaches, D’Amelio says, she’s itching to return: “I think I'm definitely going to be a little more busy."

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