How 8-year-old Susan Olsen endured damaging hair treatments to become Cindy Brady.
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The Little Brady’s Big Hair Struggle
Susan Olsen wasn’t born a Brady. At just 8 years old, she underwent serious beauty treatments to transform into Cindy Brady.
Every three weeks, little Susan sat through hair dyeing sessions that eventually damaged her delicate locks.
Can you imagine a child today going through that? Her naturally straight hair needed overnight rollers too—talk about dedication for a kiddo!
Behind Those Perfect Blonde Ringlets
“Classic blonde” wasn’t her natural shade at all! During season three, eagle-eyed fans might notice Cindy’s hair color shifting between episodes.
They were experimenting with different dyes until Susan’s hair literally started falling out.
Yikes! That’s when mom stepped in, taking over the Friday night hair routine that created those iconic ringlets we all remember.
1970s Beauty Standards Were Brutal
The cocktail of weird chemicals they used back then would probably horrify modern parents.
While Susan was getting “classic blonde” treatments, her co-star Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady) remembered his own “Jet Black number 23” dye.
Those vintage Miss Clairol bottles contained who-knows-what, but the show demanded picture-perfect Brady kids regardless of the cost.
The Brady Bond Was Real
What made the show special wasn’t just the storylines but the genuine connection between cast members.
The young actors truly respected their TV parents, Robert Reed and Florence Henderson.
Christopher Knight explained they didn’t want to disappoint these parental figures—creating that authentic family dynamic viewers could feel through their screens.
Brady Legacy Lives On
Decades later, the Brady kids still appear together at events like The Chocolate Expo where Susan shared these hair-raising stories.
They’ve continued their Brady connection through reunions, charity events, and fan conventions.
The Brady Bunch may have wrapped in 1974, but the cultural impact (and hair damage) remains part of television history.