Over 22 seasons of Law & Order: SVU, one thing has remained the same: Mariska Hargitay.
But some things have changed for the Emmy-winning star, including her hair. Yes, Hargitay's Olivia Benson has been put through the wringer over the years—sometimes by perps, other times by haircuts.
Throughout her two-plus decades playing Benson, Hargitay has rocked many hairdos (and only one real hair don't—she's said her season three haircut almost got her fired). There have been enough changes that you can play "Guess the season the USA Network rerun is from" just by her hairstyle. (It's truly magical and we highly encourage you to try playing soon.)
"We all know what the cornerstone is of any show's creative direction," Hargitay jokingly told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "Hair."
And, with our favorite officer celebrating her 58th birthday Jan. 23, we're looking back on all of Benson's hairstyles over the years. That's right, it's an ode to our favorite Captain's luscious locks—and it's safe to say that Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) has seen most of these styles.
Look back on all 22 of Hargitay's hairstyles as Benson over the years...
Baby Olivia Benson before lots of layers.
She means business.
She really means business. Hargitay said this haircut almost got her fired.
The Justin Bieber before Justin Bieber was a thing.
She's looking for the scissors.
This is kind of quintessential Olivia Benson.
Remember this episode where she talked to a girl on the phone the whole time?
Bangs!
Post-baby (in real life), sassy new 'do.
Werkin' that bridge.
Classic later seasons Liv look.
No blunt haircuts here.
The first season without Stabler, Liv let her hair do the talking.
Look at those waves.
After being held captive and tortured, Benson chopped off her hair.
Benson became a sergeant in season 16, you can tell by the "I'm in charge" look on her face.
No more waves, Benson's gone pin-straight and down the middle for season 17.
This isn't your typical mom 'do.
She's sarge and in charge. Not a drastic change to season 18, but there are more choppy angles here.
Sleek and simple. Still similar to her previous seasons look, but with a middle part.
Just a casual windswept moment.
Did we shamelessly use this selfie as a way to work in a Stabler and Benson reunion moment? Why yes, yes we did.
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A version of this story originally published on January 23, 2021 at 7 a.m. PT.