Honestly, if you've spent more than five minutes in the Stray Kids fandom, you know that Minho—better known as Lee Know—is pretty picky about his hair. He isn't like some idols who treat their scalp like a coloring book every three weeks. So, when Lee Know purple hair actually became a reality, it didn't just trend; it basically broke the internet for STAYs.
It's kinda wild how a single color choice can define an entire era for a group as big as Stray Kids. For most of his career, Lee Know has stuck to the "safe" stuff: browns, blacks, maybe a sneaky bit of blonde. But the purple? That was different. It wasn't just a dye job; it was a vibe shift.
The Maniac Era and the Arrival of Purple Minho
The peak of the Lee Know purple hair phenomenon really hit its stride around the MANIAC era in early 2022. If you look back at the teaser photos and the music video, there’s this specific shade of vibrant, almost grape-soda purple that just worked. It was striking. Usually, Lee Know has this "tsundere" aura—sharp, cat-like, and a little intimidating. The purple softened that just enough to make him look like a literal prince from a fantasy manhwa.
You might remember the BEAUTY+ photoshoot from February 2022. People were losing their minds because the purple wasn't just one flat color. It had these gradients of lavender and ash that caught the light differently in every shot.
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- Era: Oddinary / Maniac (2022)
- The Look: Vibrant purple fading into a soft lavender.
- The Impact: Increased focus on his "Main Visual" status alongside his dance skills.
Interestingly, he didn't keep it for as long as people wanted. By the time they were deep into promotions, the color started to do what all purple dye does: it turned that weird, chalky blonde-grey. But even the faded version had a cult following. Fans were literally tracking the "wash-out" stages on Twitter like it was a breaking news event.
Why Does He Rarely Change His Hair?
Lee Know has been vocal about his hair health. In various V Lives and "2 Kids Room" episodes, he’s joked about how his hair is basically "dying" because of the constant bleaching. It’s a real problem in K-pop. Most idols have hair that feels like hay when it’s not professionally styled.
He seems to prefer the "natural" look because it's easier to maintain. When he does go for a bold color like purple, it's a huge deal because STAYs know he’s actually putting his hair through the wringer for it. Most people don't realize that to get that specific shade of purple, you have to bleach the hair to a level 10—basically paper white.
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The 2025-2026 Revival and Fan Theories
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026. We've seen a lot of experimentation lately. While he’s been rocking a lot of blonde and blue recently (those skzcollection photo cards are getting expensive, by the way), the ghost of Lee Know purple hair still haunts the fandom.
Just a few months ago, during the 2025 MAMA Awards, Bang Chan showed up with lavender-purple hair, and it immediately sparked a wave of nostalgia. Fans started comparing it to Minho's iconic 2022 look. There’s a segment of the fandom that believes purple is actually his "power color." It’s a mix of the calm blue and the energetic red, which fits his personality—he’s the calm center of the group, but he can be absolutely chaotic when he wants to be.
How to Get (and Keep) the Lee Know Purple Look
If you're sitting there thinking, "I need that exact shade," you've got to be careful. You can't just slap a box dye on brown hair and expect to look like a Stray Kids member.
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- Bleach is non-negotiable. You need a clean, pale canvas. If your hair is even slightly yellow, the purple will turn muddy or brown.
- Use a silver or purple shampoo. This is the secret. It deposits a tiny bit of pigment every time you wash, which stops the color from turning that "old penny" orange.
- Cold water only. It sucks, but hot water opens the hair cuticle and lets all that expensive purple paint go right down the drain.
- Bond builders are your best friend. Products like Olaplex or K18 are basically what keep idols' hair from falling out in clumps.
Basically, if you want Lee Know purple hair, you have to treat your head like a delicate piece of art.
The Actionable Insight for Fans
If you're looking to track his next big color change, keep an eye on his Instagram updates right before a world tour or a major award show. Usually, if he’s wearing a beanie or a bucket hat in every single post for a week, it means something is happening in the salon.
For those trying to replicate the look at home, start with a semi-permanent dye like Arctic Fox (Purple AF) or Lunar Tides. These don't have peroxide, so they won't damage your hair further after the initial bleach. Just remember that purple fades fast, so grab a color-depositing conditioner to keep it looking fresh for more than three days.
The legacy of the purple hair is really about that one moment when Minho decided to step out of his comfort zone and give the fans something truly "idol-coded." It remains one of the most requested looks for his future comebacks, even years later.