Let's face it — we've all gone through an immense transformation from our teenage selves.
Being a teenager is characterized by a need to find your own identity and differentiate yourself from all the conformist posers, right? Well, over time, things change and families are made.
The current collection of "then and now" pictures comes from a massive Reddit thread where people were asked to show off their rebellious teen self and what they look like now. Boy, was it interesting!
Here are 28 pictures showing the dramatic evolution of people transitioning out of their teen years.
1. This man went from straight emo to family man.
Having a beautiful little baby will do that to you!
2. "Emo. Goth. Emo. Emo. Marketing consultant," wrote pancreative.
Most of us have probably tried out several looks like her. Going through adolescence is pretty much all about finding out who you are as an individual and she definitely gave it a go.
3. "I'm in the US military now as an MP. Specifically US Air Force," wrote BaS3r.
I bet he never thought he would look that sharp. Again, though, If I happened to see this guy now I would never guess he used to look like that.
4. This man transitioned from rebellious teen to events coordinator at a golf course.
As with most of the transformations you'll see in this article, their "new" self is almost always a lot happier looking than their emo self. That was sort of the persona that went along with emodom, though, right?
5. Remember this guy from back in the day? Pierre hasn't aged a day! Wow.
If you don't remember, he's Pierre Bouvier from the band Simple Plan. To be honest he just lost the emo hair but looks pretty much the same! Good work, sir.
6. This man is all smiles after finding the woman of his dreams.
He didn't look at that happy with life in his emo stage, but boy have things changed after meeting his wife! Now that's pretty cool.
7. "Then I was studying to become a designer listening to Brand New, Death Cab and Blink. Now I'm a designer listening to Brand New, Death Cab and Blink and having my first kid in a week," wrote Okkido.
It's hard to turn away from the bands we used to love, right?
8. "I'm a special education teacher for high school freshmen. I teach kids like I was how not to do the things I did. So far, so good," wrote snazzychica2812.
Some students don't realize that their teachers were rebellious at one point, too. I bet if she showed the before picture to her students that they might actually relate to her more and realize that adults went through the exact same things as they are. Just an idea!
9. "I got my @#& kicked into a man. Went to Afghanistan, came home, spent another 3 years in the army (6 years total) and now I'm out."
That's just a costume on the right — he works at Home Depot now!
10. We have another emo singer blast from the past with Taking Back Sunday's Adam Lazzara.
I mean, he hasn't totally cleaned up his act, but he updated it! It's apparent that he will be a true artist the rest of his life.
11. "I became a fireman. If I talked to myself 8 years ago and said you would cut your hair and become part of the fire department I would've never believed myself," wrote RealTerse.
Wow, man. Incredible transformation. Can you have that long of hair as a firefighter? That would be pretty damn cool to have flowing locks as you run into a fire saving people.
12. This man took a big leap and became a police officer.
This blows my mind for a few reasons. 1) How did this guy end up being a cop? 2) I won't be able to look at any cop the same. If I get pulled over by a cop I'll ask myself, "were they emo at some point in time?"
Maybe I should start blaring Paramore before they get to my car window.
13. "My 18-year-old Emo Self. I am a loving father and husband. Gone are the days of black hair... What a difference 10 years can make," wrote Dex2787.
Your daughter never even has to know either! Be careful, she may happen to read this article and will question every decision you make from that point on.
14. "I was about 15 when I had a phase of about two years where I was a emo kid... Well now I'm 26 years old," wrote Gudgrim.
He was definitely not as emo as some of the other submissions, just sayin'. It kinda just looks like the first picture was taken right after waking up.
15. Now this is probably the most extreme transformation from old emo self to new man.
Davey Havok from AFI has truly updated his style in the best way possible. What do you think? Old Davey or new Davey? I expect a firm answer in the comment section! :) Is AFI still a thing these days?
16. This man also joined the military but still listens to his screamo from time to time. This is probably one of the most dramatic transformations I've seen so far.
I'm sure his wife is enjoying this new version of her man. Who knows, though, that look may be pleasantly nostalgic for her too.
17. "I still feel emo on the inside and secretly listen to the music... but I've done a 180 and am a graphic designer."
Wow, what a change! While she may be totally unrecognizable, it's clear she still has a thing for adding a little color to her hair. Still a little emo at heart, maybe?
18. "I was super scene/emo as a teenager but I guess being so into customizing my MySpace profile got me into coding, now a full time web developer and mom to a 4-year-old."
I never realized that those MySpace skills could actually pay off. That kinda blows my mind, tbh.
19. "Have a little family with my husband of 5 years and a 4-year-old son. Currently finishing up an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and applying to biological engineering and cancer biology PhD programs for graduate school," wrote lethalallele.
Well, well! You know she still pops on her favorite album by The Used from time to time.
20. This fella, who became famous as the guitarist from Hawthorne Heights, has made a transition that many from the emo crowd have made: emo to hipster.
JT Woodruff makes hipsterdom look pretty good, though! I get the feeling he's also one of those guys that will never assume the "clean cut" look.
21. "I'm the mom to a neat four-year-old, I'm married, and I'm the manager of a local convenience store. All things I told myself at 15 that I'd never do. I'm a boring adult but I think I'm better off now than I was then, that's for sure," wrote LemonMints.
I don't even recognize her! A bit of a hipster flair these days, but she totally rocks it.
22. "I'm a proper grown up now, working as a trainer for the bank, buying my first property, paying the mortgage," wrote yumyumhelen.
At least she had a smile on her face in the before and after picture.
23. Remember I mentioned that a lot of emo folk ultimately made the transition from emo to hipster? Well, here you go.
"Like many before me, I just transitioned into a hipster. (2005–2015)" wrote Trazan. This dude will always be at the forefront of questionable style choices it seems.
24. While this woman replaced the blue hair streaks and low-flowing sweep bangs, she hasn't changed all that much!
"Art student back in the day... Now I'm a care assistant," wrote PotatoKT. If I'm not mistaken, emo peeps seem to have grown into highly successful people. Coincidence?
25. Remember Quin Allman from The Used?
He lost that all-too-familiar blonde mop and replaced it with a more subdued style. Would you recognize him if you passed him on the street? I probably wouldn't.
26. Let's keep the emo train going with another musician. Surely you recognize this dude.
Yep, that's Tyson Ritter from The All-American Rejects. I'm surprised that he looks quite a bit different with just a few stylistic hair changes. He ditched the low-flowing emo bangs and flipped it to the side for a more current look. Lookin' good, my man!
27. OK, this is the last of the emo band transformations. Everyone knows these people, though, so it's important to cover. Remember Hayley Williams from the band Paramore?
Paramore is still kickin' these days, believe it or not, but Hayley has definitely ditched the emo style for a more updated look.
28. I leave you with this rebellious teen with a flat top compared to him now.
Doesn't this man just bring an immediate smile to your face? Who thinks he should go back to that slick buzz cut? I do! I do!
I can imagine everyone in this list had this kind of moment in their lives when they realized that no one else around them is into the emo thing anymore.
At least they finally recognized this, though, right?
It's pretty incredible how much people can change in just a handful of years.
We all go through phases where we try to figure out our identities in our young, and sometimes not so young years. One thing is for sure, emo is a thing of the past that may or may not be commented on in the history books.
SHARE a picture of yourself before and after your teenage transition!
h/t Bored Panda, The Berry
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