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| Michelle Pfeiffer |
Are you 50 and still wearing your hair exactly the same as you did when you were 20? Conversely, have you gone the super-short route because someone told you you couldn't have long hair after a certain age?
Beauty expert Julyne Derrick has some great hair tips for mature women in this article Among other things, she attacks the myth that long hair is only for the young:
"It is a myth that the moment you turn a certain age (some "experts" say 40, some say 50, some say 55 just to be different) that you have to lop your hair off. There are plenty of women over age 60 who look gorgeous with hair that's to their shoulders or longer...No matter your age, your hairstyle should flatter your face and your figure.
"Long hair on older women can look amazing. The secret to long hair is proper upkeep and a good haircut. Split, frizzy ends on anyone of any age looks bad. Long hair looks best when it's not too heavy on the bottom, creating a 'Christmas tree' shape from behind. A few layers will lighten up your hair and make it appear more modern and healthy.
Consider bangs
Says Derrick, "If you don't have bangs, consider getting them. Long, side-swept bangs such as these can visually take years off your look. They bring attention to your eyes and keep attention off your neckline, which tends to get saggy and wrinkly even on women with the best plastic surgery.
Derrick goes on to say that the most flattering hair for just about anyone is shoulder length hair. She talks about this at length (no pun intended) here.
Here are some other photos of long, short and medium styles:
Fors myself? I usually vary between a shortish bob to a shoulder-length style. I prefer my hair medium-length or longer, because I just feel more comfortable with longer hair.
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| A bob last year (left) and how I'm wearing it now (right) |
How are you handling...or do you think you'll handle...the hair question? Long, short, or medium? Any styling suggestions that have worked for you? Let me know in my comments section!
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
13 comments:
Not close to 50 yet, but I will always wear my hair long unless I'm forced to do otherwise. I just feel naked without it. There are so many beautiful styles for all lengths... I've never understood the addage that it has to be lopped off!
- Melissa
http://www.measi.net/measiblog/
Im not closer to 50 either. There are many older women who wear longer hair beautifully!
I'm only in my 30s, but I have to say I LOVE long-haired silver ladies. I know a few in real life and have met a few on a forum I follow (The Long Hair Community). As my own grays are starting to come in I have no intention of going short in the future just because it's an "age" thing.
I 6think mine looks best around shoulder-length, too. I don't think I look good with super-short hair, and my hair just doesn't cooperate when it is much longer than shoulder length. I like having some kind of bangs, but not the combed-straight-down variety.
Thanks for telling me about the FB link-ups for 31 Days.
I'm 45 and I still love long hair :). However, I notice that my hair hardly grows so it never gets long any more.
~Urailak (Fruit Bearer on FB)
You're beautiful! I'm nudging on 30, but can so appreciate women who care about their appearances long after their 20's, 30's, and 40's. My mother is 63 and still maintains her hair, her style, her makeup. I was raised with the old sayings, "Suck in your stomach," "Put some makeup on," and so many others. It can make such a difference when we don't stop caring, we feel better about ourselves which in turns makes us feel better about everything.
I love this topic - thanks for sharing! I am writing about my weight loss journey for the 31 day challenge and Hair has actually been a fun part of the challenge for me. When I was much heavier I was really self conscious about wearing my hair short because it tended to make me look heavier - having the lost the weight the last three haircuts Ive gotten have gotten shorter and shorter! While I think I prefer myself with long hair it's been fun to mix it up!
well, I'm the hippie at heart 50 year old woman who swore off all of the styling long ago. Right now, I am in the process of forming neglect dreadlocks. My hair is just past my shoulders and it won't appear to get much longer for awhile as dreadlocks make your hair length shrink up.
I think the most important thing, whether long or short, is to personally love and feel good about your hair. Youth is in the attitude. If you feel good, you'll look good. ( as if looking good really matters ... but feeling good is the best)
Loved reading today's post! You ARE beautiful and I love you hair...mine is short and layered and (YES, I'll admit it) DYED!! I am not inclined to GO GRAY yet - at 63 I don't feel OLD, but some days I do...I quit with LONG hair when my children were younger and feel the shorter layered look is best for me! Thank you for sharing! Look forward to more!
love this topic (coming from a 31 dayer) & yes, I'm over 50 who just recently started dye-ing the gray out (myself with clairol or whatever I pick up when the mood strikes or the lines show) & it seems harder to dye long hair. I have mine shoulder length but have started to consider the bob because of this. But I know once I go really short, it will stay short for a long time because I can't stand the "growing out" stage.
As I approached my 40th birthday, a friend, who has always had short hair, chided me for growing out my traditionally medium length locks. More recently, I added more extensive layers to my longer hair and love it. I don't intend to get it cut anytime soon. As a redhead I know texture may change as I go gray, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. ;)
I will be 64 in 3 days and my hair is still shoulder length, with bangs (high forehead phobia). I look awful in short hair. In the summer, I tie my hair up into a ponytail or a side thingy (one-sided Princess Lea 'do). I like hair, full volume hair. I grew up hearing "well you can't have long hair when you reach 50, 55, 60, etc" Well, I do and like it! My hubs is a hair stylist and he agrees, hair is GOOD!
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