Best Haircuts for Women Over 50

“What haircut will suit me now that I am over 50?”

“Do I have to have short hair now?”

“Can I have long hair now that I am over 50?”

As a hair stylist I get asked these questions a lot, I think there is a lot of stigma over having short/long hair when you are over a certain age.

My answer is always, as long as you look after your hair and go with your hair type, you really can’t go wrong…

What are the signs of ageing hair?

When we talk about ageing hair, this isn’t just about our age. Hair can age through pollution, sun exposure, heat styling and stresses of daily life.

Signs of ageing hair:

• Scalp can become sensitive and dry.
• Hair can look dry and dull.
• Hair can become weak, limp and flat.
• Hair can lack volume.

The great news is there are ways of enhancing your hair through cutting, as well as improving the condition through your home care routine.

As a whole the haircuts should be soft meaning you should avoid heavy lines and fringes. If your hair is on the finer side, you should go with shorter cuts as they tend to make the hair feel fuller with more volume. Thicker hair sits better in a mid-length to long haircut with layers as these will remove some of the weight in the hair.

These are 4 of my favourite haircuts for women over 50 years old:

The Classic Bob

This haircut is timeless & definitely one of my favourites for any age group.

Here are some reasons why:

• It is perfect if you feel that your hair is thinning as it builds weight and volume.
• Creates a softer look on the face.
• Easy to maintain and look after.
• It is adaptable, for example, if you have a slightly rounder face, by leaving the front longer you can take the limelight off of the jaw area.

 The Pixie Cut

I really think this a beautiful haircut, and again is fairly timeless, although it has been adapted overtime.

Here are some reasons why:

• Gives the hair volume and texture.
• Easy to style on a daily basis.
• Softens the face.
• Although short it still has a modern feel.
• It is adaptable to different hair types.

The Mid Length Cut

This haircut is perfect for anyone not wanting to take the leap and go short.

Here are some reasons why I love this haircut:

• Can be worn straight, curly or wavy.
• Sits beautifully on the shoulder.
• Can be worn up or down.
• Adaptable for different hair types.

This haircut is amongst the most popular haircuts in the salon at the minute.

Finishing with a soft fringe can also hide any lines that you may feel conscious about.

The Longer Length

As long as your hair is in good condition, I see no reason as to why you can’t keep your long hair, this goes for any age group.

Long, straggly hair with fine, split ends can be very ageing.

The key to keeping your long hair is to simply, look after it…

You can do this by:

• Using regular hair treatments.
• Getting regular cuts.
• Stay clear of too much hair colouring.
• Use the correct heat styling products.
• Don’t over style.

This haircut is great as you can:

• Wear it up or down.
• Wear it curl, straight or wavy.
• Adapt it to suit you, i.e. fringes, layers etc…

Longer lengths with layers also help to remove unwanted weight from the hair and will give the hair a soft feel.

The key with this is; do not go to short! Going to short with the layers will push all the weight up to the top of the head and can you will end up with thickness at the roots and fine ends.

How can I look after my hair now that I am over 50?

Looking after your hair is crucial at any age, however there are some beautiful product ranges out now that are specifically for ageing hair.

My favourite is the Kerastase Chronologiste, this range consists of  Pre-cleanse Regenerant, Bain Regenerant (shampoo), Masque and Thermique Blow-dry Cream.

It has some amazing benefits:

• Fights the signs of ageing hair and scalp.
• Hydrates the scalp.
• Plumps the hair.
• Revitalises the hair fibres.

The home care routine, for this range, is as followed:

• Start by using the pre-shampoo gel cleanser (Chronologiste Pre-cleanse Regenerant, this detoxifies the scalp.
• Follow by using the Bain Regenerant.
• Treat the hair with the Masque.
• Finish with the Thermique Blow-dry Cream, before blow-drying.

These products are salon exclusive so head on to your local salon to get yours!

There really are some beautiful haircuts around to suit every age group, just because you are a certain age doesn’t mean you have to completely change your identity.

Keep things soft and go with your hair texture!