As a woman gets older, her style choices are less about making an impression and more about expressing herself. Whether you want to be elegant, classy or sassy – you can choose from a wide range of hairstyles for women over 40.
Hairstylist Nancy Opdahl says that the best cuts for older women are ones that enhance volume and flatter their face shapes. They can also feature layers and bangs.
Long Hair
Long hairstyles for older women can be a great way to update your look and give your ageless beauty a boost. But it’s important to know how to style your long locks so they don’t look untidy or disheveled.
For instance, you might want to try a simple chignon bun, as it is classic and conservative yet far from boring or dated. This is a hairstyle that works well for any social event, including luncheons, cocktail parties and galas.
Another option for long hairstyles for women over 50 is a choppy fringe that can frame your face and provide a fresher look. This cut flatters almost every face shape and will instantly refresh your look without requiring too much maintenance.
If you want to add some color to your long hairstyles for women over 60, consider adding highlights. Lighter colors highlight your features, making you look younger and more vibrant.
Getting a balayage can also give your tresses some extra texture and movement, which is a big plus for senior ladies with thin or dull hair. You’ll want to consult with a professional to get the right amount of highlighting and shadowing for your unique face shape and skin tone, says Helen Reavey, co-founder of Act+Acre.
You can also try a low bun, which is the perfect updo for senior ladies looking to avoid damage and tame coarse hair. A sassy bobble braid is also a great choice for keeping your hair out of your face.
If you have a full head of gray hair, it’s time to start thinking about transitioning to silver, which is an elegant way to glam up your long locks. You can either go with a natural silver shade or choose a more complex and darker hue, such as lilac. A layered cut with silver highlights will be a chic addition to your long locks and give them a romantic feel.
Short Hair
Old women love short hairstyles because they’re easy to maintain and make them look younger than their actual age. Moreover, they can make a woman feel more confident, which is important for any older person.
The pixie cut is one of the most popular short hairstyles for women over 50 because it frames the face and highlights the best features. This style is also a good choice if you wear glasses and need a flattering cut that accentuates your eyes and mouth.
For older women with fine hair, a short pixie with long side bangs can work well to hide wrinkles and lines around the eyes or forehead and reduce the appearance of aging around the jawline. However, this type of hairstyle is less effective for women with thinning or coarse tresses, so it may be better to choose a slightly longer style.
Another great option for women with thinning or fine hair is a shorter bob with layered ends. The short layers boost volume and texture, and the maintenance is easy enough – just keep it trimmed every four weeks.
A textured short bob is ideal for women over 70 who want a chic hairstyle that’s easy to style and looks modern. This choppy hairstyle works particularly well with grey hair, and it allows you to show off the different shades of gray in your locks.
This textured pixie is a low-maintenance way to hide wrinkles and lines on your forehead, but it can also be styled in a more casual or edgy way by adding long bangs. It also looks great with rectangular glasses and can be complemented with subtle highlights to add dimension.
If you’re going for a choppy or spiky short haircut, it’s important to consider your strands’ texture before choosing the right color. Lighter colors will be most flattering on those with fine tresses, while darker ones will work better on women with thick, coarse tresses.
If you have white hair, a fashion shade can help you look ten years younger! Silver and honey blonde are two popular colors to try for super short hairstyles. These colors are perfect for boosting the shine of your locks and creating dimension.
Permed Hair
Perms are a great option for older women who are looking for something a bit different than what is commonly seen. They are a way to change the texture of your hair from straight to curly, or vice versa, and they can be very dramatic!
The process of getting a perm involves wrapping your hair around rods, and then applying chemicals to alter the structure of your hair. The results are a natural-looking wavy or curly pattern that can last for months.
One of the most popular perms are spiral perms, which were popular during the 80s and have a defined curl pattern that can appear in different sizes and lengths. These perms can be a bit challenging to style, but they are very flattering and can look youthful.
If you want big, voluminous hair that makes a statement then a spiral perm is the perfect style for you! This perm also adds volume to your hair and can give you a softer jawline.
Another great thing about this perm is that it doesn’t require as much maintenance as traditional perms do. Touch ups only take a few minutes and are easy to schedule.
You can even get a multi-textured perm, which uses curling rods of varying sizes to create messy and more natural-looking perms that will slowly loosen over time. This type of perm is perfect for people with curly hair who are looking to save some money on their regular touch ups.
There are a number of ways to care for your perm, but the most important thing is to avoid overheating it. Heat styling can strip your hair of moisture and make it less likely to hold the curl pattern you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
To keep your hair healthy and strong, use products that are specifically formulated for curls. These can include leave-in conditioners, shampoos, and styling creams that will provide your hair with the hydration it needs to resist frizz and flyaways.
A good hair mask can also help to strengthen your curls and add a little extra moisture. Using products that are infused with aloe, sea kelp extract, and protein will help to lock in hydration and nourish your hair while protecting it from hot tools, chlorine, and the sun’s UV rays.
Blunt Bangs
Old women with fine hair can easily achieve a youthful, sexy look by adding bangs. Whether you choose blunt or curly, bangs can soften the appearance of wrinkles and other age-related flaws.
Blunt bangs are a perfect option for older women who want to create a clean-cut, modern look without going overboard with layers or curls. They can be slicked up with styling spray or left to fall naturally, blending with your hair and making you feel young and fresh.
These barely-there bangs graze the cheekbone and rest just above your forehead, balancing out your brows and framing your face. They’re also ideal for women who wear glasses or don’t have full, dense brows.
Another option for old women with fine hair is to get a shorter, wispier fringe, like Michelle Pfeiffer’s (right). This will keep the classic bob with bangs from looking too front-heavy for older ladies who wear glasses, and it will make the cut more streamlined.
This short, wavy bob is a popular choice for many women, but it’s especially flattering on older ladies with thin or fine hair and an oval-shaped face. The bob is short enough to hide thinning or sagging skin, and the long fringe can be held back with a clip for added glamor.
When you’re ready to try a bob with bangs, ask your stylist to cut the fringe to an angle so it grazes your eyebrows and ends below the chin. This will make it easy to style and maintain.
The asymmetrical pixie bob with long swooped bangs is another style that will make you feel young and fresh! The asymmetrical style has a side part, and that’s what makes it so stunning.
If you have thicker hair, you can easily add some volume to your bangs by using a volumizing product on the roots and the ends. This will make your tresses appear fuller, while the layered bob will frame your face and soften the appearance of fine lines on your forehead.
The asymmetrical style with long swooped bangs can be styled to curve around your face or to a straight, stick-straight stance like Patti LaBelle’s (left), so it can fit most hair colors and face shapes. The asymmetrical bangs can also be paired with a long bob or lob for an easy, low-maintenance look.