To wear my hair long at 40

I’m 60 with curly hair just past my shoulders. I had an undercut but am growing it back out. I go to Spring in Birmingham, which is a bit of a trek, but the only curly hairdresser near. My hair is very dark brown with ever increasing streaks of white.
I just grab whatever’s in the shower to wash it, then use either Davines or Charlotte Monday oil on it. It usually just gets popped up in a messy bun unless I’m going out out.

my mum used to have lovely long blonde hair but now has it short and just looks like a generic old lady (81). I’m never cutting mine apart from frizzy ends again.

Surely ‘society’ has not deemed 40 to be too old for long hair since about the 1960s? Odd statement.

I never understood old women having long hair that was always tucked away in a bun and scarf. Wfat was the point?

How exactly does hair get used to shampoo? By what mechanism?

hair is constantly growing and getting cut. It doesn’t have a brain or a memory. Shampoo and conditioner are very basic products that cleanse the debris and grease and then Smoothen the cuticles. There is no getting used to going on

I’m 50 and my hair is longer than it’s ever been, past my bra strap now. Fuck what anyone says, if you like it, have it long

How can shoulder length hair be short.. hair a few inches long is short,chin length is medium,shoulder length and beyond is long.. I've had just about every colour and style and length. I had it a couple of inches below my ear,a few years ago,it wasn't choice. I showed the hair dresser a picture, said don't take too much off the back, she showed me the back with a mirror asking if I wanted more taken off.the back was half an inch long. Friends said "what on earth have you done to your hair". My 2 DDS hated it!

Often because post menopause hair can become thin and dry and frizzy and sparse Other than this there is no reason to cut it short

Post menopause, never had HRT. My hair is fine, straight and silky but there's a lot of it, if that makes sense... It's too slippery to hold a style. It still grows very quickly.

To say I think it looks good sounds like vanity, but it gets a lot of compliments...

Early 50s here with long hair. If anyone inferred or told me that I should cut my hair, I would tell them to fuck off!

I still have long hair at 53, no-one has ever questioned me on it, I only ever receive compliments on.

I use Faith in Nature shampoos, alternating between Seaweed Citrus, Rosemary and the fragrance free one. I don't condition because my hair is poker straight and conditioning makes it form dreadlocks. I never use heat, just wash in the shower and allow to dry naturally which can take 5 or 6 hours in winter.

It's a bit thinner post menopause, I suppose, but not too bad. I used to colour it but stopped about 20 years ago because of worsening migraines. It's grey streaked at front and top, still reddish brown underneath.

Perhaps the question is, how do you have long, thick hair when you’re past menopause? I don’t think the answer is HRT, I as I know people not on it who have good, thick hair.
I’d love to know so I can join the crowd! Does anyone have thin, long, fine hair and think it looks good?

I had a 'helpful' hairdresser tell me that as we age, we should cut a lot of the weight out of our hair and consider shorter styles. I'm 38.

I was obviously polite at the time but decided to be contrary and am now trying to maximise the amount of length/ waviness in my hair. Bollocks to her, I'll do what I like.

Things change during & after menopause

Wear your hair exactly as you choose !

Why?
61 with greying hair long enough to sit on.
And I only ever get positive comments about it.

I am about to hit 60 and the only reason I have short hair is because I look like Crystal Tipps when it's long. If it wasn't so wild and thick then my hair would most definitely be longer.

I remember an article years ago entitled what women should wear over 40, and it was just a series of photos of famous women over 40 wearing all sorts of different thing and the caption for each photo was “whatever the fuck they want”. I can’t find it again, but it was beautiful. Do whatever the fuck you want with your hair.

Never heard this about not having long hair over 40. I'm heading for 60 and have long hair. It looks good.

I have long grey hair at 44. Sleep with a silk bonnet and my hair is in such good condition.

I don’t think “society” says this at all anymore. Maybe 30 years ago.
Who are these people who you say are deeming long hair unacceptable? Do you live somewhat particularly conservative and old-fashioned?
I haven’t heard anyone younger than my 95 year old grandmother ever say anything of the sort.

Ive never heard anything about women over 40 not having long hair in 20 years. That was the attitude in the 80s

Champo Pitta shampoo and conditioner have done wonders for my hair. I'm early 50s and have no intention of cutting it. My MIL has thick, shiny hair past her waist at nearly 80 and it's absolutely gorgeous.

I don't think it's so much the norm as current fashion, in the same way short hair on women was fashionable in the 1950s and parts of the 1960s and 1980s. You're right, long hair doesn't suit some people, but I'm not convinced there are a lot of women out there scared to cut their long hair simply because of their age, I think most of us older women who still have it long do so simply because we like it. 🙂

I had long hair well into my 60s!

And though many look fantastic with long hair, some don’t suit it- they think they will look older, and frumpy with short hair, and the truth is, they might well look better with shorter hair. Long hair really doesn’t equal looking young but that’s what some believe!