You should cut your hair short, now that you're 40

[FanGirlX]

Is this a thing?

My mother (age 75) has just informed me that I should cut my longish hair short now that I'm over 40. Or is this a generational thing, mum and her friends have all had short hair for as long as I can remember. My friends tend to wear their hair longer (even those over 40 ).

Also our mid 50s usually practically Crewe cut female friend has come out of lockdown with beautiful long over the shoulder silver locks. She looks stunning, it's taken years off her too

@SingingInTheShithouse when my long haired metalhead brother turned 40 he shaved his gorgeous hair and beard. I'll never understand why he did that! He resembles mr potato head now 😂

My mum's never been able to bear long "rats tails" or " straggly" hair, she thinks anyone female (not sure she has an opinion on blokes) looks awful with anything other than a crop. And God help anyone with long, grey hair.

Just 40 myself and I hacked a few inches off a few weeks ago in the heat, dear mother's comment? "You know me, I'd have taken another 3 inches off it". Compliment taken mum, thanks.

@Thecomfortador - when I was younger I had shorter cut & my granny said - Oh lovely darling you look like Elizabeth Taylor . Let me tell you , I did not - and it ever since then have grown it but my mother always says - you could have gone a bit shorter.

She has stopped saying it which it why I may do it. Contrary , me ?

That said I think mine at shoulder length, and have been growing out the grey during lockdown, looks OK actually. I just want to get rid of the bits which were dyed - I reckon 2 inches might do it and then I shall start again.

I do think long hair on some older women can be unflattering but there are no rules.

I agree - it's more about knowing what suits you and what looks good whatever age you are. Long hair can really drag down some people's faces - but if they like it that's all that matters.

Very few women can pull off a pixie cut in my opinion. I think most look better with a bit of length.

I disagree with that. I've never seen any woman who didn't look great with a pixie.

My mums been telling me for years that long hair at my age (40) doesn’t look right. Whatever the hell "right" is.

I love my mum and we get on great but my inner teenager insists on rebelling on this point so I have bum length hair. I'm also very very short so look like Cousin Itt. I wore Little House on the Prairie braids the other day. I give no fucks anymore.

@gofg

I do think long hair on some older women can be unflattering but there are no rules.

I agree - it's more about knowing what suits you and what looks good whatever age you are. Long hair can really drag down some people's faces - but if they like it that's all that matters.

Very few women can pull off a pixie cut in my opinion. I think most look better with a bit of length.

I disagree with that. I've never seen any woman who didn't look great with a pixie.

I’ve seen many women with Pixie cuts look like Les Dawson Not for everyone

I've always preferred mine long despite having a mum who's wanted me to have short hair since it first started to grow.

I've normally got fed up and had it cut to shoulder length every time it's got to about nipple-length, but my biannual hair cut urge coincided with the first lockdown so I kept growing it. And soon realised when it gets past that length it starts getting less frizzy
and more just wavy, as the weight pulls it down and looks much better.

So now at age 43 it's currently waist length and I'm aiming for bum length

@rosegoldwatcher "Pubic curls" Hmm, I wonder why perms have been out of fashion for, like, 30 years?

Chuckling as I imagine Julianne Moore, 60, going to a salon and saying "Cut off these shiny long auburn tresses that make me so distinctive and give me a short, corporate-compliant bob and a poodle perm." Or the late Toni Morrison lopping her dreadlocks. Or Julia Roberts trading her curls for something sensible. Good fun.

Well like long hair may not suit everyone, short doesn't either. Ignore it, my hairs long and although I've got a few years until I'm 40, no way I would cut it short! Short hair does not suit me, that won't magically change the day I turn 40

n
Now this is a woman with style.

That was supposed to be a photo of Mary Beard

I'm 42 and thanks to lockdown my hair is the longest it's been in years!

I changed from a side to centre parting and got a fringe cut in and it's taken years off me!

Just have your hair how you're happy and confident with. It's no one else's business!

It probably is a generational thing. Our mothers used to say that . I'm 63 and I kept my hair longish until I was about 50, at which time I realised that indeed it was making me look dowdy and sort of pulling my face down. I got it cut into a medium length bob and it really "lifted" my face a great deal and made me feel younger. So for me it works well to get that length out of the picture.

I think it's more about the condition of the hair, though. I've had lifelong very long hair, and until about 42 it never needed more than a discreet trim. But now the ends do get tangled and rstty and dry, so I'm having more cut off each time. I don't want to go short, but I fear I may wander into it.

Anyone have any tips for maintaining hair condition 40+?

At the age of 33 I've just booked myself in to cut my waist length hair on Saturday, and a big part of this is because I feel like an imposter clinging onto trying to look younger than I am

Friend A who always had long waist length hair - it was her 'thing' but it's not aged well, it's become much thinner. Genuinely she should cut it, not necessarily short but probably bra or shoulder length but she won't.
Friend B had to shave most of her hair off for an operation, went full buzz cut. Looked awesome, very kick ass, got loads of compliments but she felt 'unwomanly' so she's growing it back. She definitely looked better and younger with super short.

None of my business, of course with either of them. But as much as I dislike the 'you must cut your hair short at 40', I dislike the ' long hair is more famine/sexy/better, keep it long' sentiment too. It's absolutely about knowing your own hair and what will work best for it/you

My mom who is 92 keeps complaining about my hair saying it’s too short 😂😂 I have a grade 2 buzz cut. She’s always had short hair so don’t see why she’s got a problem tbh.

I’ve never had long hair as my hair is shit. Currently happiest I have ever been with mine 😊 plus it’s cheap… Husband runs the clippers over for me every couple of weeks 😊

I've always found this quite odd as both my great grandmothers had extremely long hair. Both my parents talk about it. So I'd love to know when it became a thing for women of a certain age to cut their hair short. I'm mid 30s and have short hair just because I hate my hair being long

My hair is incredibly thick and heavy. If it was short I would look like a lego man. It needs to be long so that it hangs down neatly.

How can long hair age you? My hair has never been longer nor fuller. I look after it. Your face will age you, hair certainly doesn’t

I'm late 40s with below the shoulder hair. Short doesn't suit me. A bit of a brag, but my hair is naturally wavy, thick and in good condition. It can sort of pull my face down all one length, so I had a bit of a side fringe and soft layering around the face.
My MIL thinks it should be short but my DDad and DH bless them like it . It makes me wonder if its more older women that think it should be short.

My ds when he was 18 asked me not to have my hair cut short like lots of older women(I was mid forties). So a young person's perspective.
He said it was like a uniform and just made women look older.
I am 60 now and keep my hair just touching my shoulders. It suits me, I have a few layers in it.

The main thing surely is to get a style that suits your face whether that's short or not.
I don't understand the women who go for ease of care regardless of how it looks.
I have a friend who has had the same hairstyle since she was 20. It has always been old fashioned imo. It's her hair though, she can do as she likes.
Doesn't stop me wanting to drag her into a good hairdressers.

God I was told that when I had my DC too.
You need to cut your hair. It’s not practical with a baby.
The baby will pull your hair.
You won’t have time to wash it.
Etc, etc, etc.

Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

If it was short I would look like a lego man
@garlictwistnthanks for that Same here! I cannot carry off anything shorter then shoulder length.