To think it's perfectly acceptable to have long hair when your 35?

[Cathycomehome]

Because my mum thinks it isn't, and I should cut mine. It's very cheap to have long hair and also you can tie it up when you can't be asked to wash it

I'm 36. It's never occurred to me that I'm too old for long hair, surely not?!

44 here with hair that reaches to the middle of my back.

The top is grey, the bottom is brown and I give not a flying fig for what people think to that.

I haven't been to the hairdressers in about 3 years - I trim my fringe myself and attack my split ends regularly.

< blows raspberry at all those who think I should dye it and cut it >

I don't understand why people feel the need to cut hair when it's grey. What's wrong with long grey hair? It can look fabulous. Mine's short and white, but I've always preferred short hair. I have a friend with long grey hair and she looks wonderful.

I am 40 and mine's below bra strap.
I cut it all off a couple of years ago and people said - oh, you won't grow it long again at your age.

So I did. I like to prove people wrong and I prefer long hair.

Plus you can always chop off your ponytail every couple of years and send it for cancer wigs then grow it again.

46 (today, yay)

I'm currently growing my hair. I had it cut short to donate to the little princess trust, once I have a 20cm pony tail I will cut it again.

i'm 47, with blonde hair down well past my shoulder blades. Its my best feature. I intend to keep it until I'm a wrinkly white haired old lady. I shall put it in a posh up do then and wear pearls.

If you like your hair, and it suits you, don't cut it!

I recently cut my long hair into a chin length curly bob. It's ok but it can look a bit mumsy if I don't fluff it up regularly enough. And I really miss putting it up in a messy up do. After reading this thread I think I'm going to grow it long again. I'm 38.

If it looks healthy why not? I am 20 years older than you and have hair halfway down my back. It isn't grey, it is dark blond with lighter highlights. I usually wear it up at home and down when out.

This is such a mum thing. My mother had waist length hair when she got married (20) within a year she had an incredibly ugly pageboy and by 30 she had that hideous short back and sides with an 80s perm on top. She looked about 50 at 30. I was never allowed long hair as a child and am growing it now - she hates it.

Good.

If long hair is so bad for older ladies, what about the lady with the lovely long grey hair in the M&S adverts? That's what I aspire to eventually.

I have been thinking about this a lot. I am 38 and have long highlighted hair but I have recently shed several stone and that, combined with my wearing off Botox makes me think of a miserable old witch when I look in the mirror. I have been thinking about layers but I always end up with a haircut that looks like I am wearing a crash helmet with a few mullety strands hanging down.

I am 42 and have longish hair I don't suit short hair i went short a few years ago a and didnt like it at all , I do get it cut to shoulder length though and I don't look whitchey oh and I dye it,

I AM 41 pffft 42

May I add a note about men please? I am not a great fan of the grey ponytail in the 50 something man except for the Sainted Bill Bailey who is allowed to do anything.

I'm 38 and have greying mousey brown hair naturally that, since having kids, refuses to grow as long as I'd like it. Naturally it is just below shoulder length however for most of this year its had 16" extensions in it and I much prefer it that way! Its also dyed to hide the grey but that's personal choice. Go with whatever makes you happy.

42 and my hair's almost at my waist again after having 12" off it a couple of years ago. It's layered, no fringe and highlighted every 3 months or so. It's very thick (or as hairdresser says, I have fine hair but a hell of a lot of it), and I don't intend having any more than a gnat's whisker trimmed off it anytime soon!

I'm overweight so I'm not winning any prizes in the figure dept, but my hair brings in the compliments so does my self confidence a power of good!

I'm 49, I have just-beyond-shoulder length hair which I am intending to grow as long as possible. It is thick and wavy and I have it coloured every three weeks as it is about 60% grey.

My hairdresser would love to take the scissors to it and give me a mumsy bob but I won't let him. My former colleague (35 year old bitch) suggested once that I should get a nice shiny blonde bob (and wrap dress and boots) just like hers as that's a more "appropriate" look for women of a certain age.

My "look" is slightly rock chick and having been recently described by a couple of acquaintances at the gym as "really glamourous" when they saw me dressed for work, I won't be changing that either!

My hair falls just below my shoulder blades, so pretty long; I am 36. I just make sure I ask my hairdresser to tell me when it gets too straggly and thin to keep long. I reckon in 10 years I will be totally "silver" and would love a long silver mane- but I realise this is unlikely!

I am 47 and my hair is down to my shoulder blades. I have high and low lights in and a heavy fringe. I get it styled every few weeks and I love it!
I follow the hairdressers advice to keep it trendy and appropiate for me.

Who decides what is 'appropriate' for women of a certain age? I really don't care what others think, I can make my own decisions.

In some cases I'm certain it's jealousy.

I'm 21 with waist length hair. My mum is 50 with waist length hair. My Grammy is and has pure white, thick, wavy waist length hair.

I find I have to brush it three or four times a day as it's very straight and fine. It usually lives in a braid with a big bow.

Totally appropriate.

well over 35
naturally grey
long hair almost always kept 'up'
have never and will never have it short

Ooh, I wish I had seen this thread 8 months ago! I have very thick and unruly hair. Up until DS2 was born 8 months ago I had it very long, and I loved it as I only had to wash it every 3 days or so, could tie it back if it was too mad, and actually the sheer weight of it kept it looking okay. When DS2 arrived I decided it was silly to still have long hair at 35 with two kids [hconfused] and got it cut short. I can't afford regular trims, and it now looks awful. I am just going to grow it now again, but at the moment it's still too short to tie back.

I don't know what I was thinking. I look at photos of my lovely long, thick hair and just want to kick myself! My lovely gran had long hair right up until she died aged 80, and although it was grey she usually had it up in a bun. It was lovely.[hsmile]

Almost 35 and long hair! I did try a grownup short haircut when I was 31 and pregnant with DD and found it all too stressful and faffy...

There's a lady I've seen around the town who must be seventy-ish, she has beautiful long pure white hair. It has gone thinner, but not so thin you can see her scalp, and she usually wears it in a sort of plaited crown around her head. She looks fabulous.

I'm 47 and have no intention of cutting it any time soon.