Any oldies gone from long to short hair and not regretted it?

[IslaValargeone]

I'm in my 40's and have long straight hair with fringe.
I'm loathe to have it cut as I feel I'd be saying goodbye to my youth, fertility and sex goddessness.
That being said, my style is really doing me no favours as it's dragging down my increasingly sagging fizzog.
I feel I should liberate myself and go very short, I can't shake the urge, but after having long hair forever, I'm a scaredy cat.
Convince me, mature beauties.

Yup I count as an oldie by that yardstick. Am 42. Went from below shoulder length (sometimes well below) to just above, sometimes a bit higher and never looked back. I have very thick wavy hair and was scared of layering after several rats tails disasters in the 1990s, but I am so so happy with just above shoulder length layered flicky out style.

I feel the time and age is right for me to have shorter hair, besides, just above shoulder length still counts as a bit long, and can still be tied back if you want- thereby leaving all options open. If you have wavy hair, I urge you to embrace the layers, try it. I wish I had years ago. I look so much better, and all the people who said it will grow back if you don't like it, they were right :-). Try it, you'll never know what you might be missing otherwise.

I am 40 and got my long, below the shoulders, hair cut to a shortish layered bob style. I am now considering going even shorter.

before and after pictures

Ok, get a pixie cut tomorrow and let me know how it goes :o
You have lovely skin, with no wrinkles I have to have a fringe to hide my forehead lines and chronic 11 lines.
You look really nice, the shorter style certainly suits you.

I think it's fine to cut your hair shorter so long as you do to go for a mammy cut.
This might be an Irish thing but basically all women aged 50+ have identical hair: short, set with rollers under a hood by the hairdressers on a Saturday and sprayed within an inch of its life.

It is soooo ageing. I love a sleek bob, pixie cut, or a layered cut just above the shoulders. Fringes also work wonders for hiding rogue forehead wrinkles and softening the face on general.

I'm 46 I went from mid back length last October, to chin length bob, to choppy bob and tomorrow I'm going even shorter... I'm aiming pixie with eventual hope of Pink Ok not QUITE Pink's colour but the really cropped but long on top look.

Hair always grows again! I kept mine long because I thought dh liked it... but turns out he thinks shorter hair is really sexy!!

I'm busy looking at styles on Pinterest ready for tomorrow!

is this what you are aiming for?

Medusa you must do pixie tomorrow and report back.

go for this one and post a pic afterwards

I am 54 and have just had 3 inches off my hair into a very short bob...sort of Mary Portas with side parting. I am also 6 feet tall. My hair was jaw length, dead straight and just dragged my face down.....feel much more contemporary.

I hacked mine off myself then tidied it up with feathering scissors and it looks great. I did go to the hairdressers a few weeks later to have it more layered at the back as it is hard to do the back myself. I used to think I pulled off the sexy long hair look once in a while but mostly looked bedraggled. Now, I look more groomed with less effort. I have also stopped dying my hair.

I'm 50. I do not have hair as described above. What on earth do you think we look like?

I'm sat here in a shocking pink Whistles jumper, boyfriend jeans, and thick straight below shoulder length hair! I have never used bloody curlers or a shampoo and set in my life!

I have similar to this here though differ colour.

LOL you lot are mean ..looking at YOU Ilovepowerhoop!

Actually I am planning on going there in stages. I currently have a bob.. tomorrow I am thinking of going to this pic, and then next cut..Pink! The only reason for going in stages is a) my DS1 will have this face because he adores long hair (he's 21 and his g'friend has amazing hair and he just looked sad when I cut mine) and b) I can't face the 'ooooh you've had it cut' (well DOH!) at work.. so the drastic cut can be done in the summer holidays when I'm off work for the school hols!

To be fair the kids in my class would probably love Miley's hair

Love that Medusa
I am 50, have quite short hair, sliced in long layers, shorter on top, quite messy and funky, and very red. Before that had a bob of varying lengths. I didn't get it cut because of my age, just fancied a change, but everyone said it took years off me when got it cut short, and it feels much sharper and funkier. Also it is amazing what different things you can do with short hair.

I'm 43 and have recently grown my hair from a chin length bob to shoulder length with a full fringe. For me the longer hair/heavy fringe combo is much more youthful looking and I can't see me cutting it again soon.
I do love a really short crop or short bob but it just doesn't look as good on me as it used to. I feel it makes me look very middle aged (which of course I am!)

I'm 38 and had REALLY short hair for years....have grown it into a bob just above my shoulders but can't shake the thoughts that I look like a bell and would love it short again!!
Am planning a trip to the hairdressers to discuss potential hair styles.

And I agree - I don't know ANY 50 year olds who have a shampoo and set every week - my grandma used to do that and had she still be alive would have been 96!!!

I had mine chopped a couple of years ago. Was shoulder blade length and went to a short bob. Haven't regretted it at all.

You all need to go to Ireland. The weekly shampoo and set is an Irish mammy phenomenon

I'm 50 and just growing out my crop. As the lines increased a crop seemed too harsh. Maybe just my face though.
Be warned, yes hair grows but those months before you can do anything with it are a nightmare!
I've got a very short bob with full fringe and I love it. Got lots of compliments.

I had my hair cut really short when I was about 54 and received positive comments from everyone. My hairs quite unruly, and this makes life so easy, a quick rough dry and then a bit of matte putty stuff to give it a bit of movement.

Then ... I moved to Ireland. I have to support what tak1ngchances says - it has taken me two years to, finally, find a hairdresser who will cut my hair the way I want it. I went to one trendy-looking place where the hairdresser refused to cut any more off the top because 'then it'll be really short' - um, yes, that's the way I like it. I wouldn't mind, but he then cut the sides really short and I ended up looking like a 1950's schoolboy.

If lovely Darren, who I now trust with my hair, leaves I'm going to have to go back to England every 6 weeks!

I had very long hennaed hair and cut it to a bob to get rid of some dye which was awful and ageing . Now I have it cropped one side and swept over to cheekbones the other. Looks fab. Do it!

My mum is 79 and she has not had a shampoo and set, or a perm, or anything except the best damn haircut she can find since the 1970s!! It's only some old people (like my MIL) who think a shampoo and set is desirable, and even that's more about the outing and the opportunity to chat with the hairdresser than the do.

Yes must agree that, in England anyway, blow drying replaced shampoo and set in the 70s.
Only women I ever see now with set are most certainly not 50 ish but high 80s and 90s - and I'm sure there are plenty in that age group who just have good cuts and blow dries.

I'm definitely no "oldie" and I am in my 50s. I'm growing my hair and it has gone from a pixie to a flicky layered bob. I look young for ny age. So do whatever you need to do to stop feeling like an "oldie"., You are still a woman in the prime of her life.