Long hair on a forty plus woman

[Mitfordhons]

When I was younger I thought older women looked a bit mutton with long hair, but things have changed. I'm not sure if it's part of the cultural shift that says 60 is the new 40 and so on or if it's just that I'm now older, but I just don't see it now. I'm in my late forties and have long hair, I'm fortunate that it's thick and in great condition, but am I deluding myself? Every few years I cut my hair short and I always regret it so I don't want to and I do feel it's a bit frumpy on me, but is it just as bad to have young looking hair on a not so young face? When is the - excuse the pun - cut off?

I am 37 and have long blond hair - past my shoulders. No grey yet and I have always had long hair. I don't suit short hair at all. I had a bob when I was a teenager and because my hair is so thick I looked like I had a mushroom on my head. I actually think long hair makes me appear youthful so I am keeping it for as long as I can!

I'm almost 35 and I have natural auburn hair that's almost waist level. I have a few white hairs here and there, but I won't dye it. I intend to keep my hair long for as long as I can.

There really does seem to be a contingent on s&b that thinks all women over 50 look the same.

It's the only explanation I can think of for some of the comments on this thread. And on other threads too.

I can't decide whether it's depressing or funny.

There really does seem to be a contingent on s&b that thinks all women over 50 look the same. And a contingent that think 55 and overs are elderly

at Abecederio. I have a massive head.

Why are people on here unable to just be nice about how others look without being bitchy - so all short hair is boring is it Janey?

Honestly, I despair.

Well Janey, if I choose to grow my hair, it is thick and lovely, as it is I have small features so choose to have my very blonde hair cut precisely, expensively and exactly as I want it. I would NOT be looking at your hair with envy, believe me. We all have a choice you know!

Quite DameXanadu - quite

I'm mid-fifties and have had long hair most of my life. In my teens and twenties it was definitely considered that no woman over 30 should have hair below their chin, because long hair "casts shadows across your face and will show up all the wrinkles".

On passing 30 I remember wondering if I should cut it, but I never wanted to. I wondered how long I could hold out for, and the answer is apparently ''forever'.

It's currently just past the bra strap, coloured (went grey quite young) and still thick and full of body. So easy to maintain too. On the rare occasions I've tried it short I've been reminded how thick and wiry it is, and how horribly it sticks up in the morning. Definitely a lot more work and products required to tame that!

Keep your locks, OP. You won't regret it.

I agree tremble, on the odd occasion ive had short hair it has been more complicated to style. Long hair, just wash, dry and a quick straighten.

I think it depends on the overall look and style, not just the length of hair and its condition. (But I do think anyone over the age of about 12 looks ridiculous with waist-length hair, just as they do with flat T-bar shoes. Sorry...)

I can assure you that mine doesn't look ridiculous, it's lush, red, curly and gorgeous and I get many, many compliments on it and 12 years old was a long time ago.

I'd love to have long hair, but as soon as I hit 30 mine just decided not to grow anymore. It only grows about half an inch a year. If I want to get rid of my split ends, I'm back to square one.

Post menopause there is a tendency for hair to drop out earlier in the growing cycle making it impossible for some women to maintain their longer hairstyles. This is why, traditionally, styles got shorter as you aged. If you have thick healthy hair wear it in whatever style suits you. Having said that I must say that every time someone I know in the over 50 age group has cut off their teenage style locks it has taken years off them.

I think it depends on the cut and styling.
Very long (to the waist) straight hair looks very good from the back but it's not very flattering to the face, unless you keep it up. Even for teenagers.
But below shoulders and styled can look great.

The same for shorter. The helmet look is not flattering. Other shorter styles can look great.
And there's a wide range in between.

Gransnet had this conversation a couple of weeks back

I think it really depends on the thickness, lustre and texture of the hair. I agree with Esspee it's about recognising when something is no longer working for you and is not doing you any great favours. Clinging onto long hair in the belief that it makes you look more attractive when the opposite is true is the real issue here.

Yvette Cooper's short style really suits her and Margarethe Vestager (Danish European Commisioner) here looked very lovely on television yesterday - and she is short haired and grey. I still prefer long hair for myself, but there are some people who look better with short and just a few with lovely grey hair.

I give you Jamie Lee Curtis

Or more to the point

I've had a couple of friends who was always on at me to cut my hair short or to cut a fringe/layers in, not because of my age but the said it would look better (they are both very look obsessed). I'm more about how something feels and I dont like hair touching my face so I keep it just below shoulder length as the alternative of cropped short would not suit me.

One of the friends had that cropped hair cut so many older women go in for, she now has a shoulder length bob and looks so much softer.

Judi Dench really suits her crop just as Michelle Williams really suits hers. All to do with what suits an individual's phizog, less to do with age.

I was 60 last month. I grew out my grey in my fifties and had short hair while going through that. I'm now growing it again because I fancy a change and it's chin length but still some short layers. I'm glad I'm ageing because what's the alternative and I'll wear my hair how I want be that short or long I draw the line at bunches!

Judy's hair looks fabulous for her.. Though I imagine she uses a very good hairdresser. A lot of the older lady cropped look I see is nowhere near as good as that.

For those that say their long hair is in good condition....do you have any tips ? How do you look after it ? My hair has never been faffed with (coloured, bleached etc) so should be in better condition than it is., it also gets washed every day

I'm in my 40s with bum-length hair. I'll keep my hair long for however long I want - I imagine myself as an 80-year-old with a long, silver plait, but if I decide to chop it, that's fine too! I got my first grey hairs in my late teens and have never bothered to dye, so plan to go grey naturally too. I don't really care if anyone else thinks its attractive or not (even DH!) as long as I'm happy with it, that's all that matters. And I totally wouldn't mind looking a some sort of medieval marsh witch, either :)

Totally no idea about whether it looks aging or not - just a few weeks ago I was in the space of three days first mistaken for my daughter's grandmother and then for a school pupil (and by a colleague that I recognised as well; he was absolutely mortified when he clued in to who I actually was). So maybe it makes me ageless :)

Have a friend in her 60s who wears a short bob with mostly grey hair that she's dyed to fade top-to-bottom from a pale to dark purple, and I think she looks absolutely amazing. Thinking of maybe dying my grey some interesting colour when there's enough of it, as that seems fun.