Long hair over 40

[Cinnabunbun]

I've always quite liked having long messy hair but now I'm in my 40s almost every friend seems to have cut theirs short. Is it weird to keep it long long? It's always looked a bit like Merida but suddenly it looks less boho and more scraggly witch. What do you think of below the boob length hair on 40s women?

I think those were the photos the pp posted

47 and growing my hair out as long as it will get. When I was in my 30s I always had long hair but since I turned 40 a lot fell out and I've had to do major rescue operations (doctors, hair masks, oiling, vitamins, etc) ever since - Now it's back to below shoulders. I don't take it for granted any more, I keep it natural, no dyes, no heat, it's actually better than it has been in years. And no way am I cutting it for some dumb convention! I want to have long, flowing grey hair, I think it's just cool.

@BrisaOtonal if you don’t mind me asking - what home keratin treatment do you use for your super shiny hair ?
I use olaplex which helps, Aveda shampoo & conditioner-no silicones,
Shoulder length and over 50 here !

I cut mine but only because it's so thick and curly. It was to steal a line from a film 'like a second job'.

ha ha at ''i want to speak to a manager'' hair cut. Please please link an example to this haircut @hildazelda

I use Cocochoco and before blow dry I use M Moroccan Oil. I have just started to use Organix Coconut serum which is also making it very shiny.

@UserMillion - it's in the post above, the one with two pics not the pic of my hair, hopefully It's the one on the right with woman side on in sunglasses (also just google the phrase and it comes up in images).

A male friend of mine once commented that all the women in Crewe had the ‘I want to speak to a manager’ haircut. He wanted to see ifit was a local thing. I told him it wasn’t.

Fantastic hair cutesy

45 and not cutting it any time soon. It's now nearly to my waist. It's thick, coarse and wavy, but it's easier to not have to style it. When it was short it took hours out of my life. Most days it's in a plait or tied up. No one has ever suggested I get it cut. I plan to have long grey hair, and for the first time I'll be able to put whacky colours in it!

The length Holly Willoughby has is very nice on all ages. Longer than a mum bob. Blunter cut. Still tie it up. Trendy length but short enough it doesn't look straggly. Hair that thins and gets straggly doesn't really look great on anyone, regardless of age. But if you like it longer, that's totally ok. What you think is what matters when it comes to your appearance.

OP. Have I got this right? You think you look like a “scraggly witch” now you’re in your 40s with ... shock, horror... long hair? Really?

So what if your friends all have short hair. It’s your hair, do what you like with it!

MiniTheMinx What hair dye do you use if you don’t mind me asking?
I have similar hair to yours and I like your colour and need to dye it again soon but not sure what colour to use.

I'm 55 and my hair islong. I love it. Never had any adverse comments.

I see older women around with long hair all the time.

@MiniTheMinx your hair is gorgeous!
I'm a bit younger at 34, but I've always said I'd cut my hair short when I'm 40. Mostly because I like short hair! Mine is waist length, but very fine :(

I'd love to have long grey hair. Both my sisters started getting grey hairs in their late twenties, but I don't have any yet.
I remember having an older history teacher at school with amazing really long blonde/grey hair, she was quite hippyish and wore loads of silver rings.

I'm in my 40s and I'm keeping my long hair.

At the moment I don't have any grey hair but my hair is quite fair so it may be that I do have greys, they're just not showing through!

A few years back I did get it cut into a bob and it looked dreadful.
Before it was cut I'd be told it will make your hair look thicker. It didn't.
It will make you look younger. If anything, it made me look older.
It just didn't suit me and it was much higher maintenance than my longer hair.

So I'm keeping my long hair, when it does go grey I'm still going to keep it and wear it with pride.

Do what suits you and anyone else can stuff off.

the only type of long hair that is ageing is the kind that isn't trimmed regularly. I notice a lot of older women who grow their hair leave it months and months between cuts. That's when it looks bad. I have my (shoulder length) hair cut when it's dry so it's blunter.
Also depends how long. Really long hair can look great on some women but if you have quite fine hair you might have to settle for it more mid lenght..

This attitude honestly makes me want to weep. FFS, it's so depressingly ageist. When you have women in their 50s and 60s at the absolute top of their game, with amazing careers, running marathons, looking fabulous, taking on fresh challenges all the time, what reductive nonsense it is to think that a nice short functional haircut is all we're fit for now we're older than 40.

Long hair is fab on anyone who has fab hair. Regardless of age

This.

Frugalfrump I've used leganza colouring conditioner in copper titian, and sometimes Superdrug colour enhance in ruby red. Neither are permanent colours. I've got about 10% grey so the hairdresser does my roots my natural colour which is very dark. However because my hair lightens to a copper/titian colour in sun I just run the red conditioner through it every so often.

I'm 43, with reasonably long hair. Whilst it's badly in need of a cut (booked for next week) it will be a trim. No intention of going short anytime soon. I don't have thick hair at all and short hair would be a disaster.

48 and loving my long thick hair! I put some reddish-brown henna in every few months and then use Argan oil shampoo and conditioner and extra Argan oil in the tips while damp. It's made a huge difference to the condition - my hair is much sleeker now.

I don't understand why it is called a 'Can I see the Manager?' haircut. Can anyone explain?