Long Hair at 50

[Wantchocolate]

I'm 50 and I've had shoulder length hair for a long time but during lockdown it's grown quite long.

It looks nice when it has been curled or blow dried by the hairdresser but it sometimes look a a mess if I don't straighten it or using a styling brush. I work from home and tie it back a lot.

Anyone got any thoughts about women in their 50s with long hair or any styling tips. I've got dark hair by the way.

If the person likes it then that is enough.

For me per, I have thin hair. And even though I am 39, I find that if my hair goes below shoulder length it looks awful.

So I like keeping it shoulder length and shorter for that reason.

Mine has grown long in lockdown and it is the usual post menopausal thinner than I would like but I think it looks better than short. Short hair emphasises my sagging Face I think.

‘Yes but younger people can get away with it in a way that in older women it looks a bit like they’ve let themselves go...‘

I don’t agree and think it depends on the person and the rest of their style and not age.

I’m Indian and am used to seeing even 80 yo women with beautiful thick hair. The trick is keeping it healthy - if you can manage that then of course you should wear it long at any age.

@Hyperfish101

I think long hair can drag your face down a bit but then I’ve always had shirt hair. Depends on the person I suppose.

I think short hair can also drag a jowly or hard face down. It’s probably the face at fault rather than the hair lol

It's a Victorian social thing.

Long hair as a child. You put your hair up once looking for a husband, ie you are a woman not a child.

Gone with the Wind (Film and book) both good illustrations of this.

Shorter hair became a modern day version of this . Eg the "Mum perm" of the 50s/60s.

Plenty of people still feel that long hair is inappropriate in a woman over a certain age/ marital status. Essays gave been written about it (Google Dombey and son, hair)

Yet if you have a short sassy cut you get called "Karen" or "can I talk to the manager, " so you can't win.

Anyone got any thoughts about women in their 50s with long hair

God I'm sick of the ageism on this site.

Why is 50 always the cut off? I see plenty of women - including teens/twentysomethings - whose hair texture or face doesn't suit long hair but they never get told to cut it.

It's not age it's whether it suits you or not. Picture? I follow Pia Grace on Instagram and she just turned 60 and looks amazing with long hair.

If you can grow your hair long, go for it OP! My hair is growing slower as I get older, so you are lucky that it will grow. Enjoy your long locks :-)

'God I'm sick of the ageism on this site.'

Me too and it would be interesting to find out the ages of the people with such strong opinions... they will get old one day and people will judge them for one thing or another

I don't buy into the notion that you have to have certain haircuts for certain ages at all.

If your hair is nice long, it's nice long! Definitely not about age.

Maybe it tends to be that woman of a certain age tend not to look as nice with very long hair or their hair may not be quite what it was, so they tend to have it shorter. But that isn't at all the case for everyone.

My hair goes to shit below shoulder length and always has. I wore it long when I was younger because I had time to faff about with straighteners every day if I wanted to. Now I don't and tbh, if I was still using all that heat on it all the time, it would probably be in terrible condition.

I'm mid thirties FWIW.

I agree with choosing a style that suits your face shape. Avoid anything harsh like a really tight bun. Loose buns are more flattering.
Also consider going a shade lighter to blend in any greys. This way regrowth isn’t so obvious and you won’t need to get roots retouched so often!
Am mid 50s by the way, with below shoulder length hair.

But I would not want to have long hair that only looks halfway decent if properly styled

I think most folks hair, short or long, only looks half wat decent properly styled. Hence why there is such a huge industry in products and tools. Very few people’s hair looks good when they let it dry naturally with no product.

So I don’t understand your logic. Maybe your hair looks fab air dried and product free and can’t grasp most folks aren’t that lucky.

Op, I’m fifty one, I won’t be going short any time soon and my hair is down to below my bra strap.

I didn't intend my post to be ageist by the way. It's great to get so many replies, thank you.

I ended up getting an inch cut off the ends last week. I'm really pleased with the length. It's still long but looks like it's in better condition now.

I think overly tidy hair is a bit ageing. I’d much rather be a bit windswept and boho.