Which is less ageing long hair or LOB?

[Beachlovingirl]

I have a hair appointment tomorrow and right now I just feel really old and dowdy. I am 41.

I have grown out blonde highlights and my hair is long, a few inches short of elbow length. My hair is fine. I have a square face. I usually style my hair with the revlon one step or curl with straighteners (if I have time - I have 3 children)

In order for me to feel better about myself I want to go for the right haircut. I feel like I’ve narrowed this down to keeping long or going for a LOB. I will be having highlights re-done.

I would love to hear your personal opinions on either hair cut to help me decide what to go for.

@Beachlovingirl - great you are finding your hair direction😊. Do what you feel is good for you.😊

Nope mine is dry and long with grey and prone going into locks. I’m going down the Miriam margolis route (or root) but longer.

Im scared or dieying my hat as once you start you have maintain.

@howrudeforme your hair sounds amazing!

Look I know what you mean about dying it and the cycle that creates but you owe it to your wonderful mane of hair to wear it as it’s best

Just be glad that hairdressers don’t pick your hair up and tell you “you have fine hair” in a way that suggests you’re a lost cause. because that’s what they do to me haha!

Long, thick, tousled hair is more youthful than a bob of any length.

I think after 40 the thing which can be ageing is a cut that is too 'done', so lots of layers or obvious highlights. A younger look channels how younger people often wear their hair, quite understyled, natural and like not much effort has gone in. I think any length from a bob down can achieve this and it depends on what suits you and your hair. Not sure about very long hair, unless you can keep it in really good condition.

Can we have some pictures of these 'aging' long bobs and long hair so we can avoid both of these 'get it right'

That was supposed to be a confused face not a gin bottle but I guess that works just as well

Yes if anyone has pictures it would be really helpful! I am coming from the other angle op, always short hair but it's grown so long in lockdown, I'm wondering whether to chop off or keep going!

@TableNiner

I think after 40 the thing which can be ageing is a cut that is too 'done', so lots of layers or obvious highlights. A younger look channels how younger people often wear their hair, quite understyled, natural and like not much effort has gone in. I think any length from a bob down can achieve this and it depends on what suits you and your hair. Not sure about very long hair, unless you can keep it in really good condition.

This ^ it’s not about length so much as a fresh, unstyled look and great condition. Over straightened hair or very precise cuts aren’t very of the moment (if you care about that sort of thing) and young women tend to wear natural, simple styles. These things are cyclical - It’s a lot like the backlash in the late 60s and early 70s against the overly styled 50s and early 60s roller sets.

Condition is vital for long hair to look good. I have fine hair that I used to think was both greasy and frizzy; having cut out silicones, heat styling, and other crap ingredients I now have healthy, bra length wavy hair that looks great 99% of the time. I take care of my hair now the same way i take care of my skin; like skin, the healthier hair is, the more natural you can wear it.

@howrudeforme

Watching with interest.

I’m in 50s with massive coarse hair (almost black).

Was never interested in dying hair (about 15% grey but not sure if silver or white), but my hair now way past shoulders and people say I look old and need to do something.

I’d rather not but my hair so coarse, big and thick I’ll be dead before I’m completely grey🙄

Omg a stacked curly bob would look amazing I reckon.

I'd keep it long for now but make sure it's in great condition. Bra length is maximum length. (Otherwise it looks vaguely 'cult-member' to me). Unless you have naturally super straight and shiny hair, make sure it's blow dried. Then over the next 5 years, be really honest with yourself. If your hair seems drier ans/or thinner, then get a good cut that suits a square face.

I am late 40s. My hair is drier and needs more care to look good than at 40. I have very few friends and acquaintances who can pull off long hair. I have a 55 yr old friend who just about gets away with it (thick and luscious with highlights). My 48 Yr old friend doesn't. She is still wearing it long with highlights but it's incredibly thin and straggly. She's happy though. Same with 38yr old acquaintance. It looks dry and straggly. You've got to feel good with whatever you have. So it doesn't really matter what others think.

I love a short edgy cut on blond hair. Have a look at photos of well groomed celebrities with the same face shape and features as you. Then consider their hairstyle on you. Sometimes our imagination limits us. Stylists spend all day learning about this stuff.

I am in my late 50s and have a square face. I have been letting the grey grow out over the last 18 months. It's not very grey but has pure white pieces at the front, that I really like.

I've always worn it about bra length with a side swept pieces at the front.

Last year I decided that if I was going grey I should have a young haircut to counteract it. IYSWIM? So I had it cut into a shaggy lob.

Omg, it looked awful on my square face. Emphasised everything I don't like. Huge amount of work to get it looking anything other than drab or the dreaded curled under look. I looked, and felt, so old and frumpy.

I haven't had it cut since and it is back down to shoulder length. I'll never venture there again.

I think very long hair starts looking a bit witchy over 40. Demi Moore is a good example. That Yoko hair looks awful on her.

@ToooOldForThis

Yes if anyone has pictures it would be really helpful! I am coming from the other angle op, always short hair but it's grown so long in lockdown, I'm wondering whether to chop off or keep going!

Me too! (It's now shoulder length.) Especially as this very week I've finally learned how to do "beachy waves" and they've actually lasted all day which has never happened in all my life! I've even gone back to a middle parting. I'm in my 50s but I think my look is much younger now. I've had some nice comments and I keep doing a double-take whenever I pass a mirror

Not sure what I'll be asking for now when I eventually get an appointment...

Firstly thanks for all the really good real advice here. I agree that I do need to be honest and make sure I don’t fall into the long and straggly situation - which I think I was in and thought it looked good but it really only looked good after a blow dry and from the back. Maybe I was in that young from the back, older from the front category.

I’ve had my hair highlighted today so it’s a nice bright blonde and had a good 3 inch chopped, and then she added long layers. It looks so much better! I did discuss the lob style with her, she said if I went longer at the front that would be her recommendation but she did say that I would need to invest the time by adding texture with a wave via the straightening irons. I know that I can’t commit to doing that every time right now so if I have my hair straight (dried with the revlon one step) it will still look ok.

Brilliant OP! Brilliant Charlotte, how are you doing the beach waves?

I see you've had you hair cut already, but I was going to add that now my hair is thinner with age I think the lob is less ageing for me as my hair would be too fine and scraggly if it was longer (plus I think I would look in the mirror and mourn my previously beautiful full swishy hair (RIP).
As I wear my hair shorter now I can colour it too as the condition isn't too terrible so can be about more bolder with colour etc

@HeyGirlHeyBoy

Brilliant OP! Brilliant Charlotte, how are you doing the beach waves?

With slim straighteners. I do about three "rolls" on each side and a couple at the back. It takes about 2 minutes.

Thank you, two minutes sounds about my limit!

I think you need to be careful with a LOB or it can look a bit Early 2000’s Posh Spice.

@Wiredforsound

I think you need to be careful with a LOB or it can look a bit Early 2000’s Posh Spice.

Given that I've spent most of this century channelling late 90's Posh Spice ["pixie bob"] there are worse things!

I think long hair is ageing unless it’s really really beautiful long hair - thick, shiny, in really good condition. Unless it’s like that it is less ageing in a shorter style that suits your face shape.

knitfastdiewarm can I ask you what products or whatever gave you that change in your hair? Mine is both greasy and fluffy! When you say no heat, do you not even rough dry with a drier or do you just mean no tongs/straighteners etc?

@bingowingsmcgee

knitfastdiewarm can I ask you what products or whatever gave you that change in your hair? Mine is both greasy and fluffy! When you say no heat, do you not even rough dry with a drier or do you just mean no tongs/straighteners etc?

I follow a modified version of the curly girl method - essentially, I only use sulphate and silicone free products 99% of the time, rarely brush my hair, and the only heat I use is drying it with a diffuser while scrunch drying. Styling-wise i make sure to use lightweight products as my hair is fine - no heavy oils or creams. I was very sceptical when I started as my hair was fine and just had a slight wave, but the difference over the past year is insane. I will never have ringlets but I now have tousled healthy mermaidy waves that I really like and that are easy to style.

Thanks knit

I think it depends on the hair, I know a lot of women who have long hair but only one who I would say had a real crowning glory. The rest just have hair that is not looked after and put it up all the time. They would look much better with it shorter. But it depends on if it would suit you as well.