Few women with hair over 45?

[Hoosebag]

I'm 45 and my dark brown hair is long (mid back) and thick. I haven't dyed it since my 20s so it's all in good condition although I'm starting to get grey hairs in it now at my parting.

I spoke to my hair dresser who told me that if I want to start colouring it I'd need to switch to a shorter length in the next few years as the processing would damage my hair so that the lengths of it would no longer look nice after a few years. She then went on to say that few women have hair my length over 40ish because years of colouring, heat treatment and hormonal changes mean it only looks good to about shoulder length or even shorter.

I must admit I've never thought about it but looking around I do see very few women my age and older with long hair. I know some of that will be a style related choice but I suppose it must be in some cases due to the damage from colouring and possibly menopause.

So I'm just curious, did chemically colouring your hair cause damage to your hair and did you end up going for a shorter length than you'd have preferred or would your hair still look good if you decided to grow it long?

Just wanting to make an informed choice about my luxurious greying locks 😆

CaptainMyCaptain are you me? 😄

Same age, same hair length and been home colouring for well over 20 years now. However, I have mine trimmed every 3 months.

Condition is great and I find it much easier to care for than when it is short. Short hair on me is a pita whereas with this style I just wash, condition, allow to naturally dry to about 90% and then finish off with the dryer and curl the ends with ceramic barrel tongs. Piece of cake!

Also, I only use semi permanent colour - Nice n Easy - as a hairdresser told me years ago this was much kinder to hair.
I also use root touch up on the roots when the grey starts poking through. (Light brown)

I’m 48 with long, thick hair. It’s in great condition. I’ve just had a baby so expected to lose some thickness but no, my hairdresser had to thin my hair at a recent cut, it’s that thick. Been colouring it since I was 14 and many of those years with bleach box dyes! I get my hair coloured at Aveda now and use lovely products but it’s still a chemical process. My hairdresser always comments about my hair in a v positive way. Long hair on middle aged women rocks

I'm mid-50s with bra-strap length hair. It was originally dark brown - been having it professionally coloured back to its natural shade for at least 15 years. Very happy with results, have roots done every 5 weeks and a top up for the whole lot once a year. I do get a slight reddish tinge to some of the longer greys but it just looks like natural highlights to me.

My hair started to change texture as the greys came in, so it's a bit frizzy and wiry now. It's still very thick, but previously was fine and straight, now it's wavy and a bit frizzy. It"s currently just above the shoulder but I might go back to a crop because the frizziness needs a lot of upkeep to tame and style it. And I had highlights to lift and blend the grey a bit and that made it really dry, it's never reacted to dye before. So I'm not sure it's damage as you get older, more that your hair changes and you have to change with it. I suspect if it was long, the frizz wouldn't be as noticeable but at should length it really is and I can't be bothered with the upkeep of long hair right now.

I haven't read all the responses but your hairdresser is talking rubbish.

I'm 45 and been dying my hair since I was 14. For the past couple.of years it's been between shoulder to bra length and either fully bleached or with highlights. At points it has been a little dry but extra conditioning etc and it's fine.

The thing is you don't know how your hair will be until you do it, everyone is different. It's such a personal thing. But no reason to think if you start colouring your hair you have a finite amount of time and then you need to have it cropped!!

Mine is below the shoulders. I don't dye it.

Nearly 40 and hair is now around tail bone length when wet/straight, otherwise around waist length (I wear it wavy mostly). I know of lots of people much older than 40 with very long hair, some have used colour, some not.

Can I recommend that you try going to a different hairdresser? One that you haven't been to before to get your hair coloured and get their advice. I have a feeling that one hairdresser, if they have been doing your hair for a long time, might suggest to you that you should cut it, perhaps (and I say this with some trepidation) because they don't want to be colouring long hair and prefer the turnaround time on shorter hair. It's just something that I get a feeling of as women get older, there are fewer of us that have long hair and short hair is the style. It could also have something to do with menopause and feeling hot if the back of your neck is covered by your long hair being down and not tied back.

Anyway, I'd get a second opinion in a different salon if I were you.

I think it's because hair tends to thin with age, and shorter styles make the hair look thicker.

I've always had really thick hair so shall look forward to a bit of thinning 😆

Sounds fabulous-any pics?

Definitely look into Henna! My mum is 65 with waist length wavy dark brown hair that's very thick, she's fortunate enough to only have a smattering of grey which she covers with Henna and it looks fabulous and extremely healthy. It's a faff and a half to apply but worth the results.

I would love to have long hair but it was never possible with my thin hair. I have highlights to make it thicker as it plumps it up and makes it less greasy. I hate my hair and I've had to resort to the middle aged short bob.

I’ve been under strict instructions by my kids (young adults now) to never have those ‘old lady’ short, cropped hair cuts, which I definitely don’t want (unless I suddenly looked like Audrey Hepburn). It’s shoulder length but a couple of years ago it was down to my waist (I’m in my 50s). It’ll probably never go shorter than shoulder.

This is really interesting to me, I have read that the chemicals in hair dye actually can make your hair grey faster as the toxins can deplete the natural antioxidants in the hair follicles / colour producing cells. I'd assume henna which is actually good for your scalp and hair not to have this effect. Another plus point for henna then! Also I think colour hair, especially long hair is a faff anyway no matter what you use!

My mum is 68 and has almost waist length naturally multicoloured hair. DD2 has inherited it (jealous).

It's wonderfully thick and she refuses to have a short cut.

My grandmother still had light brown hair at 94, never dyed. Desperately hoping I'll follow her!

50 this year, hair down to mid-back. I’ve been sprouting greys for the last 4-5 years and they are starting to show (natural brunette) and I get balayage twice a year. I’m told my hair is in great condition and I’ve never been told to shorten it at my age, by my hairdresser or anyone else! I do however have regular cuts (8-10 weeks) and use a good quality shampoo and conditioner which I think makes a big difference.

😂 I also use Nice'n'Easy but the permanent one. I use a colour close to my original and started when I just had a bit of grey and nobody realised it wasn't still the natural colour for at least 10 years. At some point I will go grey but maybe via blonde. My grandmother had thick white long hair in a bun and I do look a bit like she did.

@WithASpider my great aunt was still mostly auburn at 98 when she died. She didn't colour it and you could see she was about 20% grey. DH's father was also auburn and didn't go grey till he was late 60s. I wonder is auburn hair goes grey later?

sounds like the issue is a hairdresser one!

Really ? Never heard of that. I have long hair down past my bra strap( 40 this year ). Its very thick, i actually couldn't get it cut short as it would juts expand and the maintenance would be huge. I get my grey coloured every three months, but will be getting it done every two months soon as its growing quicker as get older. I personally hate grey hair sorry, mine is like witches hair wiry and sticks out. I use root touch up in between, I also get low lights to lift the colour. I only wash it once a week, i use a heavy conditioning treatment once a month. My hair is in excellent condition and regularly pay for it to be blow dries straight when go out. I get loads of compliments. Long hair is beautiful but must be kept in good condition i think. I have a neighbor similar age with waist length hair, she never wears it up. Its like rats tails hanging on her, all uneven ends, broken hair in parts looks terrible, Needs a good cut and conditioning treatment . Never looks good

I'm 46 and have long ish dark hair. Have my roots done for the greys every 6 weeks and roots and toner every 12 weeks, my hairdressers uses Olaplex with the toner appt and I use olaplex at home as well. I've been colouring my hair in various forms since a young age. I do use high quality hair products and blow dry once a week and straighten maybe two or three. As well as the olaplex at home I use and deep conditioning treatment hair mask. I have used a hair and skin supplement in the past and probably will do again shortly. I have absolutely no plans to cut off my hair and my hairdresser has never suggested it either!

My mum is 74 and has been dying her long hair for well over 40 years. It’s still in great condition.
I’m mid-40s and been dying my hair dark bra-strap length hair dark brown for 20 years now. It’s true it’s not quite so glossy & healthy as when I was a teenager but it’s definitely not in bad condition. I do have naturally very thick hair which helps and also use Olaplex conditioners to help keep it in good condition.
Dying grey hair is time consuming & expensive though and often hair does get thinner with age so I’m not surprised many women go for a shorter cut but it’s far from an inevitability if you don’t want it to be. But yes maybe best to expect more maintenance to be required as you get older.

*Toner on my lighter balayage that should say

I'm early 40s and dye my own, the same colour as my natural hair. I only ever put the dye on the roots. I never follow the instructions to put it on the lengths for the last 10 minutes because my hair is too thick, I'd need two packs.

My hairdresser is always complimenting the colour. Box dyes aren't always bad!

Mine's no longer coloured but gets tatty at the ends. It's natural length is only about four inches past my shoulders and then it falls out and gets very thin. I'm 50 but it's not grey yet and is naturally curly, so I'm having it cut into a layered bob in a couple of weeks. I have a couple of friends my age who have long coloured hair and it's started to look a little witchy....