what hair makes you look younger rather than older?

[porridgeisbae]

I like to have long hair and think a fringe is good to hide my wrinkles :) But what cut helps one look youthful?

As per my other thread, people think I'm about 60 rather than my late 40s.

My hair is currently quite red-red and I thought it's quite a youthful colour, but maybe not going on people's assumptions. :/ Should I have it lighter/darker (too dark makes me look pale, and I don't like brown)

My hair is maybe usually a bit less flat looking at the sides than this- it's a bit overconditioned today. But I took so many pics I CBA taking another one lol. I took many to look my least-hideous without much makeup while still looking at all representative.

Hope you can help.

I can't manage much styling, it doesn't happen. A bit of elnet is as far as it goes.

Hope you can help.

Pic hopefully to follow

Could you move towards this sort of thing? The colour and shape would flatter your cheekbones and eye colour.

Good luck!

As you've admitted it, I had actually realised you had cut your own hair. (I will admit to previous with the mumsnet haircut btw).

A version of what you have but done by a hairdresser, using thinning scissors would look a million percent better, I think. My advice would be to start with that and to talk to the hairdresser about other options to try at your next cut.

The point of layers is that they add volume though. Your hair springs up and would look wider, balancing your face.

@Citrusandginger if you have very fine straight hair this rule does not apply. Hence why I have a pixie cut 😀

You don't look 60! But i do think your hair isnt doing you any favours. More layers would be nice, especially at the crown area. Also the colour looks very flat and one dimensional. I think red/warm colours do suit you but maybe you should try to do a bit more warm brown and not so full on red. Good luck!

Your hair doesn’t flatter your face at all. Fringe too hard, colour does nothing for your skin. Try a lighter, more coppery colour or light brown with baby lights. Superimpose your hair on the beautiful women mentioned and it would still be unflattering. Thing is you do have (potential) good hair-look at pictures of older French women to see how cuts and layers can flatter. Corinne Rotfeld. Camille Cottin. Isabelle Huppert. Laure Calamy.

I just wanted to say that there is no way you look 60 and I personally think you look lovely.

I would really wonder about the motivations of the people who made these comments...sounds like total idiots to me.

What does 60 even look like ? A lot of generalisations and ageism going on on this thread. I’m 57 nearly 58, so not far from 60, hell, I must look like an old hag 🙄

@porridgeisbae

I think shorter is less feminine and unenticing to men. Longer is usually more conventionally attractive IMHO. Like, no bloke would go 'ooh, look at her lovely hair' about short hair. Not that they do about my hair style lol.

Seriously?

I have a short sharp jaw length bob, 55 and have no problems 'enticing' men. I do get compliments about it because it's well cut, shiny, healthy and suits my face and my personality. I'm an absolute goddess 🤣but that has very little to do with my hair.

The colours are too dark and too light but you do look better with a bit more volume to your hair.

I'm 51 and honestly hair that is too long does you no favours over a certain age (ours!). Once mine gets to shoulder length I am desperate to get it cut as it feels too long. My own hair (now grey) was dark brown and I currently have it light golden brown so it is a fair - light brown colour. I think a colour that looks more natural is the way to go. This is what I get done when I get mine cut. (photo not me)

My hair condition hasn't changed for the worse, so I don't need to cut it all off and have 'mammy hair' yet :) It looked particularly flat on that day because I'd put loads of conditioner on it and not washed it out properly.

OP, you look a bit like Phyllis Logan when she was younger. In the photo here, she has slightly shorter and wavier hair than you, in a more natural looking colour.

Agree it's a somewhat harsh look, and shorter would be better because your face is long. I find as I age slighter darker hair looks better (I have dark blonde hair that lightens easily).

For makeup, softer lipstick and more definition around the eyes like extensions would be good.

You look fine though and have great skin. We're all dealing with this stuff!

OP,

You do look like a younger Phyllis Logan! That was in the back of my mind as I RTFT, but I didn’t know her name.
When she plays (more in the past, to be sure, but you are much younger) an upper middle class character her undoubted attractiveness really shines through. Yours should, too.

I agree with @Londontown12 that a coppery auburn would likely suit you. Although you look like you are indeed in your 40s, I am not sure your (inherently beautiful) colouring suits a bright hair colour. I think muting the colour very slightly - I am sure a stylist would know how to do that - might help. Your skin is beautiful but pale and should be flattered. I agree that blusher would be great. Perhaps also a more gentle lip colour?

PL looks good in the photo with the fringe and a soft shoulder length hairstyle, which IMO is sufficiently long to look feminine. But I agree with PPs that the bounce created by some layering and a long side swept fringe softly blended at the sides might be very good on you. Even losing a couple of inches from the bottom will give your face a lift.

I also think longer, softly blended curtain bangs will make your face look shorter. I suspect the same would be true for PL. Samantha Cameron is another with your face shape ( also very attractive IMO, this thread is not about politics or such) and I think she looks best when her fringe grows out and she sweeps it to the side - you can search her photos and decide for yourself.

i think that's hilarious!

Did you do a ' how old am I?' post? Because nearly all respondents add on a good 10-20 years on to how old they actually think you look.

Because everyone assumes those posters are youthful looking women who are boasting. And they piss everyone off. So they add on masses of years to their responses. So ignore those responses. They are meaningless.

You think what is hilarious?

That men are only attracted to women with long hair. Also, that we are still sucked in to trying to make ourselves look attractive to men and not dressing for how we want to look, what really works, gives us confidence and allows us to get on with life comfortably.

Google French bangs, I think that would be better than the blunt fringe. In a light copper/strawberry blonde colour rather than the deep red.

Lol I dont add on hears for the fun of it. I actually do think she looks far older than she is more late 50s. Until you stop and really look and realise its her hair that's aging her cos her skin etc look great and youthful

@Citrusandginger Yep that's the sort of colour I'm after. Darkish gold with lighter highlights.

A cut from a hairdresser that gave me hair that was too big and 80s last time but I could do with a bit of that now :) She somehow did it while taking hardly anything off the length last time.

Will get fringe and front sides with bit more of a shape/curve.

Got an appointment in a week or two, on my birthday :)

It might go through an unfortunate copper phase for a bit as we try to get it the right colour.

Will show you all how far we get after the first session :)

People saying a fringe lengthens the face are just wrong - it's the exact opposite! Keep the fringe, but it needs softening a bit. I would part the hair more to the side and have a side swept fringe, and not too short.
You could lose a couple of inches off the rest of the hair length and get the hairdresser to put in some long layers for volume and movement.
As for the colour, it is a little severe and maybe that what makes it look old fashioned. Think about chestnut brown, or dark blonde, or brown with caramel or bronze highlights. You look good, not older than your age at all, but the general impression needs softening.

Hi there, I'm still working on the hair, went to a salon and was going to get the red lifted and then a colour/highlights. I'd done it with LIVE colour and apparently that's particularly hard to get out. Unfortunately after 2 lots of bleach my scalp got virtual chemical burns so we couldn't apply the toner at the end. A random stylist made them put a crazy colour in until it can be done, in a nasty coral shade which I've tried to get out.

Just waiting for skin to recover and then I'm going to do the hair a caramel gold shade. There's only so much I can do on my budget.

Got lips done and going to get botox too.

OP,

I am sorry about your hair.
The planned caramel gold sounds lovely.

Recognising your budget, I wonder if we could have opinions from some knowledgeable MumsNetters on whether tou could fade the colour yourself with clarifying shampoo and whether this would be an improvement? Followed by a good at home conditioning treatment.

I don’t understand why you put your hard earned £££ into your perfectly fine lips. However if you feel happy about the results snd therefore more confident, that’s great. Similarly you appear to have lovely skin with no need for Botox. If you are happy again that’s what matters. But for the future, on a limited budget I would not be letting people sell me something that, if memory serves, no one on this thread suggested I needed - for good reason.

Take care and very best wishes