Hair styles change as we age, and what looked fabulous in our 30s might not be the best choice after 50. Our hair texture changes, becoming thinner and sometimes grayer, requiring different approaches to styling.
Finding the right look can boost confidence and take years off your appearance, while these outdated trends might be adding years instead.
1. Super Long Locks
Extremely long hair tends to drag down facial features, making you look older than you are. As we age, hair naturally thins, so extra length often appears stringy rather than luxurious.
A shoulder-length cut or shorter typically offers more volume and youthful bounce.
2. Jet Black Hair Dye
Harsh black dye creates a stark contrast against aging skin, highlighting fine lines and wrinkles. Natural hair color softens as we age for a reason!
Opt for softer shades like warm brown or caramel that complement your skin tone and blend with natural grays.
3. Blunt, Heavy Bangs
Thick, straight-across bangs can look severe on mature faces and draw attention to forehead wrinkles. They also require constant maintenance to look good.
Consider softer side-swept bangs that gently frame your face and blend with the rest of your hair.
4. The Outdated Perm
Those tight, poodle-like curls popular decades ago can age you significantly. Old-fashioned perms often look artificial and create a dated, matronly appearance.
Modern loose waves or gentle curls created with contemporary styling tools look much more current and flattering.
5. Ruler-Straight Hair
Completely flat, straight hair can emphasize thinning and make mature faces look drawn. As we age, hair loses volume naturally, so super-straight styles often fall flat.
Adding some gentle waves or layers creates movement and the illusion of fuller, more youthful hair.
6. The Perfect Helmet
Stiff, heavily sprayed hairstyles that don’t move look artificial and aging. Remember those weekly salon sets our grandmothers got?
Hair should have natural movement and bounce. Touchable, softer styles with modern products create a more youthful appearance.
7. Ignoring Gray Roots
A half-inch of gray roots between colorings creates a harsh, unkempt line of demarcation. Nothing ages you faster than obvious neglect of your hair maintenance routine.
Consider root touch-up products for between appointments or embrace your gray with a beautiful silver blend.
8. Overly Teased Volume
Remember the big hair of the 80s? That excessive teasing damages already fragile hair and looks outdated. Plus, nobody is fooled by that artificially created height!
Modern volumizing products and blow-drying techniques create natural-looking body without the damage or dated appearance.
9. One-Length Bobs Without Layers
Completely uniform, one-length bobs can look severe and emphasize jowls or neck issues. They also tend to highlight thinning hair by showing exactly where it ends.
Adding soft layers creates movement, disguises thinning, and frames your face more flatteringly.
10. Retaining Your Youthful Style
Clinging to the exact same hairstyle you wore in your 30s can actually highlight the passage of time. Your face and hair texture have changed, but your style hasn’t evolved.
Updating your look every few years keeps you current and shows you’re comfortable with who you are now.
11. Overly Blonde Ambition
Going too blonde all over can wash out your complexion and look brassy or artificial. Platinum or yellow-blonde shades often don’t complement aging skin tones.
Dimensional blonde with lowlights and warmer tones creates depth and a more natural, flattering look.
12. The Matronly Bun
Pulling hair back into a severe, tight bun ages your appearance instantly. This style pulls your features backward and upward, emphasizing any sagging or jowls.
Try a looser, lower chignon with face-framing pieces for a softer, more modern updo option.
13. Chunky, Obvious Highlights
Those thick, stripy highlights popular in the early 2000s look dated and unnatural now. Stark contrast between colors draws attention to aging skin and hair texture.
Balayage or finely woven highlights create a sun-kissed, dimensional effect that’s much more flattering and modern.
14. Poker-Straight Middle Parts
A severe center part with flat, straight hair on either side creates a harsh frame for mature faces. This style tends to emphasize asymmetries that develop as we age.
A soft side part or slightly off-center part typically creates a more flattering frame for your features.
15. Ignoring Changing Texture
Fighting against your hair’s natural aging process often results in damage and frustration. Many women find their once-straight hair developing wave or their curly hair relaxing as they age.
Working with your hair’s current texture, not against it, creates more flattering, easier-to-maintain styles.