Age appropriate hair?

[Tinkermommy]

Here's the background.

I am 40. I look younger (people usually guess my age around 32-33). I have longer (about 3 inches below my shoulders) and it is red.

I was talking to my friend who is a few years older than me. She has shorter brown hair. I told her I need to get my haircut (a trim really) and she said, "Yeah, you can't have long hair much longer."

I like my hair as it is (kind of Jennifer Aniston looking and she's over 40!) and
don't think I should cut it just because of my birth date.


I am interested to hear if you think there is a cut off age for long hair. So my question is, at what age is long hair no longer appropriate?

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

40 IMO but that's personal interpritation.

 

[VAN]

Actually I'm nearing retirement age and am growing my hair out. I'm kind of tired of messing with it and have noticed a lot of chic women are wearing their hair in a ponytail! In fact two of my sisters always have their's pulled back in a ponytail.

You will see those award shows and the celebrities are wearing ponytails.

Okay, I'm convinced -- even at my age, it is okay to wear a ponytail!!!

Do what is right for you and don't worry about what others say. You need to be happy with yourself and that is what people will see and remember ... your attitude and not your hairstyle!

 

[luvmy3]

I don't think length of hair should be determined by your age. If you have an updated style that suits your face shape, personality and it looks good on you, who cares how old you are.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Wear your hair the way you want to.

I don't think there is really any such thing as "age appropriate" hair anymore. Unless you're 60 and dying it deep purple or pink.

 

[ntsammy5]

I don't have any hair!

 

[ZeitgeistDuck]

I don't think there is any such thing as 'age appropriate' hair, but there is age INappropriate hair: that is when a woman has a style overly youthful or bizarrely colored for her age. I saw a woman in the mall the other day, she must have been in her 60s and her hair was a harsh auburn obviously from a bottle (grey roots). As women get older, toned down haircolor is more flattering, so that was, IMO, age inappropriate hair.

As far as you hair goes, if it flatters your face and makes you happy, then its age appropriate. I might even think your friend is a tad envious of your youthful looks ;-) Now if you were sporting a color not found in nature or wearing it in some crazy punky hot topic-inspired style, then we might have somthing to talk about.

 

[EMom]

I will never look good in short hair. Period. It didn't suit me at 16 and it won't at 60.

I think people who are stuck on the idea that you must cut your hair short at a certain age just don't get that it's more individual than that. I had an aunt who kept her hair shoulder length well into her 80s. Granted, she always looked a good 20 years younger than her true age, but that's still a 60 year old looking woman with shoulder length hair. Hers was natually wavy/almost curly and soft and always looked so pretty. I cannot begin to imagine her face framed by short hair. She always got compliments on it.

Keep it longer if it looks good on you and you like it.

BTW, you don't have to start wearing elastic waist pants either.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Age-appropriate hair is a myth. The appropriate hair style, length, and color are what YOU like, what YOU feel looks good, what YOU are comfortable styling and caring for, what enhances your appearance... I remember my mother telling my sister and me that once we turned forty, we would 'have to' get our hair cut short and go to the hairdresser every week to get it 'done'.

We are, respectively, almost 52 with waist-length hair (with just a little gray in it, lucky her) and 54 with layered, below shoulder length, fully gray dyed red hair, just beginning to consider maybe going a little closer to my shoulders.

It's YOUR hair, therefore YOUR choice. Don't let anybody pressure you into "should" or "must" - especially based on outdated beliefs. Back when middle-aged women did go short, almost nobody had the home hair appliances and options we have now. All anyone had was an actual hair dryer, along with curlers, pins, clips, etc.

 

[cristit14]

I think if it looks good on you then wear it long. I keep getting mine shorter and shorter just so I don't have to mess with it, but go for it if you like it.

 

[Mermaid02]

I don't think you have to go "short" but hair down the middle of your back in your 40's is just an attempt at hanging onto your youth- in my opinion. I know women who say "My hair looks great long" but in fact, it does not, it looks silly. Now, I don't care how others wear their hair and I'm not about to tell someone their hairstyle is too young for them but I might be thinking it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Now if you were sporting a color not found in nature or wearing it in some crazy punky hot topic-inspired style, then we might have somthing to talk about.

Absolutely. We certainly might (okay, this is the DIS - let's be honest and change 'might' to 'would' ) have something to talk about. But, ultimately, it's Tinkermommy's hair and so her decision. Just like you all aren't going to convince me to cut my hair shorter than my waist. Oh, wait. Been there, done that. Well, you're never going to convince me to go above my shoulders

BTW, you don't have to start wearing elastic waist pants either.

Oh, I've already compromised on this - solid waist in front, elastic in back

 

[SpecialK]

I'm older than you and I'm growing my hair out, long enough that I can put it up. I look terrible in short hair and I like the versatility of longer hair.

Every woman in my husband's family has really short hair and I used to get that attitude from them. To each her own.

 

[mom2travel]

I think you should wear your hair however makes you feel good. I'm also 40 and people guess my age much younger (much to the amusement of my teen) and I have no intention of getting an "old lady" haircut. My hair ranges from shoulder length to halfway down my back depending on my mood. As long as it continues to look healthy, that is how it is staying. I would look horrible with short hair (like a poodle because of the curls! )

 

[pyrxtc]

I don't think you have to go "short" but hair down the middle of your back in your 40's is just an attempt at hanging onto your youth- in my opinion. I know women who say "My hair looks great long" but in fact, it does not, it looks silly. Now, I don't care how others wear their hair and I'm not about to tell someone their hairstyle is too young for them but I might be thinking it.

What if they had short hair in their youth ? Then what are they trying to hold on to ??

I think you should wear your hair the you like it. Who cares what others think. if you think it looks good and makes you feel good, then do it.

 

[superdiz]

My hair has always been long. I like it that way. But I do think it looks silly to see older women with dried out frizzed white hair down the middle of their backs. When my hair stops looking healthy and long, I will cut it short. I think that's what they mean by "age appropriate". Fried, frizzy hair is not sexy no matter what the age!

 

[Mermaid02]

What if they had short hair in their youth ? Then what are they trying to hold on to ??

I think you should wear your hair the you like it. Who cares what others think. if you think it looks good and makes you feel good, then do it.

Still trying to hold onto the youthful look imo. Like I said, I don't "care" about other women's hair, but I was speaking with my stylist the other day about this VERY subject and she said she often has to hold her tongue.

 

[Gigi22]

Well. here's the thing. There may not be age appropriate hair, but there is certainly age inappropriate hair. For example, a lady I used to see on the bus--from the back, she had quite long, slightly greying hair pulled back off her face with clips. But, when you saw her face, she must have been in her early to mid seventies. The contrast between her hairstyle and her face just made her look older, IMHO.

 

[cindy58]

I am 52 and I have "princess" hair -- ha ha, I said it. My hair is half way down my butt and it's natural strawberry blond. I began growing my hair longer 5 years ago because I was tired of short hair blowing in my face anytime I was outside (cruising, walking, or at WDW!). Longer hair can much more easily be contained.

I don't have a tiara, but I have lots of really gorgeous barrettes, many that sparkle.

Honestly, who needs to be judged? Wear your hair the way you want to.

 

[JessicaR]

If its healthy and it looks good and it makes you happy, who cares! Unhealthy long hair looks bad at every age. These ladies look stunning!