Age appropriate hair?

[moon]

I have long hair. It's thick and shiny and I get TONS of compliments on it.

Why would I cut it? Because some may not think it appropiate? You can't please everybody. Wear you hair the way it pleases YOU.

I agree with a PP. Your friend sounds like she might be a somewhat jealous.
it sounds like you have beautiful hair. I'd love to be a readhead!

 

[Feralpeg]

I've always been told that women over 40 should not wear their hair long. I loved my hair long, but I cut it when I was about 42 and haven't had it long since. I've thought about it, but am afraid it would look bad. What do you think? Should I go crazy and grow it out?

Here I am in my younger days with long hair.

Here I am now.

 

[moon]

Yeah, no, I know. I actually meant they're tough to maintain and take care of. They're not as wash and go as you'd think. They're (IMO) a big PIA.

I had them from August 2008 - Dec 2008. I wasn't crazy about them. I had fun, when I had them - but I wouldnt do it again.

I've always thought so. They say that you can comb them, wash them etc. But just looking at how they apply them they look pretty high maitenance to me.

 

[Mermaid02]

Age appropriate doesn't necessarily mean "short".

 

[moon]

I've always been told that women over 40 should not wear their hair long. I loved my hair long, but I cut it when I was about 42 and haven't had it long since. I've thought about it, but am afraid it would look bad. What do you think? Should I go crazy and grow it out?

Here I am in my younger days with long hair.

Here I am now.

Feralpeg you are a very pretty lady. But I must say that I prefer the longer look. IMO, your hair is too short (even for short hair). Maybe you should let it grow even if it's just a little?

 

[CathrynRose]

Feralpeg you are a very pretty lady. But I must say that I prefer the longer look. IMO, your hair is too short (even for short hair). Maybe you should let it grow even if it's just a little?

It's not even that it's too short - I'd side part, and blow dry forward. I think short looks great on her, but I'd go trendier:

 

[NotUrsula]

This all started in the 1920's, when for the first time in Western History (other than a brief period in the early 1800's), it was acceptable for women to have short hair. Before that, all adult women had long hair except nuns and those who were gravely ill, and the difference between a child and a woman was whether or not it was up in public. An adult woman who wore her long hair down in public was a hussy in the old days. (My nana kept hers long until the day she died, but she wouldn't have been caught dead outside her house with it down.)

Middle-aged women really latched onto short hair after the 20's, because you didn't have to put it up every day like elderly ladies who clung to tradition, but the whole issue of having long hair down and visible in public never really went away. There is a vestige of the old belief that only children really should wear long hair down. It's that whole hair and sex thing -- I think that as long as men hold the majority opinion that long hair is sexy, that baggage will be with us.

Wear it however you like -- it's your hair and no one else's.

PS: re Faye Dunaway. She has never been a person with particularly good hair. Emmylou Harris has a heck of a head of hair, though, AND it's grey.

Does anyone else have the feeling that Raquel Welch must have a painting of herself in an attic somewhere?

 

[KimR]

My hair is midway down my back and I have no intention of wearing it shorter anytime soon (I'm 48). I had thin, stringy hair for most of my life, but now I wear extensions and for the first time I absolutely love my hair!!

I actually don't find them high-maintenance at all, at least not compared to what I used to go through before trying to style my hair. The worst part is when I get them redone, but that's only every 6 months so it's not so bad. It's very freeing to be able to wash my hair and go, 5 minutes of styling in the morning and I don't have to worry about wind or rain destroying my 'do. I can't imagine ever going back to my natural hair.

 

[CathrynRose]

M

I actually don't find them high-maintenance at all, at least not compared to what I used to go through before trying to style my hair. The worst part is when I get them redone, but that's only every 6 months so it's not so bad. It's very freeing to be able to wash my hair and go, 5 minutes of styling in the morning and I don't have to worry about wind or rain destroying my 'do. I can't imagine ever going back to my natural hair.

I am So glad you love them, for real. That was one of my fears was you'd end up hating them.

YAY!!!

Now, have you tried Latisse or Botox, yet? We should PM.

 

[KimR]

I am So glad you love them, for real. That was one of my fears was you'd end up hating them.

YAY!!!
Now, have you tried Latisse or Botox, yet? We should PM. [/QUOTE

Latisse - YES!!! It's wonderful - my 2nd best beauty discovery of last year, after the hair extensions. I have no need for botox yet, but I get Restylane injections faithfully every year and I'm very happy with the results.

 

[moon]

This all started in the 1920's, when for the first time in Western History (other than a brief period in the early 1800's), it was acceptable for women to have short hair. Before that, all adult women had long hair except nuns and those who were gravely ill, and the difference between a child and a woman was whether or not it was up in public. An adult woman who wore her long hair down in public was a hussy in the old days. (My nana kept hers long until the day she died, but she wouldn't have been caught dead outside her house with it down.)

Middle-aged women really latched onto short hair after the 20's, because you didn't have to put it up every day like elderly ladies who clung to tradition, but the whole issue of having long hair down and visible in public never really went away. There is a vestige of the old belief that only children really should wear long hair down. It's that whole hair and sex thing -- I think that as long as men hold the majority opinion that long hair is sexy, that baggage will be with us.

Wear it however you like -- it's your hair and no one else's.

That was quite interesting, thank you!

Funny how it seems that women have always had rules impossed about every aspect of their lives -even their hair-

We've left so many of those archaic rules behind, let's do the same with this one.

We all should just feel free wear our hair as long or short as we want to.

Forget the "rules"!

 

[bumbershoot]

Howeva'..... pink or purple at 60. Heck, they couldn't do it in their youth (wasn't around) They couldn't do it in their 20's thru 50's (have an imagine to maintain) - why not rock it at 60!?

Agreed!

I've always been told that women over 40 should not wear their hair long. I loved my hair long, but I cut it when I was about 42 and haven't had it long since. I've thought about it, but am afraid it would look bad. What do you think? Should I go crazy and grow it out?

I think you could grow it out a bit, and it would be really nice!

This all started in the 1920's, when for the first time in Western History (other than a brief period in the early 1800's), it was acceptable for women to have short hair. Before that, all adult women had long hair except nuns and those who were gravely ill, and the difference between a child and a woman was whether or not it was up in public. An adult woman who wore her long hair down in public was a hussy in the old days. (My nana kept hers long until the day she died, but she wouldn't have been caught dead outside her house with it down.)

Middle-aged women really latched onto short hair after the 20's, because you didn't have to put it up every day like elderly ladies who clung to tradition, but the whole issue of having long hair down and visible in public never really went away. There is a vestige of the old belief that only children really should wear long hair down. It's that whole hair and sex thing -- I think that as long as men hold the majority opinion that long hair is sexy, that baggage will be with us.

Wear it however you like -- it's your hair and no one else's.

PS: re Faye Dunaway. She has never been a person with particularly good hair.

I agree with all of that.



I never had long hair when young, because it's curly and my mom refused to deal with all the yelling and crying of brushing it out. Once I was in grad school I grew it out, and it was very impressive. (I have lots of hair, it's curly, and the color(s) is pretty cool)

Cut it off a couple years later b/c long curly "don't do much with it" hair didn't really go over well in SC in the 90s. Regretted it when I took my graduation trip to Ireland and saw "my" hair on half of the women there. Sigh.

Grew it out, cut it off, cut it shorter...actually LOVE It when it's super-short, but I only feel comfy in it when I'm thin. Since I'm not that right now, I didn't keep up the super-short. Now it's longish again, but I'm contemplating a cut....


None of my feelings about my hair have anything to do with age. If my hair is still pretty while long when I'm 70, I'm keeping it long unless I want to cut it. I find it ridiculous to worry about age and hair. Plus, if YOU like it, and (if you concern yourself with this) your significant other likes it, then WHO CARES if some random person walking by likes it? As my brother, who is wise in many ways, just said to me the other day...you shouldn't worry so much about what other people think...

 

[redlight]

I'd love to look like Valerie Bertinelli when I'm 50 (even when I'm 35), and she has long hair.

 

[Buckeye Princess]

My mom and 2 of her sisters still have long hair (middle of the back). They are all in their 50s. I think they look wonderful. They take good care of the hair/bodies/skin. Her 3rd sister has very short hair and is in her early 40s. She does not take good care of herself. She looks older than the rest of them.

 

[Buckalew11]

I've always been told that women over 40 should not wear their hair long. I loved my hair long, but I cut it when I was about 42 and haven't had it long since. I've thought about it, but am afraid it would look bad. What do you think? Should I go crazy and grow it out?

Here I am in my younger days with long hair.

Here I am now.

You are so pretty. But I would love to cut your hair!! Like CathrynRose said, just updating it a bit would change it so much. You can wear your hair long or short...doesn't matter.

I'm 45 and growing mine out for the first time in 23 years. Men like it, I think every single man client of mine has commented on it and says And probably 1/3 of the women like it.

My mom says "cut that mop off." But I would like to try this at least once more. My favorite length is a tad bit longer than chin length on myself.

Mine's styled, of course, not just one length growing out with lots of layers. I got the funkiest haircut ever this past time! The style after the cut is normal looking but the technique was wild to me!

 

[kirstenb1]

This all started in the 1920's, when for the first time in Western History (other than a brief period in the early 1800's), it was acceptable for women to have short hair. Before that, all adult women had long hair except nuns and those who were gravely ill, and the difference between a child and a woman was whether or not it was up in public. An adult woman who wore her long hair down in public was a hussy in the old days. (My nana kept hers long until the day she died, but she wouldn't have been caught dead outside her house with it down.)

Middle-aged women really latched onto short hair after the 20's, because you didn't have to put it up every day like elderly ladies who clung to tradition, but the whole issue of having long hair down and visible in public never really went away. There is a vestige of the old belief that only children really should wear long hair down. It's that whole hair and sex thing -- I think that as long as men hold the majority opinion that long hair is sexy, that baggage will be with us.

Wear it however you like -- it's your hair and no one else's.

PS: re Faye Dunaway. She has never been a person with particularly good hair. Emmylou Harris has a heck of a head of hair, though, AND it's grey.

Does anyone else have the feeling that Raquel Welch must have a painting of herself in an attic somewhere?

about Raquel Welch. I think Sophia Loren is doing the Dorian Gray thing too.

FeralPeg, you're really pretty---you can wear any hair length.

Generally, I think shorter hair works better on ladies over 40. However, if you have really curly or thick hair, then I actually think it looks better longer. I've always had thin, stick-straight hair, so I cut mine short back in my 20's.

 

[AustinTink]

I'm 39 and have long, full, dark hair. It's layered and texturized and has lots of volume. I get compliments on it almost daily from..... wait for it.... women! The "cut your hair by 40" rule went out the window long ago.

 

[Minniemama350]

As long as it is healthy who cares. People think I am younger than I am too. I cut my long hair last year, but it ws NOT because of my age.(long story)It sounds like your friend is either a teeny bit jealous of your long hair or one of those folks who thinks they know what everyone else should be doing.No offense intended. Wear your hair however it makes you feel best and it will show in your outlook on the world.

 

[Jennasis]

As long as it's a color occurring in nature it's all good.

 

[WDWBarb]

I'm 41 and I have long hair and I'm keeping it. To make matters worse, it has streaks of GRAY! I've cut it shorter but I just don't look or feel "right." I get comments on my hair very frequently. Some women (even if I barely know them) feel comfortable asking me why I don't color it (and the answer is because I don't want to HAVE to color it which I would, if I started). Some ask me if I think that maybe I'm too old to wear long hair (um.... no!).

I just like it. I love my gray hair, too, and can't wait until I have a glorious mane of silver!!