Long hair over 40.

[Buckalew11]

I think years ago many women cut their hair shorter because most women permed it and rolled it and sat under a hairdryer or worked around the house in their curlers. There were no blow dryers back then so you either had a set or wore it short and straight like my mom did because she went in the ocean every day and played tennis and volleyball. She had no time for a set and really, a set looked quite silly on a very active women. All my grandmothers and their friends had sets. Back then, almost no one wore pony tails over the age of 18 or so. Some wore it long, up in a bun.

Once blowdrying came in, styles changed. Slowly, over the last 50 years, more and more women have opted not to think they "have" to cute their hair off at a certain age.

I think some women can pull off longer hair--esp. since so many women color their hair. But we also have more and better tools (dryers, flat irons curling irons, hot rollers, brushes of all kinds, products...) that help us achieve certain looks.

We also have more time. Most people have air conditioning so the style is not drooping in the humidity or frizzing up to kingdom come. So many things have changed that allow women to have great hair these days. Years ago, our grannies gave one another their perms and sometimes their cuts--women did not go drop $100++ at the salon.

These are all things to remember when thinking of of why and how hair has changed from your moms/grandmas/great grandmas hairstyles.

Oh and EmmyLou Harris--she's be beautiful no matter how she wore your hair--her face is beautiful and she looks 35 years--not almost 70. However, the average woman does not quite look like that at 67.

 

[Cantw8]

Age appropriate or not, I will never look like Jamie Lee Curtis Not a good look for me. I will never go shorter than shoulder length and will never stop coloring

 

[BlovesC]

I haven't had my own hair cut since November 1992.

Woah. By 'cut' are you including trims, too? As in, no pair of scissors has touched your hair for longer than some DIS board posters have been alive?

 

[CanadianPaco]

I was just thinking about this the other day. My hair is very thin, so I've had it short for the last 20 yrs.

I had this conversation with friend just the other day. She is 54 and has shoulder length hair and I am 46 and mine is just past my shoulders. We both have fine hair and depend on frequent trims, and very good styling aids! LOL! But we both said that we like the longer hair regardless of our ages!

 

[lovin'fl]

About to turn 41 here and have long hair. I rarely get it cut...like a trim every 10 months-ish. I did get a shorter cut to donate my hair about 4-5 years ago and then grew it back. It is thinning so I cut my bangs short and am now growing them back out. I feel I need a change and think about cutting it short-ish again...though that makes me a tad anxious (I noticed it is tough to find a good hair stylist anymore and even my trims are bad...uneven). I don't like tough to style hair-dos either and currently can just braid it or pull it back. It's greying quickly too and I won't color it, have had bad highlight jobs (looking like skunk or dry out hair)...so I'll likely be that older lady with long silver hair.

 

[MELSMICE]

Short hair since high school (turned 51 yesterday).....with the longest I've had it being shoulder length. I've tried to "grow it out" many times, but my hair is not thick enough for a long style. I've had many different short styles. I get it cut and colored every 6 weeks.

 

[Keli]

I always feel a little bad when I read a thread like this since I have long hair and wear it down most of the time (I put it in an updo about once a week or so just to change it up a little). And I'm well over 40, pushing against 50 pretty hard these days, lol, and I hate to think people see me and think I look silly.
But my tastes are different than a lot of folks on what I like so it's hard for me to conform anyway. But I wouldn't cut my hair regardless, I might wear it up more often though. I haven't cut my hair ever in my adult life, no trims, no cutting it at all. But I do take super good care of it to minimize split ends and such. And I LOVE super long hair, just never been able to grow it myself.

 

[Christine]

I always feel a little bad when I read a thread like this since I have long hair and wear it down most of the time (I put it in an updo about once a week or so just to change it up a little). And I'm well over 40, pushing against 50 pretty hard these days, lol, and I hate to think people see me and think I look silly.
But my tastes are different than a lot of folks on what I like so it's hard for me to conform anyway. But I wouldn't cut my hair regardless, I might wear it up more often though. I haven't cut my hair ever in my adult life, no trims, no cutting it at all. But I do take super good care of it to minimize split ends and such. And I LOVE super long hair, just never been able to grow it myself.

I don't think it's an issue of looking "silly." I think it really comes down to an issue of hair health. With age, hair dries out, gets very dull, loses it's luster. I don't think that the mere fact of having length at a certain age is any big deal at all. The problem comes about when it is long and brittle and dull.

I think that as long as you keep your hair healthy, shiny, brushed, and neat, it doesn't matter the length. This actually goes for short hair too. Not all short hair looks good if it's not kept up well. I think long hair just happens to stand out more because there is so much of it.

 

[mumto3girls]

Another pixie cut victim here. My mom had 4 girls in 7 years and had no interest in dealing with our hair. It was awful. I was determined never to have short hair again. I was finally allowed to grow it out in middle school. I'm 45 and haven't had it shorter than shoulder length since although I do think about it from time to time. I have very thick, curly hair that appears much shorter dry than wet. It can be quite frizzy and when shorter can shrink up to a frizzy helmet around my head. Not a good look at any age! Keeping it cut in long layers helps to tame that a bit. I rarely pull it up except when exercising/pool/beach etc. I think you should go with what makes you most comfortable OP. Many people over 40 look good with longer hair, some don't.

 

[tazdev3225]

I am so with you on that! I went from sitting on my hair to a pixie cut in 30 minutes and not by my choice when I was 7. Literally 40 years later and it still ticks me off that my mom did that. I cried for days.

I still remember the day I had my long hair cut to a pixie - Washington's Birthday 1962. My aunt was going to Beauty School and asked my mom if she could cut my hair. My mom thought she meant a trim. My mom cried for months and over 50 years later has still not forgiven my aunt. I was never happier in my WHOLE young life. I hated long hair even when I was little.



I have 2 DD's who are in their late 20's with beautiful long hair, they did not inherit my baby fine and poker straight hair. I don't think they will ever go short and I hope they don't. They look beautiful with their long hair.

I tried once or twice to grow mine out but the first warm day I go running to the hairdresser for my short hair. I have hated long hair for as long as I can remember.

I say if you are happy with long hair and you have the hair for it keep it long. It's your head and hair.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I don't like the "horse's tail" look. I also don't like pixie cut. Something in between looks the most healthy and flattering.

Women with very long hair that is graying makes me think of a witch.

I don't think this has anything to do with age in my opinion. It's about keeping up with the style you have chosen for yourself.

Is it clean? Is it healthy?

 

[bianca]

It sounds gorgeous! Would you mind posting a picture? Or PM me one (I can understand not wanting to post pictures, I don't like to do that either.

I get plenty of compliments on my hair too, but it's not natural, so I can't really take the credit although I just smile and say 'thank you'. After all, I paid for it, so it's technically 'mine', right?

__________________


Here is a pretty recent photo. It's not perfect, but since I am in the middle of a tiling project, today's look is far from "normal." When just hanging around the house, I wear the hair that's hanging down in a large side braid. Like I stated earlier, at 54 I have no intentions of cutting my hair any time soon ..... regardless of what others may think.