This post has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
Having a hairstyle that suits your face shape, a color that highlights your skin tone, and a cut that is current are all ways someone might look younger. If you’re looking for anti-aging hairstyle tips to avoid looking older with the wrong cut, we’ve got you covered!
We spoke with Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles, who gave five examples of styles that can add years to your appearance over 50— and how you can ask your stylist to alter them in more modern ways.
Mistake #1: Ultra-Length
Many of us have had very long hair at some point— and experienced the trials and tribulations that come with brushing and detangling it daily.
As we age, our hair naturally thins out, Abdullah explains, so having long, one-length fine hair won't emphasize your timeless beauty like a shorter, more layered cut can.
"As you get older and your hair gets thinner, long hair isn't what it once was, says Abdullah. "It can age you because your once full locks are now less so, and it shows."
Instead, Abdullah recommends a "lob" style, or a "long bob" to keep as much length as possible if you want it— while importantly not weighing your face down.
"Lobs— bobs that fall in the neck area or above the shoulders— soften angles that come out in your face with age," says Abdullah. "Make sure your stylist adds a little layering to keep your lob from falling flat." For textured hair, Abdullah says to avoid "a short haircut that's the same length all around."
She notes that "three-inch afros are a thing of the past" and aren't as youthful-looking as other styles could be. "Grow your hair at least five inches and fade it around the sides and back or put it in a puff at the top of your head," Abdullah says, noting both looks use your curls to hide a thinning crown.
"If you have thinning in the front, but your features are up for it, try a buzz cut," she says. "Buzz cuts are the thing for all hair textures and you can use them to play around with temporary colors and try a new look every month."
#2: Rounded Haircuts
Some haircuts that once ruled the 1980s, like mullets and shags, have come back to the forefront to some degree, but there are others (think rounded, flipped ends) that are more outdated in comparison.
"Okay, so the mullet came back for a while," says Abdullah, "That doesn't mean you should rush out and get one to feel young again." She adds that doing this could "have the opposite effect," making you look and feel like a "throwback."
Another "outdated" look to avoid, Abdullah says, are bangs that are cut straight across with round volume. "This is another outdated trend that will put too much emphasis wherever the bangs lay," adds Abdullah. "In addition, the rounded poof look just belongs somewhere in the 80s."
Instead, Abdullah suggests going for fringe styles cut in short, angular snips. "Give them more volume and thickness by pulling more hair in from the center of your head, if it's possible," she adds.
One quick tip before heading the salon, Abdullah says, is to "try one of the many hair makeover apps available on mobile devices." These can help you get the perfect on-trend cut, style and color that suits you, Abdullah says. "Just show the stylist the picture of your new look when you're ready."
#3: Super Short Bangs
Bangs are timeless, versatile and work with any hair color and texture. There's a reason why they'll forever be the go-to, stylish cut for many people. Bang trends also vary— from curtain to parted to micro fringe.
If you wish to create an anti-aging effect with your hair style, Abdullah says to avoid micro, baby or mini bangs. "Wherever your bangs fall, that is the feature they will emphasize the most," says Abdullah.
"You don't want short bangs that fall right in the middle of your forehead where you might have a few lines," Abdullah continues. Instead, she recommends bringing your bangs down to your eyebrows "to emphasize your eyes."
instead. She also adds that curtain bangs, or longer fringe parted down the middle of your head, can be "romantic" and youthful as well.
#4: Ultra Blunt Bangs
This style, which Abdullah defines as being cut to cover your eyebrows, can also bring more attention to fine lines if made too thick. "Thick, blunt bangs that come past the eyebrows on a blunt lob emphasize every sign of age in the face, as they don't frame the face well," she explains.
Instead, Abdullah warns, "they push all the attention to the eyes, with all their lines." While she acknowledges that thicker, blunt-cut bangs are often seen as "a very classic chic look," she says it can also "really makes you look older."
This, she says, is because with blunt bangs, a bob cut "emphasizes the eye area, which might not look dewy." Then, it also emphasizes "the jaw area, an area that many of us struggle with as we age." Abdullah's solution to this, like with the last style, is to add parted, face-framing curtain bangs to a bob instead.
#5: Layerless Bobs
If you want to create movement and volume with your haircut, a one-length style will not have that effect. Layers that frame your face have the power to highlight your facial features while also adding the look of more hair if it's thinning and aging.
"Layers can do so much to hide thinning hair," Abdullah says. She notes that women who want to look younger should avoid one specific type of one-length hairstyle— a short cut that's "the same length all over and barrel-curled close to the scalp."
To prevent this cut, Abdullah advises to bring your stylist pictures of pixie cuts "where some of the hair is cut shorter than other parts and swirled to cover thinning." She adds that this looks "fantastic at any age."
So, if you're heading to the salon any time soon and want to go out with the old hairstyle and in with the new, you now have trendy pointers to try and a list of ones to avoid.
The main factors to look out for when wanting your hair to look more youthful is adding layers to create movement and volume, having eyebrow length fringe if you do want bangs, avoiding too-long styles and being receptive to change!
Aging hair is still beautiful at every stage, and you know yourself and what style makes you feel the best more than anyone else.
