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One of the best ways to make yourself appear more youthful is by finding a haircut which accentuates your features and lifts your face to hide your age. While many people are fond of longer hair styles, this look can often drag down your complexion and draw attention to naturally occurring fine lines and wrinkles. Styling your long hair with layers is one great way to add a little movement to your look, but opting for a shorter cut is even more effective for injecting your look with a youthful glow.
A shoulder-length haircut is an ideal length to try as you age because it can still be styled in a variety of different ways to offer versatility without feeling tired or boring. If you’re looking to be struck with inspiration for your next haircut, we gathered the five, stylist approved shoulder-length cuts you need to try to instantly look younger.
Lob
One of the most classic haircuts, the lob, or long bob is a great way to add movement and texture to your hair without committing to a sharp bob. “When a woman’s face starts to age, it begins to droop or sag a bit. The jawline, smile line and eyelids all head south and while we are so grateful for botox, fillers and all the modern technology available today, you can contribute to a more youthful look with a simple haircut,” notes celebrity hairstylist Michelle Cleveland. To remedy signs of aging, Cleveland suggests asking for a shoulder-length cut with long layers to add volume and motion to your locks. “It gives the illusion of a lift by redirecting the eyes to the movement of the layers and textured pieces, rather than dragging the eyes directly down to the ends of a longer cut which would exaggerate the face even more.”
Blunt Cut
For those who like their hair to be all one length and desire a more professional, straight edge look, a blunt bob is going to be the perfect cut. “If your hair is straight and you don’t want to go through the hassle of getting curls every day, a plain blunt cut will still make you look younger - as long as it doesn’t go anywhere past the shoulders. A center part is fine here, too,” suggests hair expert Ghanima Abdullah. A blunt cut looks great with straight hair as it creates a polished and pulled together look, and having a cut that hits your chin or grazes your shoulder will draw the eye upwards naturally.
Graduated Bob
Adding a little bit of texture and flair to a traditional bob, the graduated bob creates a slightly more angular look to your locks and once again draws the eye up to highlight your cheekbones. “This cut starts shorter in the back and gradually gets longer in the front. So the front might actually touch your shoulders, and that’s fine. This cut looks great on curly hair and waves, but straight and sleek can pull it off, too,” says Abdullah. The great thing about shorter cuts is how easy they are to style, and adding a slight wave to this look is significantly easier than curling long strands.
Side Part Bob
If you want to keep a consistent length but are simply looking to change up your look a little, moving your hair to a side part is a great way to diversify your style without making any dramatic chops. “Show your stylist exactly where you’d like the side part to be. This can cover up thinning on top and make your hair look thicker overall. It works best on straight hair,” suggests Abdullah. Not only can a side part hide any thinning patches, but it can also add volume to your locks, making it great for fine hair.
Bob With Bangs
Adding bangs to any cut is a sneaky hack for hiding forehead wrinkles and providing a little intrigue to your ‘do. “Don’t forget the bangs! Bangs are great at moving the eyes up from fine lines further down on the face, too. Even wispy bangs will work here,” says Abdullah. “They should stay above the eyebrows and not be heavy, in any case. A few waves in your bob with bangs can take years off your look.” If you want to ease into bangs, start out with wispy or curtain bangs before leaping to a blunt cut to make sure that the style is something you want to commit to--it can take a while to grow out if you aren’t in love.
