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As you age, it becomes increasingly important to curate your beauty and styling routine to play up your best features. While the first line of defense may be skincare and makeup, your hair plays just as large of a part in exposing your age as the other aspects of your look. If your goal is to add youth to your style, avoid making these classic hair mistakes that are actually adding years to your face.
Too Short Of A Cut
As you get older you may be tempted to chop your hair into a stylish crop to enjoy a low maintenance style and cut time off of your beauty routine. However, according to hair colorist George Papanikolas, when you cut your hair short, any aging on your face is more exposed. “By cutting your hair short, you have nothing to distract from wrinkles and natural aging to the face. If you’re going to go with a shorter style, allow a bit of hair to frame the face to give some balance and distraction,” he advises.
Too Many Layers
Layers can be a great addition to your haircut in order to give your locks body and movement. But Papanikolas notes that too many layers can set back your look years. He notes, “Many women are stuck with over-layered hair from the 90’s and are reluctant to change their styles. Being stuck in a dated look and resisting change is an instant aging effect. Opt for longer layers and a soft bend in the hair so you have an updated, more current look.”
Wispy Bangs
Bangs have returned to style with a vengeance this year, but if you’re hoping to look younger, steer clear of a wispy bang. Papanikolas explains, “Wispy bands make hair appear thin, which can be aging. Instead of this look, ask for a heavier fringe or face framing layers which help give the hair more fullness and add softness to the face.”
Beauty expert Nick Stenson agrees that when done right, bangs can actually have an anti-aging effect. “Choosing a fringe is a great way to bring youth back to your style. This fringe can be customized to fit your face shape and can accentuate your features with a playful new face frame.”
Too Dark
Dyeing your hair can be a fun way to switch up your look, but for anti-aging purposes you should avoid going too dark if you don’t want to add years to your face. Stenson explains, “When we make our hair too dark, we often lose dimension that lends a softness and marries well with the natural highlights of our skin.” For a more youthful style, opt for a lighter shade that compliments your skin tone and brightens your face.
