As autumn sets in, the urge to refresh our hairstyles is tempting, drawing us to the expertise of seasoned hairdressers. We checked in with renowned celebrity and professional hair experts to uncover five haircuts that may not flatter women over 40. By avoiding these particular styles, mature women can maintain a radiant and lively appearance this season. Additionally, the experts recommended five stylish alternatives that guarantee a fabulous look throughout the fall!
Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles, Gina Rivera, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites, Dani Everson, professional hair stylist at Clementine’s Salon, Janine Jarman, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Curl Cult and Lauren Udoh, hair stylist and hair creative director of WigReports.
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5 Unflattering Hairstyles To Avoid Over 40—And Chic Alternatives
1. Skip Lobs With Baby Bangs
The timeless appeal of baby bangs has been showcased by a variety of fashion icons over the years, ranging from Bettie Page and Audrey Hepburn to modern trendsetters like Emma Watson, Emma Roberts, and Krysten Ritter. Despite its popularity, hair specialist Everson advises mature women to exercise caution when considering this cut due to potential negative effects.
"I love bangs and think everyone has their own special length that enhances their features," she says, adding that "no two bangs are the same." Baby bangs, she stresses, can "overshare someone's wrinkle story," drawing the eye to sagging skin rather than creating a look that has an upwards or lifting effect. "The right length of bangs can help make someone's appearance youthful, but too short borders the line between baby-ish and also aging," she advises.
Abdullah agrees that bangs ending before the eyebrows can emphasize forehead wrinkles rather than highlight a woman's cheekbones and attractive features like other hairstyles. "Wherever your bangs fall, that is the feature they will emphasize the most," she explains.
Instead, Try A Lob With Curtain Bangs
"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 cutting your bangs at your eyebrow level "to emphasize your eyes. This, paired with face-framing layering in your collarbone-length lob can provide a much more flattering look overall, she notes. Instead of choosing the popular yet often unbecoming baby bangs, one can opt for chic curtain bangs, Abdullah suggests.
"These flatter just about any face at any age and neatly frame the face while drawing attention away from serious aging signs," she continues. Curtain bangs, Abdullah notes, are a type of fringe cut that creates a soft, natural looking wave at the top of the head, as seen here on Kerry Washington. "They are often used to frame the face and specifically, to give it a youthful appearance," she adds, which "look great on mature women" as they make your face appear "smaller and slimmer when they come down to cheek level."
2. Skip Center-Parted Lobs Without Layers
Middle-parts can create a symmetrical look at any age, but Abdullah stresses that they can also draw more attention to forehead wrinkles and make your tresses look flatter.
"A bob with a center part might have been your go-to hairstyle before, but maybe your part seems to be getting wider and wider," Abdullah acknowledges, as thinning in the crown area is common as many age.
Instead, Add Layers And A Deep Side Part
"Try a side part [with more layers] instead. In this manner, you can move the hair from one side to the other, as you wish," Abdullah notes.
The "added hair going over," like Charlize Theron here, "will increase volume in the area as well, especially if your hair is used to being parted down the center."
3. Skip Choppy Lobs With Shaggy Bangs
While shag cuts are iconic, 70s-esque and trendy (and usually flattering for any face shape when paired with no-fail curtain bangs), adding too many layers can head into mullet territory.
Shags, Abudllah points out, can easily be cut to frame your face and best features, but adding a heavy amount of layers can often do the opposite. The worst haircut you can have if your goal is to look younger is having "too many layers," she explains.
Instead, Rock A Shag With Eyebrow-Grazing Fringe
Rivera adds that a short or medium-length, delicately layered shag with eyebrow-grazing bangs (Halle Berry is a fan!) is an "amazing cut that is well-recognized for being versatile. A shag with layers of different lengths offers "nice variations for both longer and shorter hair," she says.
"Adding a bang can add a fresh surprise to this look, she suggests. For anyone with hair on the longer side, Rivera concludes that "an added choice is to shorten the hair up a bit to the collarbone or above" to create some texture by "adding subtle layers to soften."
4. Skip Chin-Length Bobs with Blunt Bangs
According to Abdullah, if you're aiming to achieve a more youthful appearance, you should avoid the blunt, chin-length bob hairstyle accompanied by blunt fringe. This hairstyle may not work in your favor as it has the potential to make you look older than your actual age. Abdullah warns that adding this kind of bangs to a chin-length bob (or slightly longer lob) can also highlight the effects of aging without enhancing your best features.
Thick, blunt bangs "push all the attention to the eyes, with all their lines.” This, she says, is seen as a very classic chic look, but it can make you look older if not cut with voluminous ayers to frame your face shape.
Instead, Try a Layered Lob with Curtain Fringe
"Like the lob with blunt bangs, the bob emphasizes the eye area, which might not look dewy," Abdullah says. "Then, it also emphasizes the jaw area, an area that many of us struggle with as we age."
Her alternate suggestion is also to ask for the ever-so-stylish curtain bangs, since they “flatter just about any face at any age,” with any length, as well, as seen here on Alexa Chung. “They neatly frame the face while drawing attention away from serious aging signs,” she points out.
5. Skip Pin-Straight Long Hair
If you have "fine, thinning, fragile, damaged hair," Jarman recommends "cutting it off." She adds that "healthy hair is always the best bet. If your hair is thin, it only gets thinner as it grows out and if it’s damaged it will only continue to break the longer it gets."
Rivera agrees in that "long, straight, blunt hair" is not always becoming with age.
“The long length can pull the features down and make them appear more drawn,” Rivera says, “If you select longer hair, it’s important to opt for longer layers that will create movement and texture," she advises.
Instead, Try Face-Framing Layers
"Longer side bangs" and "face framing pieces" a la Jennifer Aniston can "also result in a more youthful appearance by drawing the eye to the appealing facial features," Rivera explains. "In general, this provides for a fresher and more youthful look."
The Bottom Line
Rivera suggests that although the five hairstyles mentioned in this list are reliable options, there exist a multitude of timeless, life-changing, and elegant hairstyles that accentuate facial features over 40 and are worth considering. To uncover the perfect hairstyle, one must comprehend their facial structure, where they are most prone to thinning, and consult with a skilled stylist.
Additionally, Rivera advises that it’s best to always "consult with your stylist on a maintenance schedule but for those trying to regain hair health, make sure to trim every 4-6 weeks."
