There are more than a few popular memes going around that show famous women of yesteryear — like maid Alice from the vintage TV show The Brady Brunch — with an entirely different, not-at-all-stiff hairstyle, plus modern makeup and brows. The result? Those women who looked “so old” for their age way back when are suddenly appearing fresh, contemporary, and years, if not decades, younger than they looked before.
That’s the power of hair and makeup — and, arguably, especially hair. Maybe you’ve noticed that when you add a few face-framing highlights to your hair or cut off some length, you instantly look and feel like a more refreshed version of yourself. Our hair is constantly changing, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Hormonal shifts, or changes brought on by stress, genetics, or medications, can result in hair changes. Our hair can become drier, coarser, or thinner over the years. But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to throwing it in a bun or ponytail everyday and calling it a day (unless that’s your preferred hairstyle).
If you’re searching for a new change, keep in mind that these 10 unflattering haircuts and styles can sometimes make women over 40 instantly look older. Here’s what to try instead.
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Mistake: Striped Highlights
Highlights and hair color are an amazing tool for bringing lightness to your face and adding dimension to hair. Done well, color can create thicker-looking hair that makes you look younger. But stripey highlights that lack thought and are haphazardly placed will have the opposite effect: they can make you look unkempt and unpolished.
Solution: Expertly Placed Highlights and Balayage
Whether you prefer painted-on highlights (balayage) or traditional foils, this is one hairstyle that is worth spending a little money on so that a professional can do it well and right. As for a shade that’s just 1-2 shades lighter than your own if you prefer a natural look, and talk to your colorist beforehand to agree upon how many highlights you’ll get and the tone you’re trying to achieve (ideally it will be a warm or cool tone that complements your skin tone).
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Mistake: Baby Bangs
Baby bangs are bangs that are cut super-short on the forehead. While this is certainly a “look,” it’s also a look that can appear harsh and draw attention to fine lines around the eyes and on the forehead.
Solution: Curtain or Graduated Bangs
Keep the bangs, but swap the short baby style for curtain bangs that start at around the brow level and gradually grow longer so that they frame your face. This look is soft on the face and frames your features beautifully. It also pairs well with both short and medium-length haircuts.
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Mistake: Short Uneven Layers
Layers can do so much for fine and thinning hair — specially, they can help create movement and texture in hair that otherwise lacks it. But if your layers are too short, uneven, and not harmonious with your haircut, they can look choppy and actually create the look of thinner hair.
Solution: Longer Layers That Blend Into Hair
Whether you have a bob, lob, shoulder-length or long hair, cutting longer layers into your hair ensures that they fit with your cut and provide texture, without thinning it out.
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Mistake: Stiff Hairstyles
An elegant updo is always chic. But spraying your hair into helmet-like proportions can look aging. It may be the tribute to past styles that it conjures up, but stiff hair and “fresh” don’t go together.
Solution: Looser Updos
Go easy with the hairspray and styling products. Try pulling a few strands of hair from your updo and leaving them loose to softly frame your face.
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Mistake: Wispy Layers
Wispy layers make thin hair look even thinner. If your layers are airy and fine, it can have the effect of making it look like you have a lot less hair that you actually have.
Solution: Blunter Layers
The solution is to ask your stylist to cut layers with a blunt cut that appear fuller at the ends. Generally speaking, any haircut with a blunt baseline can help plump up the appearance of fine and thin hair.
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Mistake: Long, Shapeless Hair
A lot of hair experts advise staying away from super-long hair after a certain age. The reason for this is because hair can look thinner the longer it gets — since hair may already be thinning after age 40, waist-length hair isn’t always the best choice if you’re trying to look modern and fresh.
Solution: Cut Off Dead Ends and Add Long Layers
You don’t have to cut your long hair into a bob if you don’t want to — you can absolutely keep length if that’s your preferred style. But cutting off dead ends will take your hair a long way, as will adding layers that break up shapeless hair.
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Mistake: Too-Dark Hair
The second biggest misconception about aging and hair (after the one about needing your hair to be short after age 50) is that you can’t age as a brunette and should immediately grab some bleach to lighten up. Not true. But, with that said, hair that is TOO dark and contains not a trace of lightness or dimension can look harsh and throws a spotlight on every fine line or red spot on the skin. This kind of too-dark hair is often the result of years of box dye in a color that may look one way on the box, but appears much inkier on your hair.
Solution: A Lighter Shade
Going lighter than too-dark doesn’t mean needing to be blonde (unless you want to be blonde). It can also medium working with a colorist to introduce highlights and gradually change your base color so that it’s a medium brown or a warmer dark brown that features face-framing lighter pieces.
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Mistake: Thick, Blunt Bangs
Thick, blunt bangs create a square shape framing your face that doesn’t do most people and their facial features justice. It can also look harsh and severe, which may not be the look you’re going for.
Solution: Lighter, Soft Bangs
Bangs come in so many shapes and styles — from wispy to curtain. Work with a stylist to figure out which bang style is the most flattering on you.
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Mistake: One-Length Curly Bob That Looks Puffy
Bobs with curly or wavy hair can look magical — and so playful, youthful, and fun. But cut is everything here — and making sure your bob isn’t all one layer is important because, otherwise, you run the risk of it appearing puffy and shapeless.
Solution: Layers
Your stylist should understand your curly hair and know how to cut into it to add layers that provide movement and encourage your curl to do its thing. A layered bob with curls is super flattering for all ages, but looks especially fresh after 40.
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Mistake: Pin-Straight Hair That Doesn’t Frame Your Face
If your hair is pin-straight, you probably already know how difficult it can be to get it to look fuller and more stylish unless you’re introducing heatless waves or a voluminous blowout that bends your strands and lifts them at the root. Here’s one obstacle that may be getting in your way: your hair lacks layering in the front and falls completely flat.
Solution: Face-Framing Layers
Even if you don’t long for a head full of layers, cutting some face-framing layers that highlight your cheekbones and jawline can gives any haircut, whether it’s a bob or hair that ends past your shoulders, more stylish. If one of your goals is a more youthful look, these layers also excel at giving your face the appearance of a lift. Think of them as the hair equivalent of blush and lipstick.
