Long hair after 40?
So many of you have written to us with the age old question, “Can I still wear long hair when I am over 40?”, that we thought we could get everyone to chat more about it!
Glam Gals say, "yes!" to long hair, as long as you keep it groomed!
The Glam Gals take on long hair: We are not against ladies wearing long hair, but we don’t think we can just make it a blanket statement. Here are some guidelines that we suggest:
Long hair looks “nifty” if:
- You have super healthy hair
- You have the right face shape for long hair (oval or long)
- You keep it trimmed up regularly and don’t let it go too long
Long hair is “iffy” when:
- You hair is too thin
- You wear it with those “puffy” bangs or “wings”
- You wear it down to your waist
- You end up wearing up in a bun all the time or using clips to hold it back.
- If you have super thick hair, beware it can really drag your face down and be aging if you wear it too long! (but don’t cut too short either)
Here is one of our readers, Julie Srhir (age 51). She is an excellent example of someone who is wearing long hair and rocking it!!
One more note…
Long hair is a very “romantic”, soft look. If you are working in a corporate environment or one that is very competitive, you might consider a shorter style or keeping it pulled back for those times that you want to look more professional. Check out some of these makeovers on long hair.
Too see more examples of great hair ideas, check out Christopher Hopkins book, Staging Your Comeback!
If you have a question about your long hair, send us your photo or comment below!
my mom was always opinionated about this…she thought every woman over ” a certain age” should cut their hair short. i totally disagree. some women can also rock grey hair.
Hi Delta,
Yes, we agree with you about grey hair too…we did a post about that a while ago. It can look great if you have a current cut and keep it in good shape. Most grey hair still requires maintenance!
I know some women that love long hair and will never cut it, except for trimming the ends. I agree with all of the tips here. I absolutely detest the short curly hair that most hair dressers give older women. It makes a woman look older, and they probably do it just because it is simple to style. Why is going to the hair salon once a week low maintenance?
I agree with you so much on this. I also think that women who are really short (5′ and under) shouldn’t wear long hair — it’s makes them look like teen-agers, definitely not the look you want if you’re starting out your career (in your 20s) or if you’re a mature adult.
Hi Terri, yes, when you are petite the rules can change a little, but they can still wear long hair, it just depend on how much authority they want to project.