How to wear long hair after 40!
Natalie asked, "How long is too long?"
Last week we had a question from a reader about long hair. Here is another style question from this lovely reader who sent it in her photo :
| Dear Glam Gals,
I recently joined your site and I love it!!!! I was reading your article You guys are great! Pearl |
Pearl asks,"Now that I am 40. should I cut my hair?"
We asked LA celebrity stylist Billy Lowe to weigh in on this question and here is his advice:
Natalie: While I’m a fan of blonde manes, think Heather Locklear, not Heather Lioness.
The color is great on you, but I would add a little dimension so it doesn’t appear over processed. I would also lighten the weight, and add great texture, and bring it up 2-3 inches. Keep it long, but lighten it up. Easy on the hot rollers, and just rock it.
Pearl: Move into a rich chocolatey color with soft strapping of highlights.
Bring it up to barely hit the shoulders and allow the top layers to grow just a bit to release the bulkiness at your ears. Your top layers seem to be cut too short so it’s creating a blooming effect around your head, and a disconnect with the overall length which is bouncing out at the shoulders. So you have 2 options. Grow the layers out, or bring the length up.
Here are more notes from Billy for the rest of us!:
I’ve always said hair rules are definitely made to be broken. The biggest problem with most stylists is that they don’t think outside the box. For years stylists and beauty experts have focused on face shapes and rules that may apply to them. While there is some truth and guidelines that hold true, I don’t believe our hair should be defined by our face shapes alone.
The biggest opportunity I try to tap into is learning about a client’s lifestyle. When engaged in a consultation here are my key points:
- How much time my client has
- What products and tools is she comfortable working with
- What her lifestyle is about (career, mother, extracurricular activities, etc)
- Will she feel great about her new cut or color
If I can tap into these elements, then she’ll for sure walk away looking and feeling her very best, AND be able to recreate the look at home. If I give her a cut or style that is too difficult to manage, or one that requires working with a round brush when she’s not comfortable using one, then she will ultimately be disappointed.
I have MANY clients who are in their 50′s, 60′s and 70′s who have longer than shoulder length hair. But it’s a matter of creating a style that works for them, their look, and their character. Mind you, mid-length hair on a 20 year old and mid-length hair on a 60 year old says 2 completely different things. The same thing goes with blue-jeans, or the kind of car you drive. So take it all into account.
YES – you can wear longer hair styles and YES you can be proud doing so. Just be sure that within that longer cut & style that you have a SHAPE that works well and expresses the real you.
LA Celebrity stylist, Billy Lowe
Billy Lowe is an elite talent responsible for creating extraordinary beauty behind the scenes of Hollywood. Stay tuned for these and other great beauty tips from Hollywood’s own Hot-Head.
Thanks so much Billy! What great advice, we are thrilled to have you as our hair expert on Fabulous after 40!!!
