20 Ageless Hair Trends for Women Over 40
At 40 and beyond, it’s not unusual to start craving a new hairstyle to stay fresh and youthful. The perfect cut and color work wonders to make you look vibrant and boost your confidence. But with so many hairstyles to choose from, where do you start?
If you’re like me, one minute, you want something fresh and fun, and the next, you think it might be better to keep it classic and chic. Whether you’re drawn to straight short styles, or long bouncy layers, it’s good to change things up, and there is a hairstyle for you!
My haircut is a bob with layers and is angled a bit at the back.
Today, I’m sharing a round-up of popular hair trends for women over 40. Let’s explore some new hairstyles to Tweak Your Chic!
Embrace Ageless Beauty: 20 Hair Trends for Women Over 40
Short Hairstyles for Women Over 40
Let’s face it. Having a short hairstyle has its benefits. It’s easier to look after, it helps lift a sagging face, and it keeps your hair trim and healthy. Plus, short styles are a great way to accentuate various features!
The Bixie cut is one of the newest short hairstyles. It combines the fullness of a bob with the ease of maintenance of a pixie cut.
By seamlessly blending these two styles, you get choppy layers, which are perfect for gals with fine hair (like me). Choppy layers are the best way to add movement, texture, and lots of volume.
Think of the Bixie as a chic update of a traditional, classic short hairstyle.
Remember the shag from the 70’s? Well, it’s back in 2025! A short shag is a fabulous way for women over 40 to add texture in a youthful way.
A short shag hairstyle is suitable for many different face shapes and is perfect if you have thin hair since shaggy layers create volume. If you have thicker hair, you might want to stay away from this hairstyle as it can make your hair look and feel frizzy and unmanageable.
If you prefer a low-maintenance, no-fuss short hairstyle, a classic pixie is a good way to perk you up.
A pixie cut is versatile and flattering on most face shapes because it highlights bone structure and facial features (like cheekbones and eyes). It’s a good hairstyle regardless of hair texture, and there are many ways to customize it to your liking. A chic pixie looks fresh, cute, and youthful.
When you want short hair that gives the illusion of longer hair, a short layered bob may be your answer. This hairstyle is basically a short bob, but instead of being all one length or incorporating very short layers, it has subtle longer layers and a few short layers. A short layered bob is sophisticated and youthful and adds movement and dimension.
These casual, long face-framing layers help soften your appearance, and the more cropped layers in the back add volume. This style is particularly good if you have straight or wavy hair because it requires little maintenance to look great. I typically wear my hair this way.
Unlike a short layered bob, which has different lengths to boost volume and texture, an angled bob uses more of a straight line to create a sleek look that beautifully frames the face.
An angled bob is best for those who want a short hairstyle but don’t want to use many products to maintain it. The sharper angled length creates visual interest by elongating the neck, and it’s easy to shape with styling tools.
This is a classy style if you want something professional, polished, and modern.
For women with a lot of hair who want the luxury of low-maintenance short hair that doesn’t look fluffy or puffy, a slightly layered neck-length bob is the golden ticket.
If your hair is thicker than normal, your stylist can add extra layers to remove some weight from the ends, helping make this hairstyle look more even and continuous all around. A neck-length bob transforms flat, lifeless hair from drab to fab.
A fashion-forward pixie style is for the woman who wants something bold and daring. Although it may feel out of your comfort zone at first, it’s a polished, sexy way to modernize a traditional pixie cut—well worth the risk!
When asking for this dramatic style, make sure to tell your stylist that you still want texture and volume in your pixie cut; you just prefer for the sides to be tapered. This is the ultimate low-maintenance style that works fabulously for women over 40. And see how it makes the eyes and cheekbones pop?
One important tip about this hairstyle is to avoid it if you have a rounder face since it tends to exaggerate your facial features and round them out even more. This style looks best on women with oval-shaped faces! That’s me. Should I try it?
Medium Hairstyles For Women Over 40
Medium hairstyles hit the sweet spot between not being too short, which can sometimes be harsh on older women, and not being too long, which can sometimes be aging. You’ll look sophisticated and youthful in a medium-length hairstyle, and there are tons of variations available depending on how much maintenance you can handle.
The Lob hairstyle is a fabulous interpretation of the classic medium-length bob because it’s customizable to your desired length and offers plenty of layering options. For example, you might want to try something like this Lob that falls just around the collarbone, giving you soft, less chunky layers than a traditional bob.
Styling a lob is easy. Just take a curling wand to it and create light, airy waves, and you will have a beautiful hairstyle. A medium-length lob doesn’t require a ton of upkeep since it’s naturally supposed to be a bit messy. This is an on-trend hairstyle, regardless of your hair type.
Are bangs cute or aging? Many women find that a sleek, modern, blunt cut with trendy curtain bangs can be very flattering. Start with a sharp-edged bob to create a polished base, then trim in relaxed fringe-like curtain bangs to give you a soft, youthful look.
A blunt bob with curtain bangs can be parted in the middle or at the side. This cut also looks great as an updo since you can splay your curtain bangs outward to softly frame your face.
medium length with side-swept bangs
The deep side part of this hairstyle is for women who are willing to put a little extra effort into their styling routine. Bangs tend to have a mind of their own most days.
The clean lines of a medium-length bob are wonderful for keeping your look polished and chic, and side-swept bangs effortlessly radiate a carefree, youthful appearance. Side-swept bangs add life by adding bounce and some playfulness to limp, tired, medium-length hair.
For my gals with natural curls, medium-length hairstyles are perfect for you. You may want to add some subliminal layers to your cut for depth and texture, but you don’t have to go too crazy since your hair is already naturally bouncy and voluminous.
For this style, you can opt for a middle part to let your hair fall over the sides of your face or a deeper side part for a sexy and mysterious appeal. In either case, it’s a stylish way to highlight your natural texture!
After all these years later, we still love the famous “Rachel” cut that Jennifer Aniston took the world by storm with. It’s a beautiful blend of a shag and a bob, which really just means it’s a traditional shag with light and choppy layers.
To achieve this look, ask for face-framing layers in the front and choppy layers throughout the rest of your hair that turn outwards for an intentional wispy look. This hairstyle is quite flattering for women over 40 who want to give off a natural, beachy, friendly vibe.
Fine, straight, thin hair can be long, stringy, and aging. Lightly feathering your hair creates volume and texture. It also adds structure and dimension and softens your features, making you look more feminine.
This is another hairstyle that you can easily customize with bangs. Try blunt-cut bangs for a polished and sophisticated look. Side-swept bangs can also be elegant, while curtain bangs make this cute look more laid-back and youthful. Your options are endless!
Long Hairstyles for Women Over 40
Having long hair is associated with youth, so can you wear it long after 40, or will you look desperate? It’s time to divorce ourselves from the idea that rocking long hair belongs to a certain age. Hairstyles have no time stamp. Your hair should reflect your face shape, personality, and lifestyle.
long layers with a face-framing style
Some women over 40 find long layers and face-framing pieces complementary. They’re an easy way to add movement to hair, enhance natural style, and prevent hair from being weighed down by length.
The long layers will give you more styling options, and the face-framing pieces can soften your facial features and overall look. Face-framing pieces also draw attention to your eyes and minimize the attention to wrinkles—a win-win!
Sarah Jessica Parker is a mature woman who proves that long natural waves are timeless. Her signature loose waves and natural curls are a lovely way to wear a long hairstyle and suit her free-spirited personality.
For women over 40, natural waves are an ageless way to celebrate a style that silently says, “I’m natural and relaxed.” Spiraling waves add volume, soften features, and look pretty and romantic.
If you have naturally straight hair, you can use that to your advantage! Long, sleek, straight hair with a defined middle part is a sophisticated, modern way to wear your hair. Gray or white hair looks particularly elegant and lustrous with this cut, which never goes out of style.
Note: This sleek look will elongate your features, so it’s not good for a long face but perfect for a round or even oval one.
Short hair shags can be cute, but if you want long hair, opt for a long-styled shag with wispy layers. This is a great hairstyle if you have thinning hair and you’re looking to add volume, movement, and texture. It’s got a bit of a Farrah Fawcett look to me and is great for widening a narrow face.
Shake your head, darling!
long blunt cut with straight bangs
At your age, your hair becomes dull and fragile, which is why some women go short. A long, blunt cut can help you keep your long hair healthy and strong.
Straight bangs cut just above your eyebrows are a pretty way to incorporate a little energy into your look and make your hair more swingy.
Side parts have been on the backburner but seem to be making a comeback. What better way to achieve this look than with a style that combines long hair with subtle layers and a glamorous side part?
Light layers break up the hair and give your hair some bounce without being too voluminous.
If you’re one of the lucky ones who have long hair and a lot of it, then feathered layers would suit you wonderfully.
Long layers are already timeless, and lightly feathering them outwards when styled gives a trendy nod to the past without looking dated. This look is easy to style and looks luxurious no matter what you decide to do with it.
How To Choose A Hairstyle That Suits You
Consider your face shape.
Face shape is crucial in determining which hairstyle will be most flattering for you. Please decide which facial features you want to highlight and which ones you want to downplay, and let your hairdresser know about this.
Think about your hair type and texture.
Different hair types and textures work with some styles and not others, meaning the same style can look distinctively different for one woman versus another. The takeaway here is that hair density should guide your hairstyle decision!
Think about how much maintenance you’re willing to contribute
The right hairstyle for you depends on how much maintenance you’re willing to put in. If you have a busy lifestyle (or simply just don’t feel like dealing with consistent upkeep), opt for a hairstyle that won’t require too much!
Take aging hair into account.
As much as we’d like our hair to be as full, bouncy, and thick as it was once upon a time, this is usually not the case! As we age, our hair becomes thinner, coarser, and sometimes frizzier. It’s important to find a style that works with these changes, not fight them.
Which hair trends over 40 are your favorite?
If there’s one thing that can make a woman feel like the most fabulous version of herself, it’s her hair. Having a good hairstyle that suits your facial features, your lifestyle, and your desired level of upkeep can skyrocket your confidence and make you feel Age-amazing!
Remember to check out my Amazon storefront to see which Hair items I love the most. I have many favorites that work well for me. You can also join my private Facebook group, the Fabulous After 40 Dressing Room, to chat about hairstyles.
I love new hairstyles! My stylist is growing mine out into the neck length bob – kinda collar boned length. It is still in Bob right now but is growing. I have thick hair, which is a pain but a good thing after a certain age. She thinks this will work great……..I hope so, fingers crossed! I love the shag pics, too, but I am through with that after 3 times. 😊
Hi Bonnie, Good luck with the growout. That takes some patience, but I think you will find a collar-length bob easy to style and very versatile. I tried a bit of a shag, but those wispy ends drove me crazy, so I went back to regular layers. I’m still waiting for the next big haircut to appear. It seemed like years ago, there was a celeb sporting something new every few years, and we’d all get it. Remember Farrah Fawcett, Lind Evan, and Jennifer Aniston’s haircuts? I’d love to try something as original as those. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers, Deborah