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Ready to freshen up your look? Read on.
There’s a dated misconception that women over the age of 50 have to have short hair. But, news flash: There are plenty of different hairstyles of varying lengths that look fabulous on women of all ages. While pixie cuts and bobs beautifully frame a mature face, so can lobs, medium-length cuts, and long, back-grazing strands.
“I like to say 50 is the new 40 — hair is all about expression and individual personality,” says celebrity hairstylist Angelo David, owner of Angelo David Hair Salon in New York City. “It’s no longer the cookie-cutter look for women in their 50s.”
“I love the idea of just going with what we are confident with and what makes us feel good rather than having to fit a particular ideal as we age.” — Kimberly Gueldner, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Voël Hair Extensions
The point is: Don’t let your age determine what you can and can’t do with your hair. But, if that simple reminder isn’t enough, perhaps hearing from some of the industry’s top celebrity hairstylists will do the trick.
Ahead, find 13 cool hairstyles for women over 50, according to the pros.
Long and Natural
Gone are the days of turning 50 and feeling pressured to cut off your hair and cover your grays. Nowadays, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Voël Hair Extensions, Kimberly Gueldner, who is Amy Schumer’s personal hairstylist, says that letting your hair grow in its natural texture and color is in.
“Andie Macdowell is a perfect example of this,” she says. “She looks gorgeous with her long, gray, natural hair.”
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If you have naturally curly or wavy hair, Gueldner recommends adding in layers to help accentuate the texture while also reducing some of the bulk. “This look is great for women with naturally curly hair who don’t want to blow dry it straight all the time — it’s low maintenance,” she says. “To recreate this look, you can scrunch in oil or cream and let [your hair] air dry. Once dry, you can grab pieces and wrap them with a one-inch iron to define your curls even more.”
Curtain Bangs
Celebrity hairstylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites Gina Rivera, says that bangs are an instant ticket to a more youthful look. “Longer is often better,” she admits. “A longer, side-swept bang or curtain bang allows for versatility when styling.”
Dove partner and celebrity stylist Ursula Stephen agrees, noting that Laverne Cox is a wonderful example of how this style can play out on long hair.
“I love this cut; it’s sexy and sophisticated,” she says. “This cut is ideal for a rectangular face shape. It really helps to soften the face. It works well for fine and straight hair.”
It’s easy to style at home, too. Simply blow out your hair and curl it with a large-barrel curling iron (or a smaller one if you have fine hair that easily falls flat, as the smaller coil will take longer to unfurl).
Easy Updo
Whether you’re headed to the office, a party, or a red carpet event — or you simply want to feel beautifully put together — Gueldner suggests an updo. But don’t be intimidated! Not all updos are incredibly intricate and time-sucking, and they’re not the prom fare you remember from your youth.
“For a casual updo, I love this style that Halle Berry is rocking,” she shares. “These casual styles have been very popular recently and work on any hair length.” Plus, since it’s as simple as pinning your hair back with a few face-framing strands, it’s quite simple to DIY. “For those who might not wear their hair up often, going for something like this is an easy way to create a fresher look if you are looking for an easy change,” Gueldner adds. “A style like this is a great look for women with finer hair because it does not require extremely tight styling.” To achieve the look, she says to blow-dry bangs with a round brush and part them down the middle. Next, add a bit more definition by curling face-framing pieces with a quarter-inch iron. Once you’ve done that, pin the rest back, et voila!
Tousled Waves
Celebrity hairstylist Dominick Pucciarello likes adding layers to a long cut to boost volume, movement, and create more dimension to balance out the look.
When styling medium-to-long hair, Gueldner loves a tousled look, like Michelle Pfeiffer’s. “As we age, I enjoy seeing women move away from coiffed looks and go edgy,” she says. “It’s super sexy, and I love the idea of just going with what we are confident with and what makes us feel good rather than having to fit a particular ideal as we age.”
Fortunately for all, this look is easy to recreate. “Blow dry hair with a round brush and wrap sections of hair with a one quarter-inch iron,” Gueldner says. Then, if you find your tresses need a little holding power, use a texture spray or light-hold hairspray.
Wispy Textured Pixie
If you want to go short, David says a wispy textured pixie is the way to go. “This particular haircut is popular amongst our clients who want a stylish yet low-maintenance hairstyle similar to Kris Jenner’s signature cut,” he says. “Incorporating textured spray or paste helps to piece together and create texture.”
Rivera concurs, noting that product is essential when styling a pixie. “It supports the definition of the cut,” she explains. “Adding bangs to your pixie can take it to a whole new level as it lays the foundation for an array of different styling opportunities. Think jagged, side-swept, and blunt. There’s a lot to choose from. And don’t be afraid to play with hair color when it comes to this style. A professional colorist can enhance this look which provides another dimension of versatility.”
Cropped Pixie with Volume On Top
For an edgier, younger-looking pixie that’s perfectly appropriate on people of all ages, consider a cropped pixie with a little more on top. “I personally love this for women with a diamond-shaped face, because it has more volume on top, with tapered sides, and helps balance the angular face shape by creating a more harmonious shape overall,” says celebrity hairstylist and DIY expert for Sally Beauty, Gregory Patterson. Since the shorter sides highlight the scalp, he says that scalp care is key with this cut.
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Sleek High Ponytail
The beauty of this ponytail hairstyle is that all hair types can enjoy it, as the seek portion is from the roots to the pony. From there, you can opt for a fully sleek style or embrace your natural texture, as Taraji P. Henson did above.
For best results, David says to start with clean hair. Using a flat iron, straighten your hair from your roots to about six inches down (or however far it takes to reach the crown of your head). Then, using a soft boar bristle brush, smooth the hair back into a high ponytail. From there, you can coif your pony to your liking. To keep the sleek portion looking its best, though, David recommends spritzing on hairspray to take flyaways and keep the style locked in place.
Blunt Bob
A well-styled bob is another beautiful style for women over 50. “I love a classic bob because it works on mostly all face shapes and works well with straight, wavy, and, curly hair,” Stephen says. “It can be worn with a side or middle part, [as well as] worn off the face.”
When opting for a bob, Stephen loves a style with blunt ends. “As we get older our hair tends to thin, so a blunt cut like the bob helps hair to feel and look thicker,” she explains.
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To recreate this exact bob, Stephen says to start with clean hair and apply the Dove Hair Therapy Brilliant Gloss & Repair Serum with the Dove Hair Therapy 7-in-1 Miracle Mist. “This will help repair and strengthen hair, leaving it shiny and smooth,” she says.
Middle Part
David says middle parts can look lovely at every age. “Jennifer Aniston’s iconic hairstyle is one of the most sought-after hairstyles,” he says. “Hair parted in the middle while having layers frame the face [helps] complement the jawline.”
Shaggy Bangs
Bangs don’t have to be flawlessly blown out to look great. Stephen says that shaggy bangs add a certain allure to a hairstyle. “[Shaggy bangs with shoulder-length waves is a] very flattering [hairstyle],” she says. To get the look, she says to simply let your hair air dry, then add sea salt spray to amp up the texture before flat ironing the bangs.
Asymmetric Pixie
While many pixie cuts are styled to look as though there isn’t a part, Pucciarello says that a sharp side part can be stylish and unexpected. Whether you slick each side of your part or coif it into a pompadour, he says the result is always “fun, youthful, and chic.”
Angled, Textured Bob
Don’t feel like your bob has to be sleek and high-shine for it to work. According to Pucciarello, adding layers and angles to a pixie can work wonders. To style the cut, he says to use a curling iron at the ends of the hair in the uppermost layer of hair. Shake it out, use a little texture spray, and marvel over the volume and movement you can achieve in such a short time.
Blown Out Bob
For a more retro, voluminous look, blow out your bob. “This bob is a classic and will always make you look spectacular and trendy,” says Dove partner and celebrity hair stylist Rocco. Best of all, it’s very easy to style at home, as you just need a round brush and a blow dryer to make magic happen. If your hair falls flat easily, add in a volume spray and/or hairspray to help maintain the style. Rocco recommends the Dove Hair Therapy Volume Booster.
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