When I look back over my life in pictures, it could be called “a journey through hair.” I’ve had everything from a wedge (remember Dorothy Hamill?) to long and straight to shoulder length and crimped. I’ve been through perms and color to keep myself updated (Viva la L’Oreal) and have worn a slicked back ponytail for years at a time while my children were young.
In the book How Not to Look Old by beauty expert Charla Krupp, the first change she suggests to update your look is to cut some bangs and you will look five years younger. She says “Nothing ages you like too-short bangs, too-long hair parted down the middle, helmet head, high hair, an updo, visibly thinning hair.” This is one tip I can attest to–I’ve had bangs for a year now, and it has made a big difference in just how young I look and feel.
From the book, “Bangs are a cheap and easy way to chic up your look. They also accentuate the positive and camouflage the negative. This haircut cure-all hides a large forehead, a wrinkled forehead, or a receding hairline. At the same time, a soft fringe of hair falling along the side of your face draws attention to your eyes (which should still be sparkling) and deflects scrutiny from your jaw (which may be a little slack or saggy).” Charla suggests getting bangs cut that are long and thick, and not too severe or geometric.
Other subtle style changes to consider that might make a big difference in your looks:
- Cutting angles and layers to open up the face
- Changing your length just a bit, maybe wearing it longer in the summer than winter
- Switching your part. Your profile is different on each side, so you might want to accentuate the side of your face you like the most by parting your hair on that side.
- Keep it moving, no more “helmet head.” Nothing makes you look older than perfect hair that doesn’t move. You will look much younger if your hair has bounce and swing.
- Wear your hair down, not in an updo. Hair that is pulled tight on the top of the head looks matronly. If you pull your hair back, wear it casual, loose and a little messy. “When in doubt, wear your hair down. It’s so much sexier.”
- Grow it. Shoulder length hair can look long and lush, but don’t grow it too long–you don’t want to look like you’re trying to imitate your daughter.
- Pump up the shine. Too many styling products will gunk up your hair and weigh it down. Over processed hair can look dull, so use a deep conditioner once a week. Keeping your hair healthy and shiny will give you a much more youthful look.
One interesting tip–you may need a new stylist, even if you’ve been with the same one for years. If you’ve had the same style for a long time, “…you may have become an exaggerated version of what was once good….Move on if someone tells you you can’t have a certain style. Everyone can have everything, just a different version of it that’s right for your face and your hair and your lifestyle and body type.”
Just look at how much better Helen Mirren looks with an updated hairstyle!
So don’t get stuck in a rut, and try something different for a bang-up new you!
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You’ve neglected the two biggest reasons women over 50 cut bangs .
First of all its to cut back on Botox costs ( bangs hide forehead creases ) and second is they hide lousy brows that never grew back or brow loss due to thryroid issues ( a major porblem that is always overlooked by so-called beauty experts )
Ha–so true! I just posted an article, How not to look old, part 4–tame those eyebrows! on my website, I’ll be posting it here soon, I actually found “prosthetic eyebrows” for women who have very thin, or even non-existent eyebrows. They look much better than you’d expect.
I think I look so much better with bangs now–people are always surprised when I tell them I’m 53, and I think the hair has a lot to do with that.
Can’t wait to read about the eyebrows. I thought it was just me! :>)
Lois, I absolutely agree with your two comments here about the benefits of wearing bangs. I’ve lost most of my eyebrows…they pretty much vanished as I went through menopause. Filling them in accurately and uniformly with a pencil everyday is not necessarily easy. I love that my eyebrows are only partially visible through whispy bangs.
so true. While visiting family members in CT i noticed that my sister in law still has beautiful hair which she takes care of constantly…i was sitting in the car and was looking at her from a distance. Her hair was soft, flowy, etc but did nothing for her… i got it! She has no bangs or like my stylist calls them bangs/but no bangs, my stylist pushes them to the side for those women that hate bangs. So i told her that she needed to layer the front of her hairdo and put some bangs. She told me she hated bangs but went ahead and did the no bangs thing and she looked soooooo good. During our new years eve photos everybody was commenting on how great she looked. It is March and she kept them. I thought she would push them back for sure, but no, she realized the bangs do her justice.
My motto the past few years has always been…Bangs not Botox!
Great attitude! Much less costly, and doesn’t hurt!
You cannot change your natural part, and if perservered eventually will thin the hair because the contrived direction creates stress on the hairshaft and follicle. Many women chose to part their hair without understanding this and complain that their hair is falling out. Just a simple point of clairty for those considering a new “do”.
If you have a double or triple crown then you can choose the side the part falls on.
Drying the roots in the opposite direction will give fullness if the hair is long enough to drop back into its natural fall line. If not , it will look as if it is standing on end. Law of gravity.
Fringe softens the facial features and accents the eyes. (windows of the soul)
Smiles
Thanks to reading this article, I have a short haircut and people are telling me I look 20 years younger. There has been so many compliments, from people of all ages and genders, I keep thinking how horrible I must have looked previously. I only wish I could post before/after photos to show all or you amazing women the difference this article has made in my life!