Hair is a great indicator of age, and how you style it can alter your entire look. Many flattering, timeless hairstyles look graceful on women over 50, but others should be avoided. Here are 18 hairstyles women over 50 shouldn’t bother with at all.
Jaw-Length Bob
The jaw-length bob is a statement hairstyle but can often look severe on women over 50. According to SheFinds, experts agree it’s one of the most unflattering hair trends for older women because it draws attention to the neck, where the skin is beginning to sag. It also emphasizes signs of facial aging.
Blunt Bangs
Blunt bangs are a favorite of celebrities like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, but they’re not the best choice for women over 50. They’re thick and heavy, drawing attention to fine lines on the lower half of your face. Curtain bangs are much more flattering and draw attention to your eyes instead.
Long Straight Hair
Our hair gets thinner as we age, and long, straight hairstyles emphasize this. Loose, beachy waves are a much better alternative for middle-aged women with longer hair because they make hair look fuller and frame the face less severely than straight hair. Sometimes, long, straight hair can also look flat and lifeless.
Low Bun
Buns are great updo but beware of the low bun if you’re over 50. It’s a matronly hairstyle that highlights signs of facial aging by scraping all your hair back and out of sight. A tight low bun lacks youthful volume and will also make it look like you have a receding hairline.
Pigtails
Pigtails are one of the most stereotypical hairstyles for little girls, so they’re not usually recommended for grown women, especially those older than 50. Choosing a childish hairstyle can undermine your credibility as a grown woman and even emphasize your age.
Inverted Bob
Popular with many middle-aged women, the inverted bob is famously called ‘the Karen cut.’ The Trend Spotter warns that women should steer clear of it to avoid falling victim to Karen accusations. Because it’s so severe, the inverted bob is also unflattering on women over 50.
Unstyled Pixie Cut
The pixie cut is very short, so it’s a bold haircut, regardless of age. However, a pixie cut needs to be styled to look good; otherwise, it does nothing to draw eyes upwards. When styled with waves and curtain bangs, a pixie cut enhances your features and makes you look more youthful.
Ashy Highlights
Highlights are a great way to refresh your hairstyle, but it’s best to avoid ashy tones. Ash highlights look similar to gray and absorb light, so they aren’t as flattering as warmer tones, like caramel, which reflect light and look much shinier and healthier.
Tight Ringlet Curls
Perms used to be all the rage, but they’re not a style you should stick with once you’re over 50. Tight ringlet curls draw attention to your scalp, hairline, and noticeably thinner hair. They can also make your hair look heavy, which drags the rest of your features down.
Unlayered Midi Cut
Layers look fabulous on women over 50, especially those with a midi cut. A midi hairstyle typically only reaches the shoulders, but adding layers gives it so much youthful volume and bounce. By comparison, an unlayered midi cut looks flat and draws focus sharply to facial creases and lines.
Dark Coloring
Any hairstyle looks unflattering if it’s the wrong color. Many middle-aged women are warned to avoid dark coloring for this reason. Prevention claims that going too dark emphasizes gray roots and creates the illusion of more fine lines and wrinkles, which you want to avoid as you age.
Middle-Part Crop
Crop hairstyles are longer on top and shorter at the back and sides, so how you part them makes a world of difference. Middle-part crops don’t frame the sides of your face, nor do they draw attention to features like your eyes and mouth. Instead, they pull focus to your forehead and jawline.
Baby Bangs
Baby bangs, which hover above the eyebrows, have been seen on celebrities like Zendaya, Emma Watson, and Zoe Kravitz, so they’re definitely trendy. However, women over 50 shouldn’t bother with them because they emphasize forehead lines and the angles of your face where skin sags with age.
Flat Lob
Long bobs, or ‘lobs,’ look fabulous on women older than 50, but they must be styled to fulfill their true potential. A flat lob almost looks like it’s sticking to the sides of your face, which isn’t flattering. Adding layers or loose waves inject new life into the hairstyle.
Slicked-Back Ponytail
Like a tight bun, a slicked-back ponytail is a hairstyle that ages women over 50 beyond their years. It emphasizes a thinning hairline and highlights any sagging skin and wrinkles on your face and neck. Even worse, pulling your hair back that tightly might encourage your hairline to recede.
Box Bob
Middle-aged women love bob haircuts, but the box bob is one they shouldn’t bother with. As the name suggests, the hair is styled into a box shape, cut to chin-length, and structured like a square. It’s too blunt for many face shapes, especially aging features that are sharpened by looser skin.
Tight Braid
A braid is a simple hairstyle that anyone can easily do, but if it’s too tight, it can damage your hair and look unflattering. With a tight braid, there’s no room for youthful volume or playfulness, and it will draw focus to your hairline. Loosening your hair keeps it soft.
Super-Long Lengths
Finally, there’s a reason many women over 50 don’t bother with long hairstyles: long hair is aging. Prima suggests keeping hair shorter, as long hair draws the face down and makes gray strands more obvious. Long hair might work for some people, but many shorter styles could emphasize your best features instead.
Up Next: 19 Things You Didn’t Realize Are Against The Law
Most laws are common sense, like those involving theft, property damage, or violence, but there are many lesser-known regulations that most people aren’t even aware of. This article reveals 19 illegal acts that may inadvertently turn you into a common criminal. Remember, ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it!
19 Things You Didn’t Realize Are Against The Law
18 Most Common Reasons Why Women Leave Their Husbands
All women have different preferences when it comes to their relationships and marriages. However, there are many universal behaviors, traits, and habits that commonly drive them to divorce. This list unveils the 18 most common reasons why women leave their husbands.
18 Most Common Reasons Why Women Leave Their Husbands
17 Behaviors That Make People Think Less of You
If you want to be accepted by those around you, you have to behave in certain ways. Obviously, you should still be yourself, but there are certain social ‘rules’ people should abide by, like avoiding these 17 behaviors that make people think less of you.