Hair changes as we age, and so should our styles. Many women over 70 fall into common haircut traps that actually emphasize aging rather than creating a fresh, vibrant look. Let’s explore what to avoid and what to embrace for truly flattering hairstyles.
1. Super-Short Pixie Cuts That Expose Too Much
While pixies can be chic, extremely short versions often highlight facial sagging and neck wrinkles. These severe cuts leave nothing to soften the face’s natural aging process. Pair this with thinning hair texture, and you’ve accidentally created a style that ages rather than refreshes.
2. Soft Layered Pixie with Face-Framing Pieces
A pixie with gentle layers creates youthful movement while strategically placed longer pieces soften facial contours. The right length covers neck areas while maintaining easy care. This modern take offers the convenience of short hair without the aging effects of super-short cuts.
3. Stick-Straight Long Hair Without Layers
Completely flat, one-length hair pulls the face downward, emphasizing jowls and creating a droopy appearance. The weight of long, unlayered hair thins out already-delicate strands. This outdated style often looks stringy and lifeless, adding years to your appearance.
4. Shoulder-Length Cut with Soft Layers
Medium-length hair with gentle layers creates natural lift and movement around the face. This versatile length offers styling options while remaining manageable. The lighter weight prevents dragging down facial features, creating a more youthful, energetic appearance.
5. Overly Teased Bouffant Styles
Heavily teased hairstyles from bygone decades scream ‘outdated’ rather than ‘classic.’ Excessive volume at the crown creates an unbalanced silhouette that appears costume-like. These styles damage already fragile hair and look unnaturally stiff.
6. Modern Bob with Natural Volume
A well-cut bob creates flattering volume without old-fashioned teasing techniques. Slight layering through the crown gives height where needed without appearing dated. This contemporary style offers sophistication with easy maintenance – perfect for active women.
7. Harsh Blunt Bangs Cut Straight Across
Severe, straight-across bangs create a harsh horizontal line that emphasizes forehead wrinkles. This unforgiving style draws attention to aging eyes and brow areas. Thick, blunt bangs often appear heavy and dated rather than fresh and youthful.
8. Side-Swept or Textured Bangs
Gently angled bangs sweep softly across the forehead, disguising lines without hiding your face. The diagonal movement creates a lifting effect for the entire face. Textured ends prevent the heaviness of blunt cuts while still offering the youthful frame bangs provide.
9. Permed Tight Curls All Over
Uniform, tightly permed curls create a dated ‘helmet head’ appearance that ages the wearer instantly. This old-fashioned style looks artificial and draws unflattering comparisons to bygone eras. Tight perms damage hair and create frizz problems for already dry mature hair.
10. Loose Waves with Movement
Gentle waves create youthful texture without the dated appearance of tight perms. Modern styling techniques produce natural-looking movement that flatters mature faces. This softer approach works with your natural hair pattern while adding volume where needed.
11. Severe Center Parts
Straight center parts create harsh symmetry that highlights facial asymmetries that develop with age. This unforgiving style draws attention to thinning hair along the part line. The lack of volume at the crown flattens your overall look, emphasizing drooping facial features.
12. Soft Side Part or Diagonal Part
A gentle side or diagonal part creates instant volume while drawing attention away from facial asymmetries. This simple change lifts the crown area for a more youthful profile. The asymmetrical line softens your overall look while disguising any thinning along the part.
13. One-Length Bobs Without Texture
Perfectly straight, one-length bobs create a heavy, dated look that draws the eye downward. The lack of layers makes hair appear thinner and lifeless around the face. This geometric cut emphasizes jowls and neck aging rather than creating flattering lines.
14. Graduated Bob with Textured Ends
A slightly angled bob with textured ends creates youthful movement while maintaining elegance. The graduated shape lifts the back while framing the face beautifully. Textured ends prevent the heaviness of blunt cuts, creating a lighter, more modern appearance.
15. Overly Thin, Wispy Layers
Excessive thinning creates stringy, separated layers that emphasize hair’s natural thinning with age. These wispy ends lack the substance needed for shape and movement. Too-thin layers often appear messy rather than intentionally textured, creating an unkempt look.
16. Blended Layers with Substantial Ends
Strategic layering creates movement while maintaining thickness at the ends for a healthier appearance. Blended layers prevent the choppy, separated look of over-thinned styles. This technique adds volume where needed while keeping enough weight for hair to behave predictably.
17. Severe Slicked-Back Styles
Pulling hair tightly back exposes every facial line and creates an unnecessarily harsh appearance. This unforgiving style emphasizes thinning hairlines and temple areas common with aging. The severe look ages rather than flatters, drawing attention to facial areas many prefer to soften.
18. Soft Swept-Back Styles with Volume
Hair gently directed away from the face creates openness without harshness. Maintaining volume at the roots provides flattering lift around the face. This elegant approach offers the sophistication of pulled-back styles without the aging effects of severe styling.
19. Attempting to Maintain Jet-Black Hair
Extremely dark dye creates harsh contrast against aging skin, emphasizing rather than minimizing lines. The unnatural darkness draws attention to the artificial nature of the color. Maintaining such a severe shade requires constant root touch-ups, creating damage and stress.
20. Dimensional Color with Softer Tones
Multidimensional color blends grays naturally while adding warmth and light around the face. Softer base shades complement mature skin tones rather than fighting against them. Highlights strategically placed near the face brighten your complexion, creating a naturally youthful glow.