While beauty experts keep telling us that women of any age can wear almost any hairstyle and still look attractive, older ladies have their own experience, proving that it’s not all that simple. Wrinkles, sagging skin, pigmentation, puffiness – there are many age-related changes we would like to hide or at least balance somehow with the help of appropriate hairstyles. Fortunately, it’s quite doable if hairstyles for women over 70 are chosen based on individual characteristics.
Picking Hairstyle by Hair Length
We all have once heard that haircuts for an old lady should be short to hide thinning hair and split ends that come with aging. Well, there is some truth to it, the more so because, as a rule, older women are not much excited about tinkering with hair care and styling.
So, they think that pixie styles, short bobs, and mushroom cuts are their go-to options since they allow for both stylish looks and low maintenance. However, we would recommend considering longer lengths as well, especially if your hair is thick and well-groomed.
“The mid-length allows the hair to still feel like long hair, but short enough to give the hair fullness,” says Jeanie Syfu, who styles Padma Lakshmi, to Allure. Let’s have a look at both options.
Choosing Cuts by Hair Type
Though hair tends to get finer and thinner with age, there is still a wide range of textures older ladies have. Just-above-the-shoulders bobs with long shaggy layers are a modern answer to any questions. “This is a perfect haircut for somebody with stubborn, thick, or curly hair who doesn’t want to wrestle with it. It’s really good for wash-and-go.
It’s also a great cut for fine or thinning hair because of the layering’s movement,” says Chris Lospalluto, a celebrity stylist at Sally Hershberger, to Allure. However, this hairstyle is not suitable for very fine hair since it’s too weak to hold the volume. Scroll down to find other options for thick, thin, permed, and wavy hair types.
Explore 10 Best Hairstyles for Women Over 70
You have probably noticed that blond hairstyles prevail in our pick, and there is a good reason for this – graying is not so noticeable when the hair is blond. But gray hair is beautiful, and even on-trend! Think of celebrities like Glenn Close, Diane Keaton, Helen Mirren or Jamie Lee Curtis who rock their gray proudly. Over the last years, our society has changed its attitude to gray hair on older ladies, and it is no longer unacceptable.
Also, think of the upkeep and the cost it comes at. “On average, women spend an average of over $50,000 over the course of 40 years to color their hair — that’s a down payment on a house or an apartment,” says Lorraine Massey, celeb hairstylist, founder of Devachan Salons and co-founder of DevaCurl products, to Bustle. If you are still not convinced, look through our photos to get inspired.
It is obvious that older ladies can pull off quite a choice of hairstyles, both cropped and longer ones. A natural color scheme is preferable, yet you are free to choose from many options, including authentic gray and fashionable highlights. We hope you will find something to your liking in our selection while we continue surfing the web for more inspo.