Long Hair/Older Women

[Etienne]

What's your opinion about long hair on "older" women and how old is TOO old for long hair? My husband and I have this debate every now and again and we rarely agree!

[Lady Day]

I think older women with long hair can be quite lovely.

'Ruth' (Francis Conroy on the right) from one of my favorite shows Six Feet Under comes to mind.



LD

[Orchids Please]

Men love long hair - age is not a factor. It feels better on your body and you can do more with it in less time than if it is short.

That "menopausal" helmet hairdo that has been part of the beauty culture for so long is a deliberate attempt to make women look less than who they are.

My grandmother had long hair to her waist until before she died. To cut it wasn't her decision - one of practicality one assumes.

Think of all the marvelous things to do with it - pin it up and then let it down!
Wear it up with chopsticks to hold it! Pin curl it - enjoy those waves, maybe with a ribbon!

Let it grow out as a project.

Last, but not least, don't forget Rapunzel!

[Rosie]

It's all about personal taste. If long hair looks good on you and you like it then great. I don't think age should dictate how long a woman chooses to wear her hair.

[maisie]

I don't personnally think long hair looks good on some older women, but its how each person takes care of it! If it is going to be greasy and thin then it might as well be chopped of but if it is looked after and clean then it looks far better!!!
Its up to personnal taste in the end, and I would have long hairs and that just me.

[LizzieMaine]

My mother and I have had this argument on and off for years. She tells me I'm too old to wear my hair long -- even though I don't consider just-below-the-shoulders to be long -- and she's been telling me this since I turned 35. (She's been wearing the "menopausal helmet" since she was 30!) And I keep telling her the one time I cut it short -- an accidental pixie cut in the early '90s -- I looked awful, and that mistake ain't gonna happen again. So it's a standoff.

Personally, I think it all depends on the individual. Unkempt long straggly hippie hair isn't an especially attractive look on anyone, but well-kept long hair on an older lady can be very nice. One of the classiest women I ever knew was a retired radio/stage actress who wore her hair long well into her 80s -- she'd give it a light henna wash, and wear it in braids and rolls, and was never anything but elegant.

[DancingSweetie]

I've been wondering about this myself, as I will be 40 next year and I have long (way past the shoulders) hair. I was wondering if I should start going shorter, but I've never liked myself with short hair.

[Raegan]

Personally I love long hair on old women. I think it looks so nice. My aunt is in her 80s and has the prettiest hair. It's down to her waist and the most beautiful white color. She wears it in a braid and then puts it up in a figure 8 type of bun during the day. When I was a kid I always loved watching her when she took it down to brush it at night. I hope when I'm old I have hair like that.

[Viola]

Personally I think age has little to do with it. I don't like long hair on me NOW, I don't think it will look better as I age. So roughly shoulder length it is, for me.

If my face was more angular I'd wear it shorter. Yay for slick bobs and pixie cuts.

But its all about what flatters your face and you can carry off, not your age.

[Lauren]

I love it, personally, and always said I'd wear my hair long when I'm old, up in an old fashioned chignon. Here's a pic of Judy Dench in Ladies in Lavender, for an idea:

[Paisley]

I think it is not so much length, but style. Older women often look nice with healthy, natural-looking long hair, either left down or put up. Hair that looks highly processed doesn't suit them. It's when they try to adopt a style of a younger generation (or worse, never change their hair from their high school or college days) that they just end up looking older.

For any new Miss Manners fans, Miss Manners has very long hair, which she leaves gray and wears pinned up.

[Caledonia]

I agree with the generals here. It's a matter of personal taste in the end. A couple of months ago I caught sight of my 42 year old, un made up face, with long hair going distinctly grey, and (because I'm wavy) frizzy ( I hadn't put the half tonne of anti frizz in that morning) and thought YIKES! So off it came. Although with a few pounds off and some more judicious application of make up I probably could wear it long again, I don't think I will. The cut I got was not good, but it gave me time to think what will suit. So I'm going for base of collar length, heavily layered in the last two inches, which should be achievable by Christmas. That gives me the freedom to tie it up or back, and to have it down in marcel waves, pin curled, 50s smooth, or whatever. And my great gran had the most gorgeous mid back length, pure white hair, and wavy, and she looked marvellous. Maybe when it's turned white I might try again, because Judy Dench's up do up above looks fabulous.

[AllaboutEve]

I think the key is to keep it healthy then it really doesn't matter, so long as it's not got too thin or frizzy, and even if it has you can wear it up!! an up-do can hide a multitude of sins........and I should know
Do what is right for you!

[Shimmy Sally]

I think a head of natural long, thick, white hair is gorgeous.
If it were thin, yellow and bushy, then maybe a short cut with a dye job would be better.

[VintageJess]

I agree that its all about personal taste and style. I for one, have always had fairly fine hair that just doesn't look good any longer than about shoulder-length. So, I will probably keep it mid-length or shorter as I age, just as I have much of my life.
But for the ladies with that thick, gorgeous hair--why not wear it longer if that's what they like?

Again, it's all about personal style and what works for you. And I disagree about only long hair being sensual or attractive to men. I've known men who love shorter hair on women, and seen lots of women who look much more attractive with their hair shorter.

[Rosie]

Well, being that my natural hair texture is what most would consider to be frizzy, I for one plan on having the hugest afro my body will grow well into my old age. I'll put it in rolls and buns and braids and the like but with the exception of trims, I won't cut it, it can get as big/long as it wants.

[LolitaHaze]

I love it! In fact I hope to wear my hair long when I am older. My favourite "old lady" do is how Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest wore their hair in the movie Practical Magic. I want to look like that when I am older!

[Viola]

Originally Posted by VintageJess

I agree that its all about personal taste and style. I for one, have always had fairly fine hair that just doesn't look good any longer than about shoulder-length. So, I will probably keep it mid-length or shorter as I age, just as I have much of my life.

Its so funny that you say that; my issue is my hair is so thick and uncontrollable and wavy that I cut it short when it starts getting too much width. The hairdresser always cuts out chunks of it so it lays more nicely.

Looking at my genetics and coloring, I think my hair will likely gray in the yellowy transparent way, so I'm going to dye it. I just haven't decided if I'm brave enough for one of these:

[Tourbillion]

My mother hates the menopausal helmet, and she is in her mid 60's. She doesn't usually wear her hair really long, it gets to shoulder length once in a while though. She always hated the I am wearing my hair the same as in high school look too. I tend to agree, but I love marcelled hair on cute little old ladies.

I think I will be bummed when all the cute little old ladies have stringy long sixties hair, 70's bowl cuts, scary 80's hair and worst of all 90's Mohawks.

I have had just about every hair length from short bob (buzzed in the back) to my current waist length. I want to grow it even longer--age appropriate or not. I see really long hair on women who are 40+ all the time, and on many of them it suits them.

I say do whatever you want.

p.s. I already wear my hair like Judy Dench.

[mysterygal]

I love long hair, but have seen very few older women who can pull it off and still look great.
Personally, shorter hair is so much easier to style than long hair, I guess the problem I had was that it's hard to get a 'styled' look with long hair. For years I had hair down past my waist, and to me it felt 'blah', it just hung there, now it's shoulder length and it's so much easier to curl and the style choices are numerous.