Short Hair Styles for Seniors
From LoveToKnow Seniors
Getting older doesn’t mean you have to be dowdy, so if you decide you don’t want to wear your hair long anymore, explore the increasingly vibrant and even sassy world of short hair styles for seniors. Whether you like a pixie cut or a bob or a shag, there is a senior citizen hairstyle that suits you.
Historical Short Hair Styles for Seniors
Traditionally, women have worn their hair up after marriage. It was considered unseemly for a married woman’s hair to be viewed in all its glory by anyone other than her husband. In fact, once a woman was considered an adult, even long before she was married, she wore her hair up. Long hair was the domain of girls, and loose hair reserved for the single girl.
In the 1920s, 90 percent of American women cut their hair into a bob. From adolescents to the elderly, almost everyone embraced this new look that was not only fun and flattering, but considerably easier to care for than hair that hung past the waist. Even if that long hair was wound in a bun every day, styling a bob tended to take much less time. For women who remembered how fussy hair styles could be even 20 years before, the bob was a miracle.
The Modern Bob
Bobs are still a popular short hair style for seniors. Done right, it will defy most weather to always look good and will flatter your features, as well as being easy to care for with minimal product. The truly classic look includes bangs, but a good stylist will determine whether or not bangs are for you. A bob doesn’t have to look vintage; it is a cut that is both modern and timeless.
The Youthful Pixie Cut
A spiky pixie cut is one of the best short hair styles for seniors who want to look young and full of attitude. It is a no-fuss hairstyle that can make you look thinner and neater, as well as playful. Layering is especially flattering to an oval face. Whether your hair is gray, its natural color or highlighted, this is a cut that makes you look sharp, even as it softens your face.
Soft and Pretty Longer Layers
A short hairstyle doesn’t have to be all one length. Longer layers will give you an overall softer look and allow you to explore several different styles, so that you can be sassy and carefree or mold the hair into a more textured and refined look for an elegant evening out. Longer layers will also allow you the option of wearing curls. This doesn’t have to the standard “old lady” style! Look at books and movies from the 1920s and 1930s and notice how women of all ages wore their hair short and often curly. It’s an attractive and sophisticated style that is worth the effort for the right event.
Be Careful Not to Over-Style
The mothers and grandmothers of today’s baby boomers were careful never to be seen with a hair out of place, but the irony of this much fuss is that hair that is too perfect can be very aging. Obviously, if you’re going to a black-tie event, you want to be coiffed to perfection, but look at photos of actress Helen Mirren at the 2006 Academy Awards and note that her hair, while obviously well-cared for, has a casual, easy-going style that isn’t fussy. It’s a sexy and flattering look and makes her look much younger than 60, and you know she doesn’t waste time on her hair every day!
Choose Your Stylist With Care
The best way to get a flattering hair style is to go to a quality stylist with whom you can communicate and who takes the time to study your hair, the shape of your face and your skin tone. When you see someone with a style you admire, ask them where they go to get it done. Don’t forget that it helps to bring pictures of looks you think might suit you so that you can leave looking exactly as you hoped..
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Comments
Hi Evelyn! We have a number of slideshows and articles with pictures of short hairstyles on our site. Simply look at the list in the upper left corner for the category "Senior Fashion and Hair" - click on it, and you'll see many options.
Also, visit your stylist about 30 minutes ahead of time and look throught the styling books and magazines at the salon. Talk with your stylist about some of the looks you favor, and see how it goes from there.
As far as cutting it the same way twice - a lot of that depends on communication, and whether your stylist keeps a record of the cut.
-- Contributed by: TK2I am 79 years old. I would like a short haircut that would look good on me. I cannot find a hair dresser who will do it the same way twice. I'd like a picture of short hair do's on older women.
-- Contributed by: EvelynMarilyn, if you look in the left margin of this page, you'll find links to other picture collections on LTK Seniors that may help.
-- Contributed by: TK2
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