This article has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
While weaker, thinner hair is inevitable with age, there are certain styling and haircare errors that could be exacerbating the issue. Are you worried that your habits are contributing to hair loss or thinning? It can be difficult to know what’s causing the problem. We recently reached out to stylists and experts to learn more about fourteen common styling mistakes and habits that can lead to faster loss and thinner, older-looking strands for mature women.
Our hair aficionados explain how bleaching and DIY hair coloring, using hot tools without heat protectant, wearing super-tight ponytails, sleeping without a silk pillowcase and engaging in fad diets can cause this over time. Whether you are over 30, 40 or 50 and want to prevent looking older, keep reading to find out more about these mistakes and how to avoid them.
We checked in with Gina Rivera, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites, Lauren Udoh, hair stylist and hair creative director at WigReports, Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, Chief Medical Officer of Ideal Image and co-founder of Modern Dermatology PC, Kerry Yates, trichologist at Colour Collective, Jose Mier, hair expert and founder of Heliotherapy Research Institute, Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles and Khamis Maiouf, hair expert and CEO of Book of Barbering.
14 Hair Mistakes That Are Linked to Thinning, Loss and Older-Looking Tresses
1. DIY Bleaching and Hair Coloring
While it may be tempting to experiment with a new color on your own, Rivera explains that this might end up requiring a salon fix-up (so it's much more of a time-saver to head there in the first place).
"My number one rule is to never take on something that a professional should be doing when it comes to your hair, especially processes that involve chemicals," she explains. There is a science and chemistry involved in services such as coloring, highlighting and perming, she says, and professionals are "well trained to understand the proper methods for application."
Incorrect application can lead to damaging your hair, she adds, and this can result in "long-term irreversible damage in extreme cases." Likewise, professionals attend school and often apprentice to learn "proper cutting techniques that ensure a great look," she notes, "so I suggest staying away from the urge to cut your own hair or someone else’s if you’re not properly trained."
2. Using Hot Tools Without Heat Protectant Spray
When it comes to straighteners, dryers, curling irons, crimpers, etc., not using a heat protectant will undoubtedly lead to damage, Rivera says. "There are so many styling tools on the market nowadays and it’s important that you have good ones if you want to have great looking hair," she explains.
"A good hot tool will have temperature controls, auto shut offs, and will be durable as well as easy to operate. I recommend tools that utilize infrared technology because the technology works to lock the moisture into the hair strands rather than drying the hair out," she says.
Regarding styling with these types of tools, Udoh says to be careful of over-styling, especially if you have thinning hair. "Women with thinning hair often make the mistake of over-styling their hair to give it more volume and body," she says. It's also important not to use the wrong tool for your hair type, Udoh notes.
"Using the wrong styling products can also make thinning hair look worse. Heavy gels and mousse can weigh down the hair and make it look greasy while using too much heat can damage the hair and make it look brittle," she says, "It’s important to find lightweight products that will help add volume and body to the hair without weighing it down."
Along with having the right styling tools, Rivera agrees with Udoh in that it’s very important to keep the tool at a lower heat to maintain great looking hair, and this is especially true for fine hair which damages easily.
"While typically hot tools may be set a bit higher for coarser hair, it’s equally important to realize that all hair can be susceptible to temperatures which are too hot, and this goes for coarse hair as well," she says. Rivera emphasizes that everyone should "always consult with your stylist to ensure your settings are correct for your hair type."
3. Tying Very Tight Updos and Ponytails
Abdullah says that frequently tying your tresses up in a super tight ponytail or updo can lead to not only weaker, thinner locks, but also faster hair loss if it is already thin.
"Sleek hair styling is a no-no if your hair is thinning, as you could pull your hair out from the root," she says, regarding sleek, slicked-back updos and ponytails.
"If you need a nice hairstyle that hides thinning and doesn't need any chemicals or heat, simply create a loose updo with a chignon clip," Abdullah recommends (and claw clip styles are currently all the rage on BeautyTok!)
She suggests allowing "a few tresses to hang in the front and on the sides." This style, she concludes, looks "lovely and doesn't age you or cause undue stress on your locks."
4. Sleeping With A Non-Silk Pillowcase
Silk pillowcases are highly acclaimed among experts and stylists for their soft fabric that won’t aggravate or tug at your strands while you sleep as much as other materials can. For those with thinning hair, Robinson says, this is a much safer pillowcase alternative.
“I highly recommend a silk pillowcase for everyone, but it is especially important for people with thinning or breaking hair,” says Robinson. The silk, she notes, causes less friction— helping to avoid pulling or breaking strands while you move in your sleep.
“I also recommend pulling your hair up into a gentle top knot with a silk scrunchie to keep it off of the chemicals on your face at night which can also make them more vulnerable to breakage,” she adds (retinols & AHAs for example).
For this same reason, Robinson says it’s important to gently pull your hair back when cleansing your face and applying your PM skincare routine, which “typically contains actives that can be aggressive on the fine strands of hair that frame our face.”
5. Fad Dieting / Inconsistent Eating Habits
A crucial (if not the most) important way to take care of your tresses is eating a well-balanced diet containing vitamins such as biotin, vitamin A, zinc, iron, etc. With that said, engaging in trendy fad diets or making inconsistent choices with your diet can heavily impact already-thinning hair, Yates says
. “Like starting a cleanse, extreme dieting can wreak havoc on your hair,” Yates notes. “When you make such drastic changes, you ultimately cut out body-loving nutrients, negatively impacting your hair’s life cycle.”
Mier agrees, saying a “lack of vitamins and minerals in your diet is a huge reason your thinning hair looks worse.” This, he says, is because “you aren’t getting enough nutrition needed” for healthy hair.
“It also affects your hormonal system, which leads to hair fallout,” he continues. “So, you must talk to a doctor about what supplements to take.”
Good to know!
6. Having Super Long Hair
Many of us have had very long hair at some point— and experienced the trials and tribulations that come with brushing and detangling it daily.
As we age, our hair naturally thins out, Abdullah explains, so having long, one-length fine hair won't emphasize your timeless beauty like a shorter, more layered cut can.
"As you get older and your hair gets thinner, long hair isn't what it once was, says Abdullah. "It can age you because your once full locks are now less so, and it shows."
Instead, Abdullah recommends a "lob" style, or a "long bob" to keep as much length as possible if you want it— while importantly not weighing your face down. "Lobs— bobs that fall in the neck area or above the shoulders— soften angles that come out in your face with age," says Abdullah.
"Make sure your stylist adds a little layering to keep your lob from falling flat." For textured hair, Abdullah says to avoid "a short haircut that's the same length all around."
7. Choosing A Rounded Haircut
Some haircuts that once ruled the 1980s, like mullets and shags, have come back to the forefront to some degree, but there are others (think rounded, flipped ends) that are more outdated in comparison. "Okay, so the mullet came back for a while," says Abdullah, "That doesn't mean you should rush out and get one to feel young again."
She adds that doing this could "have the opposite effect," making you look and feel like a "throwback." Another "outdated" look to avoid, Abdullah says, are bangs that are cut straight across with round volume.
"This is another outdated trend that will put too much emphasis wherever the bangs lay," adds Abdullah. "In addition, the rounded poof look just belongs somewhere in the 80s."
Instead, Abdullah suggests going for fringe styles cut in short, angular snips. "Give them more volume and thickness by pulling more hair in from the center of your head, if it's possible," she adds.
8. Cutting Baby Bangs
Bangs are timeless, versatile and work with any hair color and texture. There's a reason why they'll forever be the go-to, stylish cut for many people. Bang trends also vary— from curtain to parted to micro fringe.
If you wish to create an anti-aging effect with your hair style, Abdullah says to avoid micro, baby or mini bangs. "Wherever your bangs fall, that is the feature they will emphasize the most," says Abdullah.
"You don't want short bangs that fall right in the middle of your forehead where you might have a few lines," Abdullah continues. Instead, she recommends bringing your bangs down to your eyebrows "to emphasize your eyes."
Instead. She also adds that curtain bangs, or longer fringe parted down the middle of your head, can be "romantic" and youthful as well.
9. Getting Super Blunt Bangs
This style, which Abdullah defines as being cut to cover your eyebrows, can also bring more attention to fine lines if made too thick. "Thick, blunt bangs that come past the eyebrows on a blunt lob emphasize every sign of age in the face, as they don't frame the face well," she explains.
Instead, Abdullah warns, "they push all the attention to the eyes, with all their lines." While she acknowledges that thicker, blunt-cut bangs are often seen as "a very classic chic look," she says it can also "really makes you look older."
This, she says, is because with blunt bangs, a bob cut "emphasizes the eye area, which might not look dewy." Then, it also emphasizes "the jaw area, an area that many of us struggle with as we age." Abdullah's solution to this, like with the last style, is to add parted, face-framing curtain bangs to a bob instead.
10. Opting For A Layerless Bob
If you want to create movement and volume with your haircut, a one-length style will not have that effect. Layers that frame your face have the power to highlight your facial features while also adding the look of more hair if it's thinning and aging.
"Layers can do so much to hide thinning hair," Abdullah says. She notes that women who want to look younger should avoid one specific type of one-length hairstyle— a short cut that's "the same length all over and barrel-curled close to the scalp."
To prevent this cut, Abdullah advises to bring your stylist pictures of pixie cuts "where some of the hair is cut shorter than other parts and swirled to cover thinning." She adds that this looks "fantastic at any age."
11. Getting A Heavily Layered Shag
On the other hand, too many layers can also add years to one's look, so Abdullah stresses the importance of working with your stylist to create a 'do that emphasizes your best features rather than overpowering them with your hair.
While layers usually add more volume to flat locks (like Juliette Lewis above), our experts advise staying away from a heavilly-layered look, as this might yield the opposite, undesired outcome.
"This will really show up thinning hair, so be very careful adding layers," Abdullah stresses. Maiouf agrees, and adds that there are several better alternatives that can still create volume without drawing attention to thin strands.
"I would rather suggest trying a cut that has bangs and is one length, or one with more volume on the sides than the top," Maiouf says. This will help to keep your hair "looking full" without drawing attention to any thinning areas on the top of your head.
12. Cutting A Bob That Is Shorter Than Chin-Length
While Halle Berry can easily rock any hairstyle, a bob that ends before the chin, Abdullah explains, is usually not the most flattering look for mature beauties.
"The thing about this is that the fullness that gathers at the tips of a bob is going to be too low to do thinning hair any good," she says. "What will happen is that it emphasizes areas of the crown that are thinning."
Maiouf agrees and says that if you're experiencing hair loss and want to maintain a shorter length but not make it obvious, "I would recommend avoiding cuts that are shorter than chin-length." The shorter the cut, Maiouf says, the more likely it will emphasize the thinness of your hair.
For a solution to this (and if you still do want to rock short hair), Abdullah says that it's important to have a cut that "naturally curves under at the tips." This, she says, brings the length of your hair away from your scalp, creating volume without highlighting any thinning areas.
13. Choosing A Lob That Ends Before The Collarbone
The best cuts for mature women, Abdullah emphasizes, are either pixies, chin-length bobs or collarbone-length lobs. A cut that ends at the middle of the neck may not be the most flattering option (although Cate Blanchett pulls it off well above!)
The thing about bobs and lobs, Abdullah says, is that they fall "right where you want to draw attention." A longer, mid-length bob might look great on Blanchett, but as Abdullah notes, for many of us this cut would fall "right at the neck." For a woman who's over 40, Abdullah says, this could be a spot where "fine lines and wrinkles" could be more apparent.
"When I see a woman with a medium bob, my eye is always drawn to the neck, right where the hair falls," she stresses. "A bob is great if you want the eyes drawn to the chin or cheekbones, and lobs are great for moving the eye towards the collarbone and shoulders, but medium-length bobs are not as flattering" for mature women, she explains. Instead, a chin-length or collarbone-length cut might look more refreshed and radiant.
14. Having A Center-Parted Bob With Thinning Hair
Middle-parts can create a symmetrical look at any age, but Abdullah stresses that they can also draw more attention to forehead wrinkles and make your tresses look flatter.
"A bob with a center part might have been your go-to hairstyle before, but maybe your part seems to be getting wider and wider," Abdullah points out, as thinning in the crown area is common as many age.
"If you're thinning in the crown of your head, a center part is going to draw attention to it. This is because you're putting the part right in the same area," she says. To avoid this, Abdullah recommends a side part, rather than Kim Kardashian's look here, for more volume and a youthful energy.
"Try a side part instead. In this manner, you can move the hair from one side to the other, as you wish," she notes. "The added hair going over will increase volume in the area as well, especially if your hair is used to being parted down the center."
If you really prefer a center part, she suggests making "a short one instead, so that the hair in front goes to either side of your face." Then, she adds, the hair in the center can be brushed back.
"Any difference that you create when your hair is used to lying flat and completely to the sides will create volume and make a big difference," she concludes.
Good to know!
