Aging is a natural and expected experience. Regarding hairstyles and colors, some women want to accentuate certain features that they’ve matured into and draw attention away from others. No matter what your hair goals are, hitting the big 5-0 is a major accomplishment, and what better way to celebrate this than finding a hairstyle and color that works for you and avoiding the ones that might not?
We spoke with hairstylists and hair experts about three hair highlight styles women over 50 should skip— not because they can’t ever look good on you, but because they have a reputation of appearing outdated or out of style.
Firstly, you might wonder why we often cling to what has always worked in terms of hair, and why it’s important to also let go.
Quick Hair Tip #1: Let Go of Past Looks
“The worst haircut to avoid isn’t necessarily a specific hairstyle, but avoiding hanging on to the past,” says Fae Norris, longtime hairstylist and colorist at Rock Paper Salon in Los Angeles. “People, women in particular, often get stuck in a hairstyle that worked in their youth but make the mistake of not updating it periodically,” says Norris. “Once you find a style that works with your face shape, texture and lifestyle, it makes sense to stick with it, but styles are constantly changing.”
This however, she says, doesn’t mean you need to jump from one “next new thing” to the other, but modernizing a style every few years will “keep a look youthful.” She notes that there were a lot of women rocking the “Farrah Fawcett-inspired cut” back in the day but days change. Keeping your mind open is the best way to find your 50+ style and what works for you, but knowing what’s “out” and why can help send you in the right direction.
This leads us to the three highlight styles you might want to skip and why many people over 50+ are leaning away from them.
Skip These Highlight Styles: Bleach, Ombre and Chunky
Hair expert and cosmetologist Ghanima Abdullah breaks down three specific hair highlight styles that don't benefit mature beauties. The first is bleach-blonde highlights or anything extremely unnatural. "You really want to avoid bleach blonde highlights," Abdullah says, noting that they can emphasize gray hairs and can even look like gray hair from afar.
Her next tip is to avoid ombre highlights— the ones that feature one solid color at the top of the head and gradually fade into another at the bottom of your hair. "Ombre tresses are another look that are just not for those over 50," Abdullah says. She explains that too many drastic color combinations can lead to fading and graying, which leads to the last style to avoid.
Abdullah's last highlight recommendation is skipping "chunky" highlights— a la Y2K vibes. "Most women, when they are starting to go grey, have grey hair in different spots of their heads," Abdullah says. "If you have chunky highlights of bleach-blonde or silver," she says, it will look uneven and might draw more attention to the aging features you're trying to downplay.
Highlight Recommendations
Who said anyone over 50 has to look boring? Abdullah recommends seeking a "dimensional" highlight style at the salon, meaning these use three or four different shades of your original color. "If your hair is brown, the stylist will use successively lighter colors of brown, sometimes going up to a golden blonde color, but never a bleach blonde," says Abdullah. The colors are applied sparingly in such a way as to increase the appearance of movement and volume. "Light will also filter through in the sunlight in a very attractive way. This is perfectly flattering for a woman over 50," she adds.
Gina Rivera, hairstylist, Phenix Salons owner and founder of the "By Gina" product line says that highlights are a great option for women over 50 if the right color matches your skin and features. "Highlights are always a great option to consider," Rivera says, "however, it’s important to consult with a salon professional to ensure that the correct shade is selected to match the skin tone and to avoid the look of being 'washed out'”.
A good guideline for mature beauties overall, Rivera notes, is to select a look that "softens the features." Face framing styles and layers are "great for this purpose," she explains, while long straight hair may sharpen the features rather than soften them.
"It’s important to keep in mind that each person is an individual, as are their features," Rivera says. "With this said, it’s best to work with a salon professional who is trained to look at facial shapes, as well as facial features, and can assist with selecting the right style."
Overall, selecting a new hairstyle or highlight color can seem daunting at first, but luckily we've found plenty of inspiration in speaking with stylists, looking to celebrity trends and knowing what styles make us feel the most beautiful. Anyone 50 and over deserves to feel stunning, and these tips for your locks can help you start 2022 off with a fresh new look!
