As we near the end of 2023 and reflect on the popular beauty and hair trends that ruled social media this year, a plethora of bobs, lobs, and shag cuts emerged as BeautyTok favorites. To ensure your look remains fresh, youthful, and on-trend for 2024, we sought expert advice from hairstylists on three dated haircuts that could unintentionally make you look older over 40, along with three effortless techniques to revitalize your haircut and make it more flattering for the upcoming year as you prepare to visit the salon.
We caught up with Gina Rivera, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites, Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles and Lauren Udoh, professional hair stylist and Hair Creative Director of WigReports for suggestions and insight.
3 Outdated Aging Haircuts And More Flattering Options
1. Middle-Parted, Chin-Length Bob
Abdullah points out that this look can often emphasize fine lines, wrinkles and signs of thinning hair on mature beauties, which may not be your intention. "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," she says regarding hair loss," she says.
If you're thinning in the crown of your head, a center part is going to draw attention to it." Abdullah continues, "This is because you're putting the part right in the same area."
Udoh agrees, and notes that a bob like this "can make someone look older if it is cut straight across and is not layered." This can give the "illusion of thinner hair, making someone look older," she adds.
Instead, Try An Asymmetrical Bob
Side-parted bobs evoke not only Old Hollywood, timeless glam— they also provide instant volume to short hair. As Abdullah points out, "in this manner, you can move the hair from one side to the other, as you wish."
The added hair going over, she says, as seen here on Rosamund Pike's more modern, fresh take, 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, make a short one instead so that the hair in front goes to either side of your face," she suggests.
"Then 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 says.
2. Bob or Lob with Blunt Bangs
Abdullah stresses that mature women often feel that a chin-length bob with blunt bangs can add years as it highlights signs of aging more than anything else.
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 bob emphasize every sign of age in the face, as they don't frame the face well," she explains.
Instead, she notes, "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 make you look older."
This, she continues, is because with blunt bangs, a bob cut "emphasizes the eye area, which might not look dewy." Then, it also draws eyes to the "the jaw area, an area that many of us struggle with as we age."
She says that there are much more flattering options out there, like wispy, trendy side bangs for 2024.
2. Instead, Try a Lob with Sideswept Bangs
Adding sideswept bangs to a layered bob or lob can "detract from the appearance of fine or limp hair and can add dimension to a style," according to Rivera. Fringe, as seen here on Emma Stone, can "be styled in a variety of ways which can lend to the hair appearing fuller."
In addition, soft, sweeping strands can also detract attention from any forehead wrinkles or age spots. This trick is also great for "hiding signs of thinning in the crown area," Abdullah adds, where many women notice thinning and hair loss.
3. Shag with Too Many Layers
While shag cuts are iconic, 70s-esque and trendy (and usually flattering for any face shape when paired with no-fail curtain bangs), adding too many layers can head into mullet territory.
Shags, Abudllah points out, can easily be cut to frame your face and best features, but adding a heavy amount of layers can often do the opposite. The worst haircut you can have if your goal is to look younger is having "too many layers," she explains.
Layers, when cut appropriately, can help to "add volume" and flow to your hair, "giving the appearance of fuller locks," she notes. Adding too many layers, on the other hand, she notes, "can make your hair appear even more limp than before."
Too much texturization in a hairstyle can make thin hair appear even thinner, rather than full, she warns. "While shags are fashionable, it's vital to avoid over-layering thin hair because it can make it difficult to work with and lifeless," she says.
Instead, Try a Delicate Shag with Curtain Bangs
Abdullah notes that the perfect shaggy style for the new year creates movement while also disguising thinness, particularly around the crown where many of us experience hair loss. Khloé Kardashian's wispy curtain bangs offer a subtle, creative way to camouflage this issue, Abdullah says.
She notes that a fringe like this is versatile, and can be parted in the center or worn down. They also "add length and volume so you don't have to spend hours styling." Abdullah adds that bangs like these "can be worn short or long, curled or straight," and that the key is to "keep the bangs long enough to cover the eyebrows and frame the face and eyes."
She explains that curtain bangs paired with a shag will "make your hair appear thicker, and are a great way to add volume to thinning hair." Rivera agrees and concludes that a shag like this is "also a great style for softening features," as it can take attention away from wrinkles, fine lines or age spots on the forehead as well.
Good to know for 2024!
