For women over 40, finding the perfect bob hairstyle can be a challenge. While there are a plethora of options available to conceal and tone down hair thinning, loss, and fine locks, there are also some styles that may draw unwanted attention to these aspects.
In fact, certain haircuts may actually highlight the problem and accentuate thinner hairlines, split ends, brittle tresses, and other common hair issues that may have gone unnoticed otherwise.
To help you avoid these mistakes, we consulted with top hair experts and stylists. We’ve compiled a list of five common bob mistakes to avoid this fall and some helpful tips on how to find a more flattering ‘do for yourself.
Read on for suggestions and insight from Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles and Dani Everson, professional hair stylist and owner of Clementine’s Salon.
Mistake #1. Getting A Bob With Baby Bangs
While this classic cut can provide an oomph of edginess to any hairstyle, Everson says that it could draw attention to wrinkles or other signs of aging with its forehead-baring look. Although baby bangs can work for those of us with an Audrey Hepburn-inspired style or Emma Roberts (as seen above), Everson says that this cut, which ends before your eyebrows, might have a different effect on mature beauties.
“I love bangs and think everyone has their own special length that enhances their features,” she says, adding that “No two bangs are the same,” and if you are looking to get bangs, “opt for a long hairstyle that will help hide forehead wrinkles.” This type of fringe, she says, can “overshare someone's wrinkle story,” drawing the eye to sagging skin rather than creating a look that has an upwards or lifting effect.
“The right length of bangs can help make someone's appearance youthful, but too short borders the line between baby-ish and also aging,” she says. Another solution to this style, Abdullah suggests, would also be curtain bangs, as they can be cut as long or as short as needed, with an ability to wear them parted or straight down.
2. Wearing A Super-Blunt Bob
While Taylor Swift looks great with this blunt style, Abdullah notes that these bangs are meant to cover your eyebrows, but they can inadvertently 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, 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 make you look older." She recommends trying out "flattering" curtain or wispy bangs instead that are lighter, more feathery and are meant to bring volume rather than weighing your look down.
3. Sporting A Mid-Neck Bob
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 Cate 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.
4. Cutting A Bob Without Layers
If you want to create movement and volume with your haircut, a one-length style will not have that effect, Abdullah stresses. While Scarlett Johansson looks stunning with her sleek 'do, this may have adverse effects on mature beauties who aim to recreate something similar. 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 short 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."
5. 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!
