Short hair can be sassy, chic, sophisticated, and sexy — basically, it’s anything but boring. And if you’ve long been gray or are a recent convert to gray hair, you may also know that keeping your hair on the shorter side helps make it look healthy and more voluminous. But there’s a catch: short hair can’t often be pulled back into a ponytail on bad hair days. This means you’ll need a great cut to set you down the path of many great hair days that you have in your future.
If you’re thinking of making a big change from long to short, or want to spruce up your current short hair with something on-trend and ultra-flattering, here are five classic short haircuts for women over 50 with gray hair that look simply amazing.
The Bob
Every list of short haircuts tends to start with this ultimate classic style: the bob. The bob removes all excess weight and split ends from longer hair and leaves you with more blunt ends that make your hair look healthier and more voluminous. From there, you can add layers to this chin-length cut and personalize it so that those layers bring out your hair’s natural texture if you have waves or curls. You can add short bangs, curtain bangs, or choose the one-layer life and focus on getting your strands as shiny as possible, which gives you a super-chic look. Whichever way you choose to go with your bob, it’s one of the most sophisticated styles out there, and it elevates gray hair.
Angled Lob
Take the classic bob, give it a few inches of length so that it rest around your collarbone, and heighten the drama by angling your hair toward your face — you now have an angled lob that keeps its classic composure but adds a little bit of mystery to it, as well. This cut is fun, focuses the attention on your eyes, cheekbones, and jawline, and you can have a little extra fun adding highlights to the front layers for a little bit of a kick.
Pixie
Go bold or go home — that’s pretty much the mantra behind everyone’s favorite super-short cut: the classic pixie. The pixie is short in the back and on the sides, but retains some length on top. Just how much length it retains is up to you and your stylist. You can play around with a punky, spiky pixie, blow-dry the top to the side, and experiment with highlights to bring out this cut’s playfulness.
Mixie
Want to buck the classics just a little? Try a mixie on for size — this cut is a cross between a pixie and a mullet, so you can expect the back to be longer and the front to be shorter. This low-maintenance haircut provides movement on top and adds an instant dose of cool to everything you wear, from jeans and T-shirts to little black dresses.
Shoulder-Length Hair
You may not want to go super-short, and that’s okay: a shoulder-length haircut is a beautiful compromise because it removes split ends and make hair look healthier, but you can also pull it back into a ponytail or bun when the mood strikes you. Medium-length hair can be anything you want it to be. Add layers and curtain bangs for volume and movement, highlight facial features with angled layers, and pull it back into an elegant updo for special occasions. The possibilities are endless with medium-length hair.
