Nobody wants to fall into the trap of getting a haircut that isn’t flattering to their face shape or hair texture, and particularly as you grow older it’s natural to want a style that enhances your best features rather than drawing attention to your age. There are a number of cuts you can get that will highlight the cheekbones and mask the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but there’s one cut that falls above the rest in terms of being naturally flattering at any age.
We spoke with expert hair stylist and owner of House of Dear Hair Salon, Holly Dear, and celebrity stylist and founder of Curl Cult, Janine Jarman for their takes on the universally flattering anti-aging haircut, and it’s not the oh-so-classic pixie you may be expecting.
Face framing fringe
Depending on your face shape, getting some form of fringe or bangs is one of the best ways to enhance your cheekbones and best features for a naturally younger-looking appearance. "You want a cut that pulls your face up and [doesn't] focus on the areas of your face that have been pulled down by gravity or age," explains Dear.
Keeping your hair too long or all one length can begin to draw the eye down your face to wrinkles or sagging skin, so framing your face with layers can help to create the appearance of a lifted complexion. This will also add volume as well so your locks don't hang limply around your face (read about the highlighting technique perfect for women over 40!).
It's common for crow's feet and wrinkles to develop on the forehead and around the eyes as well, so getting a cut with fringe can help to cover these areas, hiding the features which can give away your age. "Fringe is a great way to start the framing around the eyebrow and cheekbones. That c curvature is the best way to highlight the face shape and bring out a more youthful look," adds Dear.
Styling this cut for maximum volume around the face is also essential for an uplifted appearance, so blow-drying your new fringe from side to side is an easy way to enhance the texture at the roots for a lifted look (the supplements you should take for thicker hair may surprise you!).
The biggest mistake you can make when getting a haircut as you age is selecting a style that only works to further accentuate sagging skin and wrinkles. "Focusing on the downward movement of the face shape, vertical panels, and width in the wrong places is what ages you," warns Dear. With this, avoiding single-length cuts as you age that merely hang around your face is one of the best ways to prevent your hair from making you look older than you are.
Although blunt cuts look "clean and pretty in theory," Jarman says, they are hard to maintain and offer no softness on faces over 50. "I suggest also avoiding stopping at an awkward length like right at the shoulders or something that cuts you off — so land either above the shoulders or generally below shoulders," she notes.
A pixie cut is also a good option as it does lift your features, but it simultaneously has the ability to reveal sagging skin and wrinkles so it can be helpful to speak with a hairstylist before making any major changes to tailor your cut to your face shape. As you age, fringe is ultimately one of the best ways to mask signs of aging, highlighting your best features while downplaying fine lines and wrinkles effortlessly.
