Tailoring your haircut to your face shape and unique features is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting a flattering cut every time, and especially as you grow older it can help to add some youth to your look by getting a particularly well-shaped style. With this, it’s often difficult to know which cuts will enhance your natural beauty and allow you to look great without requiring hours of styling each day to achieve the desired look. We spoke with hairstylist Jess Poynter who outlined her top four low-maintenance cuts to try as you age in order to look pulled together and chic with as little effort as possible, so take notes before your next hair appointment.
Face Framing Bob
For those with fine hair who are looking for an effortless cut that takes minimal time to style, a blunt bob with face framing layers will be one of the best looks to try, according to Poynter. “The bluntness in the overall perimeter is the key to this cut,” she notes. “This gives the illusion of fullness throughout. Then, playing around with varying face framing lengths gives the feeling of layers throughout the hair.” As for inspiration for this cut, Helen Mirren is one star who has nailed this look for years and always looks ageless.
A Textured Lob
Shag cuts and highly textured styles have become increasingly popular over the last year, and the good news is they can look great on ladies of all ages. “These are reserved for the lucky women that have oodles of hair and need to remove weight in a fun way,” explains Poynter. “These cuts are really fun because they offer a lot of styling versatility—wearing your hair straight or curly.” Poynter suggests looking at “The Rachel” or a Lisa Rinna-esque cut if you’re in need of some celebrity inspo to take with you to the salon. The moral of the story: the choppier, the better.
Piecey Pixies
If you’re inclined to go for a more extreme chop, opting for a piecey pixie cut will eliminate much of the styling time while consistently looking impossibly chic. “While you don't have to go super super short on the sides, incorporate a style that leaves you longer on top to give a more youthful styling,” says Poynter. “It's easy to maintain style wise, but you'll have to go into the salon for regular cuts, at least around the ears and at the nape.” For ladies with high cheekbones and sculpted jaws, this cut will draw attention to your best features, allowing you to look timeless and stunning.
Longer Fringe
Bangs are an excellent style to opt for as you begin to age, especially as this cut can help to hide the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that may have begun to develop on the forehead or around the eyes. A tapered bang that falls slightly longer on the ends and blends well into the rest of your hair will look especially ageless. “Anything with a little bit of fringe a la Zooey Deschanel,” Poynter says of a universally flattering cut that works for most face shapes and hair textures. “Ideally the goal for seasoned haircuts should be softening the face. By implementing either face-framing or all-over layers, the eye is drawn to multiple places,” she adds. “These techniques create a softer appearance around the face instead of hard lines, which can make us appear older.”
