An unflattering haircut or hairstyle can instantly age you. And the biggest challenge with this beauty “don’t” is that it sometimes takes so little to go from polished, sophisticated, and modern to dated. At the same time, these small mistakes are fairly easy to rectify. Doing things just slightly different may be all it takes to go from outdated to outrageously gorgeous.
If you’ve been feeling like something is “off” with our hairstyle, but you can’t put your finger on the issue, it may just be that you’re sporting an unflattering hairdo that isn’t making the most of your facial shape, skin, and features. These are some of the most unflattering hair styles, especially for women over 40, because they can instantly age you.
Updos With Cascading Curls
Admit it: every time you put your hair up in an elegant bun or French twist, the temptation to leave a few pieces out always nags you until you do it. That’s okay! A few loose strands can look elegant and chic. But here’s where things start to take a turn for the ‘90s (and not always in a good way): if you’re grabbing the nearest curling iron and achieving perfect curled pieces that cascade in the front of your face, you’re unearthing an old-fashioned hairstyle that may age you just a bit and make you look out of touch.
The simple solution is to keep that curling iron in your bathroom cabinet and let strands fall naturally if you want to leave a few loose. Or experiment with sleek updos that gather all of your hair up and away from your face.
Perfect Curls
Curls and waves are actually incredibly youthful and will automatically make your hair look thicker. Bring on ALL of the curls and waves you want, but here’s the caveat: if they’re so perfect that one curl is practically identical to the next one, the effect could be a little TOO perfect. And perfection creates this feeling of trying too hard — and trying too hard can actually make you look less youthful and refreshed. Give your curls and waves a bit of unpredictable texture with a few brush strokes and texturizing spray to make your hair look more modern.
Long, Straight Hair
You can and should keep your long hair if that’s the style you love most. And you needn’t go and curl your straight hair because you feel like it’s not doing anything to make thinning or fine hair look thicker and fuller. But if you are sporting really long, really straight hair AND it’s showing signs of thinning, you could be aging yourself unnecessarily. Keep your hair long and straight, but add layers that provide movement and volume. You can also experiment with root-lifting sprays and mousse to give fine hair a boost.
Teased Helmet Hair
A lot of us want more volume in our hair. This can be faked in a few ways, including using root-lifting sprays and even teasing the hair a bit at the crown. But the key words here are “a bit” at the crown — when you tease your hair too much, neglect to comb it through, and then just plaster it in place with tons of hair spray, you are going to get a dated retro look that can be aging. This is a great look to rock if you’re actually aiming for something vintage. But if your goal was to keep your hair from getting flat, reach for mousse before hair spray and only use hair spray as a last finishing touch to keep a light hold on your hairstyle.
These four hairstyles can be unflattering, but the solutions are so simple and can modernize your ‘do in a matter of minutes.
