Long hair over 40?

B

Bunbun

Cathlete
Anyone over 40 have long hair? I've toyed with long hair a few times in the past couple of years, but both times got convinced by my hairdresser to go back to chin length: long hair ages you, long hair is too hard to take care of--you have to really blow it out or else you're stuck wearing it tied back.... Honestly, though, my usual chin-length hair looks good when it's freshly cut or the weather is perfect. But if it's hot and humid in the summer, it just hangs there (even if we've cut layers into it to counteract that), and in the winter, as soon as the heat goes on, my hair is either full of static or else flat and lifeless cause it's too cold out not to wear a hat or a hood. So I think: What's the point of going to a chin-length style when 3/4ths of the time, my hair would look better pulled back anyhow? !

Anyone else have an opinion on this? I recently grew my hair to almost shoulder length and was determined to keep it that way this time around--but wound up being talked into the old chin length again. I'm kind of regretting it.
 
Nubnub, IMHO if it's okay to be bald over 40 it's certainly okay to have long hair over 40.

Screw what the hairdresser says. If you want it, go for it.

A-Jock
 
Ditto what Annette said, but why limit yourself to 2 choices? Have you considered going short and shaggy? I think short hairstyles are sexy and pretty and are more likely to maintain body than longer hair.

Michele
 
Hi Bunbun,

I don't have long hair myself, but a colleague of mine who is about my age (44) has long hair. She keeps the length about midway between her shoulders and her waist. It has always looked beautiful and gives her a certain class that I don't think she'd have with shorter hair. Go for it!!

Stebby
 
I'm 49 and I have long hair. It's probably 4 or 5 inches below my shoulders. It's curly though, and has a kind of style to it, as opposed to just long hair hanging there. I say long hair isn't about your age, it's about what looks good on you... your face shape, etc. If you look good with long hair, then by all means wear it that way!
 
LOL..I really do need to change my user name to Nubnub. Tried my hair really short at one point--wasn't crazy about how it looked.

Anyhow, you're right, Ajock--screw what anyone else thinks. Was just wondering if anyone here over 40 has long hair and is happy with how it looks.
 
Probably depends. . .what doesn't;-) I have had short hair for the longest time and now it is just below chin length (if I pull hard!). I discovered that this length as opposed to short gives me a less harsh, angular look to my face. i think after 40 (I'm 49) the fat starts to move downwards :eek: ! I am trying to grow it to shoulder length to see how it looks and figure i can always cut it, but for my fine, thin hair any longer than that is out. it looked great in the 70s, though:D
 
Thin/fine is my problem too. Too short, it's too flat. Too long it's too flat. But shoulder length could be fun, I'm thinking.

JeanneMarie: One of my friends had hair like yours--I was always so jealous!
 
I have very long hair maybe a few inches away from my butt. I will be 40 in May and I plan on keeping it long too. Like everyone else says do what you want to do. I really don't find it hard at all and to come to think about it I think it is eaiser with longer hair just the fact like you said in the heat you can just pull it up where if you have short hair the humid weather it just looks awful, oh do I remember that. I use to have shoulder length hair about 5 years ago so I know.
 
In my late 30's, I let my hair grow long, and was determined to get it to waist length by 40. I got tired of it by the time it hit mid-back, so cut it really short (actually hacked most of it off myself in a "shag" cut: just put it in a ponytail on top of my head and cut. Then went to the hairdresser to get it evened out).

Some older women look fine with long hair, but it depends on face shape and hair types ( most of the ones I'm thinking of are ethnic: hispanic mostly).

If you hair looks better pulled back, then you should wear it at a length that allows you to pull it back.

I remember my grandma, up to her death at 89, wore her hair waist length, but usually would braid it and wrap it around her head.
 
I am well over forty, and my hair is quite long. I have had long hair my entire life, and I don't know what I would do without it. I don't think that my long hair ages me, and I just put it up in ponytail in the hot and humid weather. I am going to be a very old lady who has long hair.
 
Barbara and Caitlin: Do you wash your hair every day? Great pics, by the way!

I have one Cuban friend and an Israeli friend--both have long, gorgeous, curly hair. I also used to know someone with hair like yours, Caitlin--she put some sort of cranberry rinse in it and it looked very exotic. Don't know if I could pull that off, though.

You know, this has got me thinking about how sometimes I really really hate "rules." I'm a huge fan of What Not to Wear, but it really tends to irritate me that they hardly ever show anything creative with long hair, other than cut it off for a dramatic "makeover" effect. Not that the cuts look bad, but I think it's really limiting to just dismiss long hair that way.
 
I always have envied old (really old) women who wear their hair in a bun or braided in an old fashioned style. Not terribly original, but so traditional and it makes me think of all kinds of books I read when I was little about women/grandmas/great grandmas like that.

I think you should wear your hair how you want to wear it- not what some hair stylist suggests, unless you really like and trust them!

You're right about WNTW, Bun Bun!
 
Hi Bunbun...just love that name. I thought it was so funny to see this thread as I'm 41 and just got 8" cut off yesterday. It's about shoulder length now. I say grow it if that's what you want to do..absolutely!! I did and I got it cut because I wanted a change and I love it. I also went blonder with the highlights in my reddish blond color. I really went for it so I'm excited about this topic...haha.

I think hair stylists tend to like us to keep shorter hair when there is damage to the hair and not so much about age. There are so many beautiful women here that have long hair that is beautiful and healthy.

JMHO...but I say grow it out if YOU want to. It's fun to change things up, isn't it? And if your stylist isn't supportive...get a new stylist and have fun.
 
I'm 37...close enough. I have long hair. See avatar pic. I think it looks fine on anyone over 40. It just depends on the person. Some people just look better with short hair. :)
 
Hi bunbun, cute name:). I maybe wash my hair about 5 times a weeks depending if I excerise that day. If I do weights 1 day I don't but If i do a cardio then yes I do. When I had shoulder length hair I did wash every day just because with layers it just needs to be style. HTH:)
 
>Good point, lisaannjam. Longer hair can go much longer
>between trims, too...

Hi Amy...just had to say how I admire all of your hard work and I really enjoyed and was inspired by your beautiful pictures!! Hope it's okay that I went a little off topic..smile...smile.:)
 
Thanks, all. The name is actually my BF's nickname for me. :}
I like the way my hair looks now, but I really think I'm going to grow it out again and see how I like it. I was starting to have fun and actually messing wiht trying to style it before I cut it off last month. Am not terribly skilled in doing my own hair, so it was all an experiment of sorts. Should be fun, though.

Oh, Amy, I LOVE the kitty pics. My cat was a tuxedo, too. I wound up digging around for all his old photos, especially the ones where he was sitting on top of my head or chest, snoring.
 
My hair is so dark that I don't know if a cranberry rinse would even show in it. I try to wash my hair every day, and, if I don't, the ends will get stringy. I do get my ends trimmed about every three months. I am trying to grow my hair down to my waist, and it isn't that difficult to care for as it is on the straight side. I wouldn't allow anybody to cut my hair, and it is like a security blanket to me.
 
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