Changing Face Shape

Bob haircut for older ladies
Photo: Stockyimages/Shutterstock
Q: Does your face shape change when you get older? The hairstyles that looked good on me when I was younger are no longer a good choice. Maybe because the shape of my face changed.
 
A: In a sense, yes, your face shape will change as you get older. Specifically, some features of the face will continue to grow as you age, as will the contours of your jaw line as the skin's elasticity and tonality begin to break down and it starts to sag.
 
In addition to sagging skin changing the contour of your jaw line, your nose and ears will continue to grow until you die. In many cases, the reason why a hairstyle ceases to look as good on you as you age is that these features have been gradually transforming and throw off the balance that was once created by the style.
 
For someone whose face was angular, aging could make the face appear more round, and therefore need different style elements to balance and flatter. Increases in the size of features like the nose and ears often call for asymmetrical elements to help diffuse the focus on these areas and play up those aspects of the look that are most youthful and most flattering.
 
Even the development of stronger lines and contours of the face around the mouth and at the corners of the eyes as we age must be considered. For example, a straight-styled blunt bob that falls to neck length will emphasize any vertical line or crease in the skin of the face. So, smile lines that form will be more pronounced and should be combated by adding some softness and wave into the style to take away as much of the vertical focus.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
The different face shapes
 
Look younger with short hair
 
Choosing a hairstyle for the mature woman
 
What elements in a hairstyle will take the focus away from my sagging face?