Too Old for Long Hair

Long hair for an older woman — Photo: Kinga/Shutterstock

Q: My hairdresser says that I’m too old for long hair. Is she trying to talk me into a short and less maintenance friendly hairstyle that will make her more money? How can you tell that you are too old for long hair? What objective signs would you look at to determine whether or not a woman is too old for long hair?

A: First off, I’m not a huge fan of telling a client that she’s “too old to wear long hair”. I understand that there are different hairdressing "personalities", just like you get different types of CEO’s, motivational speakers, writers, teachers, etc. Irrespective of the industry you work in, it all boils down to your leadership style and skills.

But I think it’s really important for hairdressers to remember that very large parts of your success as a stylist will depend on how good a psychologist you are to your clients. Yes, you read that correctly. If you’ve been in the industry long enough to know anything; it’s that clients start to feel comfortable with their hairdressers very quickly. They share their problems, happy times, loss, etc. with you… Make sure that you don’t abuse this kind of trust. And even more importantly; make sure that you DON’T talk down to your client. Ever.

Saying that someone is “too old for long hair” can be a very hurtful comment. And it is entirely based on personal opinion. If you strongly feel that someone would look better with shorter hair, (and yes, this is often the case), lead them to making that decision themselves. A good psychologist will never tell you what’s wrong with you. He/she will guide your thought pattern with the help of subliminal and subconscious prompts, so that you eventually figure out the basis of your problem, and ultimately the solution for yourself.

This exactly is what distinguishes a theoretically good stylist to a worldwide celebrated one. You can have the best talent, education, knowledge and experience in the whole hairdressing field. But if you don’t handle your clients with the care, trust and encouragement that they deserve, you’ll never reach the top.

Anyway, let’s get down to your question. I can’t tell you whether your stylist wants you to cut your hair to increase her own personal gain, or because she genuinely feels that you’d look better with shorter hair. Her intentions are probably sincere, but I don’t know her so I really can’t say. Here are some things to consider, though:

1. Hair density: If your hair is so thin and little that your scalp is shining through (especially at the top area), then it might be better to go shorter. Long hair is heavy and falls flat easily. This makes your scalp even more visible, which you generally don’t want.

2. If your hair’s structure is very fine, short hair is usually also the better option. Very fine hair tends to fall flat easily, gets greasy at the roots quickly, the ends of long fine hair tend to be brittle, etc. Fine hair tends to look better in shorter, slightly layered styles, but there are always exceptions on the rule.

3. Your hair’s texture plays a huge part. Fine straight hair usually looks better with shorter styles. Thick, curly hair is beautiful when it’s long and looked after. If you cut your curly hair too short, you might struggle to keep the curls under control.

4. Finally, straight and very fine hair usually doesn’t look good when it’s long. Mature women with this kind of style almost always look run-down and years older than they actually are. Because this kind of style looks flat, unhealthy and unkempt, your wrinkles will be much more pronounced, because there is nothing else that leads the attention away from this.

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