Hairstyles to Look Younger

Woman who looks young with short hair — Photo: Shutterstock

Women all over are always looking for ways to stay looking younger as they grow older. Some women are fortunate in that the sands of time seem to slow or even stop when it comes to their appearance. Many people work hard and make careful choices to help maintain a more youthful appearance. Because of this, one of the most common questions I get from clients is: "What is the best hairstyle for an older woman to help her look younger?"

The answer is, unfortunately, not a cut-and-dried situation. There is no “one” hairstyle that will magically make every woman look younger. There is a variety of simple guidelines and tips that generally help women minimize the visible signs of aging. So, let's look at some common aging issues (and the mistakes women make) and hairstyle tips that will help combat them.

Aging Issue: Lines, Common Mistake: Too Much Curl

SOLUTION: Soft Curves and Waves

Curly hairstyles are terrific for many situations. They can help draw attention away from too-prominent or over-large features, and can be easy to care for and quick to style. For many women, as they grow older, developing creases and prominent lines in their face, a curlier style with a lot of movement or sharply defined curls can make these lines stand out.

Dana Delany hairstyles — Dana Delany - Photo: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Dana Delany hair — Dana Delany - Photo: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

Dana Delany haircut — Dana Delany - Photo: Tinseltown/Shutterstock

As an example, let’s look at the images of Dana Delany here. In the first photo, we see Ms. Delany with a neck-length, layered cut styled with lots of curls. The hair has lots of clearly defined twists and turns, and it is almost as if the lines of the curl are echoed in her face, accentuating each other.

However, in the subsequent photos, we see that the longer hair with a focus on waves and sweeping curves instead of curls creates a balancing effect that minimizes the appearance of age lines. Just remember that going too far in the opposite direction will make an equally bad mistake.

Of the three looks Dana Delany is shown wearing, the most flattering and the one that makes her look youngest is the second photo, as it is a softer, curvy style that breaks up the lines of the face. The latter photo is not as harsh as the first, but the long, straighter styling creates strong lines of its own, which further enhance the lines of the face.

Aging Issue: Gray Hair and Fine Wrinkles, Common Mistake: Color Choices

SOLUTION: Soft Color

As people age, one of the common accompanying effects is the graying of the hair and the development of fine lines around the eyes and mouth. The first is usually immediately addressed by attempting to cover the colorless hair with a color that matches the rest of the hair which still has pigment.

Unfortunately, what happens is that the color is deposited on both unpigmented and pigmented hair. The unpigmented hair may return to its previous level of color, but the already colored hair usually becomes darker still.

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