There is no such thing as “no” when it comes to hair or makeup. If the style you’ve been sporting for years works for you, there’s no reason you should change it, even if you see something like “overly long hair” appear on lists like this one. These tips are very general and include nine haircuts and hairstyles that many beauty and hair experts agree may not be the best choices for everyone if one of your goals is to look fresher and more youthful and radiant. If that isn’t a goal of yours, that’s great too. And if you just don’t feel your best with short hair and feel more like yourself with hair that is blunt or way past your shoulders or very dark and sans highlights, then that’s the look that’s right for you.
Hair is personal and there’s no one way to wear yours. But if you feel like your hair isn’t serving you exactly the way you want it to, it might make sense to avoid these nine haircuts and styles and swap them for other ideas.
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Hair Cut Into a V-Shape in the Back
When your hair is cut into layers that form a V-shape in the back, the effect can be thinning and even stringy. This is because your stylist isn’t leaving you with enough hair density at the bottom of your hair to appear thicker and healthy.
The solution is to stick to a baseline blunt cut with long layers. The layering should happen above the baseline of your hair to keep from looking too wispy at the ends.
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Blunt Bob
A blunt bob is one of those classic haircuts that can really go either way: if your hair isn’t super fine or thin, it can be one of the chicest styles you sport. It can bring out the shine in your hair and hair color, thanks to the continuity of your strands. But on finer or thinning hair, a blunt bob can just sit there and look lifeless.
If something’s not completely right with your blunt bob, ask your stylist to add a few face-framing layers that give your hair movement and put the focus on your facial features.
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Flat Roots
You can wear your hair long, short, or in a medium style, but if your roots are flat as a board, the effect can be aging. Flat roots are very common with thinning hair, but also on certain hair types like fine and straight.
Use a root-lifting spray and learn how to lift your roots with a blow dryer and round brush or even a diffuser if you have a natural wave or curl. With more volume at the crown, your hair will automatically look more youthful.
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Extremely Long Hair
Gone are the days when women over 50 couldn’t wear long hair without being chastised for doing so. One look at countless celebs with mature hair that remains long tells you there is no age where you have to book that hair salon appointment and get a major chop. With that said, hair that is excessively long and lacks layering to break up that length runs the risk of making you look older or dragging your facial features downward. Sticking to a length that isn’t much longer than your shoulder or right below it can help — as can strategic layering.
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Super-Short Pixie Cuts
Super-short pixies with no longer layers can appear a bit harsh and severe, which may not be what you’re going for with your hairstyle The pixie itself is a classic that never goes out of style, and it’s an excellent choice if your hair is mature or thinning. But keeping a few longer layers at the top helps soften your look and opens up many more styling possibilities for you.
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Very Dark, One-Dimensional Hair Color
Natural brunettes often have a hard time with this one: it’s not that you have to turn into a blonde bombshell when you reach 50, it’s just that one-dimensional overly dark hair can look flat and emphasize every single spot on your skin. The answer isn’t to go super light, unless you’re in the mood to experiment. If you can work with your colorist and lighten your base 1-2 shades or add warm highlights or balayage the lighter color can really help create depth and dimension — making your hair look fuller.
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Wispy Layers
Wispy layers are what they wound like: they’re more airy and are designed to remove weight from the hair and allow it to move more freely. This can be a wonderful look if you have dense hair and can spare some of its weight. But it isn’t always the best choice for mature women whose hair may be thinning out a bit. Go for layers that have a blunt end instead and ask your stylist to angle some of them toward your face.
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Blunt Bangs
We love bangs on mature women because they can add so much chicness to any hairstyle. But a square-shaped blunt bang can make a face look more harsh with its severe angles. Keep the bangs, but ask your stylist to soften them with layering — or consider a curtain bang that starts off shorter in the front and gradually gets longer.
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Split Ends
It’s not a haircut, but rather a tip for the ages. The minute you see split ends at the bottom of your hair, book an appointment for a trim or proper haircut. No matter how fervently certain hair products claim they can repair split ends, this just isn’t possible. Split ends are split — period. They need to be cut off to keep hair healthy and growing in a healthy way. Save the nourishing products — but use them as preventative care to fend off split ends after you get a great haircut.
