Long Hair on an Older Woman
There has always been that unwritten law, long hair for gals under 30, short or bob
for ladies over 30. It is said that long hair on an older woman, (40ish), makes the face
look long and horse like. Almost as if the hair is dragging the features downward, like
gravity hasn't got enough to do! And who ever came up with that description was way
out in left field. We only have to look at actors like Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman
to see that long locks can be worn at any age and women over 30 can look beautiful
with tresses down to their as ... .
Long ago, somewhere in the past, (I think it was the 90's) it
was decided that women over 40 don't look that great with long
ponytails running down their backs. So people like Sharon
Stone were heading to the salon to have their dos shortened
up. And, as with Sharon Stone, she came out looking gorgeous,
and so followed younger actors like Winona Rider and Reese Witherspoon.
But how hard is it to chop off your locks when hair extensions
are so readily available these days? One day it's short, next
day longer, until you say, "Gee, has it been that long since
she got her hair cut?"
As we all know, long hair takes a long time to grow out. Statistics say that our hair,
if healthy, grows 1/2 inch per month, so about 6 inches a year. That can seem like a
long time when you make the commitment to shorten your hair after 30. But more and
more women are needing more time to get kids to school and themselves to work, so
it is either cut the hair or wear it up everyday, and that just isn't an option as most
with long hair will tell you, it's not that easy to wear a ponytail with everything!
Also, It is such a stereotype that older women with short hair are
stuck up, intimidating/intelligent (that I agree with), and reserved.
It is said that older women with short hair are very serious about
life and able to take what comes their way.
Maybe that is why older women are so confident when they make
the commitment to cut their hair.
Cutting one's hair after a certain age can also be symbolic. The
most recent voluntary sheering I am aware of is to help cancer
patients who lose their hair after chemo. Most middle aged women
can stand to part with their hair as they realize that it is only hair
and that it will grow back, but younger women are more prone to
depression if they even think about cutting their long hair, as their
hair is still an important part of who they are, how they look, even down to how healthy
they are, so it is much harder for a younger woman to part with her hair.
It takes a very courageous young woman to donate her beautiful long locks to a person
ravaged by cancer. But when you can see how those beautiful wigs transform these
patients it is well worth the loss.
I would have to say that more and more women over 30 are cutting their hair to stay
stylish. The more hectic our world becomes theless time we have to primp or style our
hair. So hand over the pomade and heat up the blow dryer, I have ten minutes to get to work ...!
JW ©hairfinder.com
Photo: OSTILL is Franck Camhi/Shutterstock.com
See also:
A look at long hair and the older woman
Choosing a hairstyle for a mature woman
Hair and the aging woman
Look younger with short hair
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