Long Hair on an Older Woman

Attractive older woman with long hair — Photo: Shutterstock

There has always been an unwritten law: long hair for women under 30, and short hair or a bob for women over 30. It is said that long hair on an older woman (around 40) makes the face look long and horse-like. Almost as if the hair is dragging the features downward, as if gravity doesn't have enough to do!

Whoever came up with that description was way off. We only have to look at actresses 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 hair down to their waist.

Long ago, somewhere in the past (I think it was the 1990s) it was decided that women over 40 did not look good with long ponytails running down their backs. So people like Sharon Stone were heading to the salon to have their hair shortened. And, as with Sharon Stone, she came out looking gorgeous, and so followed younger actresses like Winona Ryder and Reese Witherspoon.

But how difficult is it to cut off one's locks when hair extensions are so readily available these days? One day it's short, the next day it's longer, until one wonders, "Has it really been that long since they got their hair cut?"

As we all know, long hair takes a long time to grow. Statistics say that our hair, if healthy, grows half an inch per month, so about six inches a year. That can seem like a long time when you make the commitment to cut your hair shorter after 30. But more and more women need more time to get their kids to school and themselves to work, so it is either cut their hair or wear it up every day, and that just isn't an option for most with long hair; they will tell you that 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 (which I agree with), and reserved. It is said that older women with short hair are very serious about life and are able to take whatever comes their way. Maybe that is why older women are so confident when they make the commitment to cut their hair.

Hairstyles for older women - Photos and ideas — Photos via Canva

Cutting one's hair after a certain age can also be symbolic. The most recent voluntary shearing I am aware of is to help cancer patients who lose their hair after chemotherapy. 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.

However, 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, and even how healthy they are; thus, 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 say that more and more women over 30 are cutting their hair to stay stylish. As our world becomes more hectic, we have less time to primp or style our hair. Hand over the pomade and heat up the blow dryer; I have ten minutes to get to work!

By Susan | Updated May 07, 2023 | ©Hairfinder.com