Hair length help

I change my hair often, going from mid back to a short bob or even a pixie cut. My hair grows fast so makes change easy. I've been told I look good with any hair style but I don't know if that because people see me in so many different ones over the years.

My MIL has had the same hair for decades.

I'll be 52 in one week. I keep it long and usually straight, often putting it up for work.
Sometimes I curl it. I like it long enough to put a bun up high on my head.

Every couple of years I get sick of it and cut it to a chin length bob and start all over.

I don’t think “women of a certain age” should necessarily wear their hair short. Many older women look great with longer hair.

I wear mine short because it’s thin and fine and I feel short looks best on me. There are lots of shorter styles, though. It’s important to frond one that works with your face. Right now I have heavy sideswept bangs and a textured cut and I feel this looks more feminine and prevents me from looking like a mom in the 90s with her short hair curling-iron styled like a helmet. 😂 I’m also meticulous about regular cuts and color so it doesn’t look shaggy and unkempt.

I’ve had pixie cuts at 3 times in my life - my early 20s, my early 30s, and now in my late 40s/early 50s. In between times it’s been anywhere from chin length to mid-back. I likely won’t grow it out again. I like the ease of the shorter cut a lot. I’ll just change the style periodically so it looks fresh and modern.

(The thinness bothers me a lot, so I’m taking a finasteride/minoxidil combo pill in the hopes that it at least doesn’t get any worse.)

I agree with Merge about hair length. Wear it however you want. My hair is usually in a pony or a clip. Or both. I am 73. This length works for me.

I’m struggling with this right now. I’ve been bald (chemo) and had my hair a bit past my shoulders but never really long. Right now it’s just to my collarbone. My biggest issue is bangs. I wore them for many years but during Covid grew them out. Now I see photos and all I see is forehead. I’ve lost about 40 pounds since July and my face is sagging terribly. I look like I’m well into my 70s…I’ll be 62 in March. I don’t know what to do with my hair. I haven’t colored it in three years and actually like my natural color and the gray I have. 

Mine has been long for a long time. I wore a pixie pretty much until I was 20. After growing it out, I realized I was lazy about my hair and really hated going in all of the time.

I typically have it around mid back, and until a few years ago, it wouldn't get longer than a couple of inches past my bra strap. A year before covid it suddenly started growing longer and hit waist length. I cut it to just below my shoulders and donated it. I've grown and donated 2 more times since then, and its long enough to be donated again.

I have bangs and hair that is just below my jaw line. Long hair annoys me when I lie down. I have has it this length for years.

When I was in my 20s I tried a pixie cut. My cousin told me he would call me George with that hair style/length.
That convinced me that the look was not good for me. My hair is fine with no body.

Look in the mirror and ask yourself which style you like wearing the best. For me, I keep mine long and I am starting year 5 of menopause. Short hair on me makes me look so much older. I agree with @merge and think many older women do look better with longer hair. I guess by longer hair I mean the hair that is shoulder length or longer. We were just told that we had to cut it when we had babies, when we aged, whatever. The rules for aging have changed a lot since I was younger. If short hair would make you feel better with your hot flashes, try that. If you don't like it grow it out. My hair seems to grow pretty fast and hasn't lost a lot of thickness, so I keep it longer.

When I decided to stop coloring my hair a few years ago it was very short. I ended up growing it out because it looked so bad short with my mix of gray/dark. My hair is silver white surrounding my face and gets progressively darker as it gets to the back. I currently wear it in a chin length bob, no fringe. I get it cut at about 8 weeks and it usually hitting shoulders by then. This cut works perfectly with my color and it actually highlights the ombré effect.

I say wear your hair how you enjoy it. I see women everyday, young and old, wearing unflattering styles/colors for them. But it's not my head, so I feel no need to rain on their parade. Now, if some asked for my unvarnished opinion, I would tell them the times I thought they looked best and leave it to them to decide if they want to go back to that look.

My SIL has beautiful red curly hair. It's faded from dark red to almost strawberry as we approach 60. She always gets a wild hair to cut it short and wear it straight. It's not an option for her. It's beautiful when it's curly and suits her. I tell her all the time her curls are beautiful. But we always want what we don't have. I'll never have curls, which I covet.

That makes me mad on your behalf. Why do men feel entitled to judge women’s hair if it is anything other than long and a natural color? I get so tired of the idea that we exist to look the way some man expects us to look. It’s pure misogyny.

Your cousin was an asshole and your hair was probably cute that way.

It's my opinion that hair length should be based on your hairs texture and the shape of your face more so than your age. Currently my hair is a few inches above my shoulders cut into a trendy bob style. I think this style makes my hair look full and healthy while keeping me looking current. It's also a cut that is easy for me to style and gives me some options for different looks.

I have a Pinterest board that I pin photos of hairstyles I like and then show them to my stylist. While we are both happy with my current style/cut we do change up the length based on the seasons or my mood LOL. Photos are so helpful when deciding on a new style.


PS - It'll be a cold day in hell when my DH thinks he can dictate my hairstyle. Thank god he's happy when I'm happy!