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It’s not just our clothes and makeup that make us look younger; the right hairstyle can also be crucial.
Celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith has worked with Geri Halliwell and Louise Redknapp and is so sought after that clients pay more than £1,000 for an appointment with him.
Here he reveals six ways hair ages – and how changing your hairstyle could cost you a decade…
1. Too short
Long, luscious locks are synonymous with youth, but women over 50 are traditionally encouraged to cut their hair shorter.
Part of this is due to social pressure on older women to stand out less. But there’s also a practical aspect: hair gets thinner as it ages, making it harder to wear for long, so the easy option is to cut it off.
However, innovations in maintaining hair thickness and health mean that it does not have to become thinner as you age.
The drug minoxidil, which can be applied topically (available over-the-counter in products such as Regaine) or prescribed orally, has proven effective in treating hereditary hair loss in men and women.
However, once you start using it, you should continue to get the results.
Calecim is another topical treatment that uses growth factors and proteins that send messages to the body to stimulate hair growth.
Hairstylist Tom Smith has worked with stars such as Geri Halliwell and Louise Redknapp
2. The edge factor
The jawline becomes less defined with age and the face tends to become squarer. You want something to compensate for that – and for most women over 50, that’s not a blocky edge.
A smooth, soft shake from the forehead to the cheekbone can work well to create curves that counteract any angularity and soften the face. Known as the French girl bangs or bottleneck bangs – think Margot Robbie or Brigitte Bardot – the hair slopes and frames the face.
If you’re struggling with frizzy, unruly hair, you can also look into the new generation of permanent or Brazilian blow dryers that can only be used on bangs.
3. Underconditioned
Women over 50 have to work harder to keep their hair looking shiny. I always recommend an in-salon Olaplex treatment as a base, but I also really like the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (from £21, philipkingsley.co.uk), a pre-shampoo treatment that is phenomenal at softening coarse, coarse, gray hair and imparting the suppleness and shine that youthful hair has.
You should also look into upgrading your conditioner with a hydrating mask. I like Evo’s The Great Hydrator Mask (£11.45, allbeauty.com), but any mask for shine or hydration is a good option.
I tell all my clients to apply an oil or serum to the ends of their hair before going to bed. The hair does not feel greasy in the morning, but it is shiny and less prone to tangles and breakage.
4. Too light
When brunettes go gray, there is a lot of pressure on them to lighten their hair, because a lighter color contrasts less with the gray.
But when being a brunette is part of your identity, it can feel strange and unnatural. It also often means you end up with cooler, asymmetrical shades that aren’t flattering on your skin.
Instead, I recommend going for a warmer color – look for golden tones rather than silver tones, and rich shades of honey, caramel, chestnut and coffee. These illuminate the face in a flattering way, because warm tones reflect more light.
5. Block color
Hair is naturally multitonal, but if you dye it yourself at home you can easily get thick layers of overlapping colors in a solid block. This often looks flat and one-dimensional.
Ideally, you want contrast to make your hair look thicker and more vibrant.
Changing your hairstyle could cost you ten years (photo by model)
Box colors often recommend applying color to the roots and upper mid-lengths and then, ten minutes before rinsing, applying to the ends so that they are a bit lighter, as they would naturally be. In the salon I use a lighter shade around the face, where the gray tends to cluster.
If you’re touching up roots between appointments at home, consider using two shades: one that’s no darker than the darkest part of your natural hair color at the roots, and another lighter around the hairline.
6. Stop backcombing
Volume is a sign of health and youthfulness of the hair, but if you get it through backcombing, heated rollers and big blow-dryings, that artificial volume at the roots can look older and dated.
Instead, aim for volume in the middle – with clip-in pieces, hair fillers and texturizing sprays. Trinny Woodall, 60, understands this well. She wears her hair voluminous at the bottom, rather than lifted at the top, and it looks really good.
You can also use a curling iron to add some shape to the mid-sections, as curls not only thicken the hair but also add movement.
- As told to Claire Coleman