Long hair on older women

I think long hair softens your face and makes you look younger, to the OP I reckon the people advising you to get it cut are probably envious.

I personally keep mine short because it is thin and wiry and it's the only way I can keep it looking tidy and smart but if I had thick lustrous hair and my arthritic shoulders, neck, wrists and fingers could handle styling it I would wear it long

Luckily,I have always had long,thick,curly hair and at the age of 61,just a few greys.Recently had it cut to collar length purely because I could no longer manage to wash my long hair,due to health problems.I hate it!
My dear great-gran died at the age of 86 with her beautiful white hair still at waist length.This was unusual then,back in the sixties-most older ladies had succumbed to the short perm and weekly set,highlighting their thinning hair.
If you love your long hair,keep it!There are many ways to style it,layers can flatter your face.I say keep your crowning glory.

I posted two pictures on Facebook and asked people if they preferred my hair long or short. I got 13 to 1 in favour of short. So last Friday I had it cut from below my shoulders to just below my ears. I hate it and wish I had trusted my feelings and kept it long. So I would say have it how you want it, take no notice of what anyone else says!

I have never really enjoyed "fussing" about hair and looks, however now that I am now longer a firm and sleek looking "spring chicken" I find I would prefer to look "acceptable" rather than bag lady. Hate the idea of spending a fortune on hairdressers so have come up with the following scheme - I use hairdressing colleges/model for apprentice/hairdressing courses at local college - all good sources of cheap and supervised haircare. They are often glad to have people to use but it does tend to be a bit slow and time consuming sometimes.

I remember my grandmother with her long grey hair in a bun and she looked so pretty. My mum had short permed hair which was the style for older women in the 60's and 70's. Mine is short because it is easier to manage but I know one or two women in their sixties who have lovely long hair. It's what you feel happy with and thank goodness these days we have all the products to look after our hair.

I've had short hair since being a teenager but when my daughter announced her engagement I decided to grow it for the wedding, giving me nearly a year. I got through all the annoying in-between stages and by the time the wedding came round it was shoulder length and I was feeling very feminine and 'Mamma Mia'.

The wedding came and went and I started to wear my hair up as it got very annoying. I realised that if I was wearing it up all the time there was no point in having it long so I decided to have it cut short again.. What a relief!!

The lady sitting opposite me at the hairdressers said it was like the years dropping away as the hair got shorter. Which made me feel great. I'll not grow it again. I have a short, layered style with a fringe. I have it cut every 6 weeks and can just run my finger through it to style it. Couldn't be easier.

I suppose it depends what you are used to and what suits you personally. I can understand if you've had long hair all your life it must be traumatic to think of cutting it. Perhaps trying a short wig on to get the effect would help.

I have my hair long and I dye it to my old natural colour a few times a year when the grey gets too much. It lasts longer in the summer as the sun bleaches it and the grey shows less. I haven't been to a hairdresser for years. I have a few trust issues too and I can't really afford it so I cut my own fringe and DD gives the rest a trim when it gets really ratty at the ends. I like to keep it long enough to clip up when I'm hot in the summer but not so long that the style doesn't work when up. I've never been happy with my hair short so I'll probably continue as I am despite inccreasing age.

I am 74 and love my long, grey hair, short hair does not suit me.

Marcy, you look beautiful! I like the longer wig.

Wow coolgran your hair is gorgeous I have my hair because it used to be very heavy. I have an appointment with haidresser tomorrow and I think I am going to copy you mine is a bit like yours but it doesn't look as glamorous. I haven't gone grey good genes none of my aunts or uncles are grey. I have highlights and lowlights in it as the dark colour doesn't suit me anymore. I have it trimmed every 5 weeks I have a brilliant hairdresser local to and she is very reasonably priced. So enough about me we should wear our hair how we want and our clothes too I love the sixties fashion and Orla kiely shoes plus Clarks have a new sixties range called swixties totally gorgeous if only I could buy the lot I would

I don't like hanging down long hair on older women. Smacks of hankering after lost youth.

So there!

It's down to personal choice I've had longer hair in the past but I didn't feel as well groomed so wore it up in a bun which then made me feel like an old maid I prefer a medium length bob with layers not brave enough for a short pixie cut but I do think they make some ladies look very trendy and youthful.

There is no right or wrong. It depends on what suits a person. I have seen older women with long hair who have looked stunning and other who have looked awful. I would love long hair but when I was young it never grew beyond my shoulders so doubt it would now.

Of course it should be a personal choice. However IMHO I really think long grey hair is totally unsuitable for any lady. OK if it's worn up, but long straggly grey locks however well washed, to my mind it is inelegant, unchic and looks as if the wearer is trying to look young and girlish and failing badly. Mutton dressed as lamb springs to mind. Sorry to be harsh. And the photo of the lady, who I don't know who she is - not the GN poster, is a case in point - I don't think she looks good at all.

I have now stopped colouring my fine and thinning hair and it's slowly turning grey from its normal quite nice brown. This doesn't bother me and I have it regularly well cut to a length that is never more than just below the chin and layered. Get lots of compliments.

these things are very good

I cut the bottom of my DD's hair using one of those. Looks very professional and saves her a fortune.

Grey is fashionable now even for the youngsters - a 16 year old of my acquaintance has recently 'gone' blonde on the way to going grey. Emmy Lou Harris has looked fantastic for years with her grey hair. I love mine which is thick fine wavy, shoulder length and GREY, because I can't be bothered dying it and the roots showed through within a week when I went red in my thirties. I use Argon oil on it which makes it shiny. I agree with those of you that we should do what we want at our age as long as it hurts no-one.

I used to have long glorious locks in my youth. At some point I had impulsively bought a wig in a very similar style, while I still had the long hair.

I'm someone who goes for extreme changes of hairstyle every few months. And then discovered that a shortish hairstyle reaching around my jaw /chin line was far more flattering for me. So whenever I was subsequently tempted to grow my hair long again, I would just put my long wig on and instantly know that it wasn't a good look for me.

If you like your long hair keep it - I took the plunge to have my "just below shoulder length" hair cut short because I thought it would be easier to manage. I hated it, DH hated it and I am now on the slow and unstylish road back to growing it out again. Not everyone suits long hair but then not everyone suits short hair. Be happy in yourself whatever your age ?

Long hair is very versatile. I tend to keep mine shoulder length so I can put it up in hot weather. I think we should wear our hair any darn way we want whatever our age. People are too judgemental about a lot of these things. If you are happy with your style/dress whatever your age then go for it - you are not hurting anyone!

I meant Wow

i'm 69 this year and still wear my hair long - and it's coloured too!!

i like the feeling of long hair swishing around my shoulders and, as i'm tall and rather "large" i'd look silly with short hair .......... like a pin!!

so i'll continue to colour my hair and keep it long - when i'm old and gaga [although i don't intend to do this!!] i won't know what's being done with my hair and probably won't care.

but until then i'll wear it long.

I cannot understand this idea that long grey hair is so unacceptable - what is that about? Mine is long, but I have no grey yet. I do not plan to cut it short when it does go grey. It is so very much easier to manage long - none of this "styling" lark when you wake up looking like a hedgehog. Plait it or swish it up with a clip - work of a moment. It does not need to look like a spinster schoolmarm if you put it up then pull a few bits out and muss it up a bit.

Also, if you cut it short at the instigation of others and then don't like it, you have a long time to wait to get it back how you like it! - and we all have less time left!!

I cut my fringe by combing it down then holding it up in the air and taking just the tiniest wisp off it! I do that every couple of weeks so it never looks newly chopped.

Hair and face should complement each other both colour and style-wise. I wore my hair long in my hippy days but these days it doesn't suit me longer than just under the chin. If I could wear a fringe it would be better and would hide my high forehead, but my hair is too fine. I found short, layered hair a real faff. I'm thinking of getting a wig too, as, no matter how well dressed and made up I am - that doesn't happen often - my hair always lets me down.

Go for it you lucky folk who can wear it long. I'm envious.