Long hair on older women

I am desperately envious of women with thick long hair, or even those with thin hair that they can wear up, which looks very elegant. I took a pic of Julie Walter's short spikey hair-do to the hair dresser's and she attempted to replicate it on my pin-head: I looked like a man in drag! Dying my hair has made it very dry, but going grey isn't an option yet, as my pink scalp would show through. I use a battery of hair thickening products to little avail; when I catch sight of myself in shop windows I wince. What's a girl to do? Conquer by force of personality...

Long hair on the more mature....I'm currently growing my hair and as from last year joined the ranks of a sexagenarian. My advice is, if you want to have longer hair, then just do it. You can always have it cut if you really don't like it. Life is for living...I don't see hair coming with an age tag.

My neighbour had her now greying long hair cut recently into a stylish bob and looks amazing. As well as looking 15 years younger she looks sophisticated instead of dated.

My hair is nearly to my waist. I am 65 and always had long hair until I had a mad day and had it cut to a long bob about forty years ago. I hated it and never had it cut short again. My hair started going grey about fifteen years ago so I dye it as close to my natural colour every few months. My kids and grandkids wouldn't recognise me if it was short. I put it up one hot summer and my daughter said she didn't know me from a distance as she always sees it down. I have straight hair which only gets plaited when going swimming.

Keep it, please! You will only regret it if you cut it all off. You can wear it up or down now, but if you cut it you will have no choice. Sticking up, out, or sticking to your head. You'll need to style and curl it every day. Why bother!! Much better long I say.

My hair is shoulder length, fine and very shiny - really grateful to God and good conditioners for that! Sometimes I consider having it cut short, but because it is so fine it would just lie flat. Also, I think long hair makes my face seem less fat, haha! Age is just a number, wear your hair to make yourself happy!

Enjoy your lovely long hair Luckylegs9. Wish mine was nice enough, but since the menopause it's thin & receding so in medium length layers now.

My grandmother had long hair all her life - she lived to be almost 103. It's all in how you wear it, and what you do with it.

Surely it's all about what looks good on you and what you're comfortable with? Mine's wavy, shoulder length, greying at the front, still really dark brown at the back. I went through a phase of having blonde and brown foils put in but I'm letting it grow out and once the colour has gone I'm growing it longer. I love to leave it loose and flowing (I'm a bit of a hippy at heart!) and my OH loves it long and feminine. The grey doesn't bother me or him and I don't care what anyone else thinks....

I think shorter hair as we grow older is far more glamorous and appropriate. Think Helen Mirren and Judi Dench.

I was always told you had to get your hair cut by 40. I kept mine long until I was 42 ?now I wear it flicked out and blond? I am now 64.

Yes. Long hair looks aging hippie.

I inherited poor hair. It runs in mum's side of the family. Now I notice my daughter's hair is thinning. I'd give anything to have nice thick hair, and would wear it long if I felt like it. Hair, it's the bane of my life.

Of course it's personal choice whether to wear your hair long or short. Mine is platinum, bobbed and shingled into the neck just below my ears and I get loads of compliments. However, if I go far over my 6weekly cut, it adds years to my face - it really does drag it down and emphasises wrinkles. Sadly the neck's ropey but the style seems to distract from it, or maybe that's just me ignoring it! If you're not sure about going short, try a wig and see how it looks. I think there's an app too that shows what you look like with short hair..

Yes, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench if you don't have fine hair. I'd love to look like them!

Yup - "aging hippie" - that's me!

I had long hair till my mid-twenties, when I had it cut in the long, hot summer of '76. Since then, until quite recently, I have worn it short - and also lost it altogether about four times as a result of chemotherapy! After my last "bald" encounter, about 10 years ago, I let my hair grow back grey. For the last two or three years I have been growing it - so, not only is it long, but also grey!!!! Strangely enough, I feel I have regained my lost youth and am once again the hippie, free-spirit I once was! (I attach a photo - you may or may not agree!)

I was quite happy to wear my very fine, very straight just past shoulder length hair long in a ponytail for years, having had it in a long bob, short bob and permed in the Eighties.
When I got it cut back to a long bob aged 52, 6 years ago I was told that it made me look literally years younger by all and sundry.

So, I know I haven't got one of those faces that can 'do' long hair without looking aged. I envy those who have the hair and the self confidence to do it.

Mine has thinned considerably with the perimenopause and is now in a shortish bob that I chop myself, as I resent paying £15 for a literal 2 minute job in the hairdressers.
It never was my crowning glory, and never will be. My great joy is that whilst my daughter inherited my too-fine locks, my grand-daughter didn't.

I had long hair in my late 20s/early 30s but it was so thick and heavy that it hurt to put it up. So I've had it cut short since then, and now at 70 I've gone for a really short, spiky look which my husband loves. My colour is glittery silver - I used to have it tinted ash blonde but when I realised that I am now more or less the colour I used to pay a fortune to get, I decided to stop colouring and leave it to nature.

I agree with most posters, it's a matter of personal taste. I do like to see hair that's nicely groomed, though, not straggly or long-because-I-can't-be-bothered-with-it sort of thing.

I recently had my hair cut and donated it to The Princess Foundation to be used to make wigs for children who have cancer.
My hairdresser normally reminds me that I can't cope with short hair but as it left me with a short bob she agreed to cut it plus my hair grows quickly.
On the other hand my husband, although I had told him what I intended to do, kept saying how much he loved my long, blonde hair, even putting that sentiment in my birthday card, was horrified and it took him about a month before he could speak to me without going on about it. My daughters were so proud of what I had done and the fact that I also raised money for charity it was worth it.
It is now long enough to put in an updo and by the summer I hope it will be able to be plaited, so much easier when sailing or walking.
My mother ,always said that long hair should be cut when you reached 40, ha I'm nearly 62 and will continue to have long hair.

I think the main thing about any hair is to have it well groomed, always clean and trimmed even if it's long.

Whatever your happy with , I say. My dear old mum had a shampoo and set every week from the age of 45, can't see today's 45 year olds having that done. Times have changed. My hair is thick dark brown to my shoulders, I do have my roots done every 6 weeks,and trimmed but have no intention of chopping it all off. Enjoy!!

My hair goes up and down like a fiddler's elbow. I had it cut short in Oz last year and absolutely hated how I looked so this time I didn't bother. It's now about chin length and I feel much happier. It's about how you feel about it, not what others think. Another inch or so and I will stop......

Lurve your pic Marmight and what a brilliant name

My Norfolk Grannie had long straight hair and my sister and I loved to plait it and wind it into a shiny coil at the nape of her neck. It smelt of Pears soap. Nobody else's grannie had long hair. Then, in late middle age she gave in to the fashion of the day and had it cut and permed, looking like everybody else's gran.
If you've got nice hair and don't mind the extra work keep it and be different.