Long hair on older women

I think that so many older women have their hair really short,that it's almost like a uniform.It suits some people but can look rather unfeminine.I've been debating whether to have mine shorter and layered,but then you have to have it redone every few months ,which I can't afford.Mine is about fifty percent grey now,one length and just below the shoulder.I can twist it up into a bun for swimming,have in a ponytail for work,or worn loose at other times which may make me look older but ,as someone else said ,it is pretty easy to look after.I use a very cheap coconut shampoo,and invest in a good conditioner. (Smile)

I think we should have our hair as we want, regardless of age. Short hair can be ageing.

My hair is no way as long as some of the photos. Those with really long, silver hair certainly look amazing. When you get to 70 you should just wear your hair as you want to, so regardless of whether it would look better a bit shorter, I will kid myself it suits me as I quite like it and would miss it. Thanks for your suggestions and pictures, you helped me make up my mind.

I think ladies with pure white hair look stunning whatever its length - I'm not quite there yet. I dislike seeing long straggly hair whatever the age group but that's MY opinion and totally irrelevant to how you feel about your own hair. I used to have short hair when I was at work to save time but since I retired I've grown it to shoulder length again and I love it. We've all been told that "old" ladies shouldn't have long hair, well when I'm old (I'm only 70) maybe I won't, but then again.....

This is good - washing it while still plaited! it's the tangles that are the trouble. Long is I agree much easier to manager, but it can make me look very severe when tied up.

I go up and down, be long for a year or two, then chop off to chin length for a change. At 60 it's salt and pepper; used to be naturally a shade of field mouse brown! I am slowly growing out the more interesting colours I've had through it, using semi permanents to avoid the badger look

I've asked my hairdresser this question and she says she'll tell me when it doesn't look ok!

I agree.

I am 69 had long hair up to 3 months ago. I used to wear it up most of the time as it's quite fine and I have highlights. On special occasions I wore it down and curled or curved it but it took ages to do just to give some body to it. Both myself and my husband love it now as it is so much easier to style and my face doesn't seem as drawn, however, my grandchildren, daughter and sister preferred it long. I don't think I will be growing any more.

I really admire Mary Beard for all sorts of reasons, and of course she has a perfect right to wear her hair any way she chooses, but I just want to get my hands on it and cut into a lovely choppy bob. I just don't think long grey hair works on anyone, not even the most beautiful, model type older woman. It's so unforgiving, but I admire anyone who has the confidence not to care.

A work colleague once commented that 21 was the age limit for long straight hair.
The cut off point maybe? Going a bit far though.

I had my long, thick, dark brown hair cut to very short when I was 35, although I'd had it long/short/long/short since a teenager.

I've never regretted it and I experiment with different short styles almost each time I get my hair cut. I've stopped colouring it as well now.
Almost everyone I know looks better when they've gone from long to short hair. You need good hairdresser though, who likes short hair themselves.
The only drawback is that hats (which I wear) look better with longer hair, and they stay on better too!

Up and down like a fiddler's elbow - we always say "like a whore's drawers"!

Thanks for the net tip Galen, never thought of that so have bought one to try. Also I have to say, having met her twice , that Pittcity's hair is lovely ! Ps will keep mine long as is so fly away and unmanageable if short .

Gaulwoise granny I think you look fabulous!!

Oh Grans, what a moment to have a hair thread. I've had long hair several times over the years and about 14 years ago my thick very curly hair was almost to my waist. I always wore it up (like an oversized lavatory brush otherwise) and then got fed up - if I changed my jumper or tried on clothes when shopping or wore a hat my hair always came down and had to be re-done. I've agonised over my collar length hair over the last couple of weeks, it's very bushy, a bit frizzy now because of the damp this morning and as I'm not very tall I look a bit top heavy so today I made an appointment for a trim - and now I've read all these posts about how lovely long hair is and I'm riddled with doubts. Mine grows quickly, I reckon by autumn it will be long enough to pin up, oh dear, oh dear, shall I cancel my appointment.

I think she looks great and if you want long hair go for it

Galen where can I buy the bun net and hair clip sounds what I need thanks .

I have longish hair, it was even longer a couple of months ago. I have it dyed a honey blond colour but because there's rather a lot of silver showing through I'm having it dyed on Thursday white blond with purple streaks. As the saying goes, you're only as old as you feel. Plus I do things for me not to please anyone else so if folks don't like it then bugger em.

I agree long hair, especially long grey hair can make your face look droopy or drawn, but I think it's all about how you style your hair that matters, not the length or colour (I mean style in the simplest sense i.e. what you do with it).

So many older women get their hair cut short and love it when it's first done, but then they often don't keep up the styling aspect that made them look so good. It takes time to learn how to work with the products and techniques used and some just can't manage to get the same results. So they end up blow drying it into the same (non) style we see thousands of other older women wearing, making it like the uniform someone else mentioned.

Long hair is more adaptable , but it still needs care and attention to look good.

A hairdresser told me years ago the best hair styles for anybody are the ones where you don't fight the hair's natural tendencies. Stop fighting your hair and you've won half the battle.

"Products and techniques" - no thank you!

Just a baby at only 56, but love my stringy won't do what it is supposed to long hair, we are kind of in simpatico :0) I usually wear it up in a bun at work, yet on the odd occasions that I leave it loose people say I look younger, love janeainsworth's link hopefully it will give you inspiration to decide how YOU want YOUR hair :0)

I had a silver/blond hair (went grey very young)I had short spiked cut which most people liked then had dreaded chemo it now grows very slowly with no style to speak of just grateful to have some I say have hair as you want it's a personal choice for most .

could you tell me how to do a bun, please? I've tried putting in a pony tail and then twisting it round but I'd need about 20 hairgrips to hold it.

Is it a snood thing, this bun maker/clip???

I really dislike long grey hair. The 'W' word comes to mind. (The one that rhymes with 'bitch', which is probably what some ladies think I am.)

Up, it looks lovely but when it starts to straggle round the face...quelle horreur.

Luckygirl exactly! That's why long hair can be the better option.

wot you can buy things that make a bun really quick and easy to do - they're cheap too.

I used to use one of these and you can get them anywhere, the big supermarkets, Boots Superdrug, Claire's, etc. -

Bun maker tutorial

There's other bun makers too - check out eBay and YouTube.