Hair experts share 3 hairstyles that ‘take years off’ women over 40
Regardless of age, it’s possible to maintain a youthful look with the right style techniques – from outfits to hairstyles.
A good haircut that frames the face can draw attention to your best features while distracting from those you’re less keen on.
Whether forehead wrinkles are your biggest problem or a lack of definition in the face, there’s a hair-do for every woman wanting to look younger.
Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles shared the three most flattering styles on mature women.
They’re all known and loved by celebrities like Helen Mirren, Michelle Williams and Charlize Theron, so you know exactly how to style them if you do take the plunge.
Pixie cut with side-swept fringe
Short haircuts are a timeless way to accentuate the eyes and cheekbones, and hair expert Ghanima suggests updating the style with a side-swept fringe. She explained: “Ever seen a pixie cut where the bangs steal all the attention? This is what you’re after: long, side-swept bangs.”
American actress Michelle Williams is a fan of the style and is proof that it highlights the most youthful features of the face; the apples of the cheeks, wide eyes and lips. “I cut it for the one straight man who has ever liked short hair and I wear it in memorial of somebody who really loved it,” Michelle told British ELLE in 2011, referring to her late partner Heath Ledger.
According to Ghanima, the rest of the hair should be “piece-y and angled” and the cut should “swirl around your head to hide any hair loss”.
For those wanting to create extra volume, ask your hairdresser for additional layers. It’s also recommended to bring a few pictures of the cut you’re considering to the salon, to see what’s achievable and what will suit you best.
The hair expert added: “Generally, pixies that add volume are cut very short in the back, a little long around the ears and long up top.”
(Image: GETTY)
Curtain bangs
Regardless of your hair length – whether it’s long or short – adding a fringe can “instantly promote symmetry and take years off”, claimed Ghanima. She said that curtain bangs “flatter just about any face at any age” and are particularly adept at “neatly framing the face while drawing attention away from serious ageing signs”.
These bangs, as donned by US actress Goldie Hawn (78), are a fringe style that cascades into a gentle wave atop the head, and are touted to “give a youthful appearance”.
Despite being 78 years old, Goldie retains a youthful look thanks to her curtain bangs, which draw the gaze to fullness in her cheeks, and sharp cheekbones. They also disguise wrinkles around the forehead and eyes with little effort.
The hair guru explained that they “look great on mature women”, suggesting they can make the face seem “smaller and slimmer” by ending near the cheekbone. Ghanima concluded: “Curtain bangs are always flirtatious if you’re looking to rejuvenate your look over 50.”
(Image: GETTY)
