How to Wear Long Hair With Style and Flair After 50

Look around you. Long hair looks sexy and cool, so more women than ever are growing it out, showing it off, or making it look long. 

 You could say that long hair is the adult version of a black leather jacket. Even my smooth, beauty editor-style bob is no longer tamed by flat irons.

1. Update to a healthy length

Adding some extra hair at least for public appearances has become as normal as wearing Spanx.”

2. Cut bangs for a trendy tweak

Any kind of fringe — full, feathery, side-swept or parted in the middle — can give long hair more of a look.

3. Add highlights for an update

"Long hair with more than one color, which is what stylists call "dimensional," looks fuller, glossier, and more lively. 

4. Get a lift with layers

Choppy, layered cuts like the butterfly, jellyfish, or waterfall that are popular on social media are not good for aged hair, so don't let the pictures fool you.

5. Change your style habits, change your look

You can't just let it get long like you did in high school, college, or the hippie '60s, and you can't curl, feather, tease, or flip it like retro hair. 

6. Keep it trimmed and treated

Stay on schedule with salon trims and at-home updates. “At 50, I always say, ‘go for shape, but don’t go short!’

SWIPE UP FOR MORE