Longer hair on 40+

ironkurtin

My hair, as a direct result of Texas heat, has been super cropped for almost 5 years now. It's also definitely got more gray!

I was thinking of growing it out... you know, a girl needs a hobby. Do any of you consider longer, undyed hair a faux pas? Because the things with dying it is that once you start you can't stop and ugh.

12 years ago

General

27 replies

Latest reply was from Raisin

cloud9

Veteran

Is getting old faux pas? But seriously, it will be all about the cut, how you style it, and how you wear it (attitude wise). There is this lady at my work, she has shoulder length bob of gray hair. She dresses modern-classically stylish, and the silver bob just becomes part of her style.

12 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Um, me? 43 no dye for about 3 years, and only highlights off and on the 10 years prior to that.

12 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

What do you mean by *longer*? I am not in favor of the long (unstyled, unkempt) hippie look, but it would take you awhile to get there. I think hair is probably more challenging if the gray is a different texture than the rest and hair at certain lengths can accentuate a sagging face, but otherwise, I don't see a problem.

12 years ago

Anonymous

I know a woman who had silver hair to the middle of her back but well shaped. It was stunning. She cut it short for Locks of Love and it just doesn't work with her boho style now. Go for it but keep those 6 week trim appointments. You can always cut it shorter or wear it up.

12 years ago

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I think it all depends what suits you and how you maintain it. I longer hair suits your features well, getting good haircuts and it looks healthy then go for it!
It is true though that our hair looses vitality (the same way our skin does) as we age but I am sure you are not at that age yet

12 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Dana, have a peruse on Pinterest. There are some women that totally rock long, grey hair.

http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=grey%20hair

Generally I find it very attractive and somehow 'youthful' looking. It is also elegant.

I do think it depends on if the grey suits your skin tone, and the if the longer hairstyle you choose suits you. I am greying also but having lighter hair it kind of blends but I am dreaming of having hair like our Joy, or Linda Fargo.

12 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I always thought Emmy Lou Harris to be beautiful. But me, I'm fighting my greys tooth and nail. Probably because I'm still in unsuccessful dating mode.

12 years ago

deb

Veteran

I started growing mine out three years ago and it is shoulder length now. I will be 60 in January so I hope it is not faux pas. I have never dyed my hair because I did not want to keep it up. I am 'goin' down' naturally, lol.

12 years ago

celia

Veteran

Not a faux pas . It might work with your coloring, it might not but you will only know if you try.
It sounds like a good hobby to me.

12 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Well, I'm growing my hair out now. I'm going for the folkloric look, hehe. I asked my mother if I dressed too young. She said she thought I can wear what I want because my behaviour is somewhat ageless... although I probably would look really funny hanging out with the 20 year old anime types at the next table over. To which I had to say, I just can't do a Hello Kitty in the rear window of my Civic, this much is true.

Anyways, I think it's done best with a modernistic cut. Something coiffed a la Margaret Thatcher 1980 is a little aging - which is beneficial to a conservative PM but not so much others. IMHO.

Should still be neat tho, I feel. The windblown beachy look, I don't know about that. I'd rather see it up in situations like that. Maybe a Prairie House influence on my feelings - mature women put there hair up. Anybody remember when Laura hit, what, 16 and put her hair up in a bun for the first time? Lol.

12 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

My DH has long graying hair!

I think it looks pretty. Gotta have some style to it, though, so it looks intentional. I keep saying I want to bleach the rest of my hair white instead of dying over the grays.

12 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

Depends on the cut, style, and frankly, the way your hair greys. One lady where I work has the most gorgeous silver/white bob. Her hair started greying when she was 30 and by 35 it was all white. Looks amazing and is totally part of her signature style. However, her hair had been very dark brown before that, so she had to replace a if part of her wardrobe.

Another lady is going grey and it is, frankly, a streaky unkempt mess. But then, she doesn't really pay attention to the cut or style.

You, IK, could totally pull it off. You have the confidence and you would make the effort to learn how to make it look fab.

12 years ago

Helena

Veteran

not a faux-pas, very chic when it's well-groomed, which is true of all colors, not just gray! can i suggest if it's prone to dryness as really good hair moisturizer ... that's the one thing i can see ruining the look is if it's really dry. btw, that risk is also the same with dyed hair! (as i am constantly battling!)

12 years ago

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Now that you're considering it, you won't know until you've tried it. I don't care about faux-pax on you, not sure it's possible at all, but as tontogirl says, dryness can be a deal-breaker.

12 years ago

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

There are so many colors out there on long hair - everything from rainbow hues to bright scarlet reds, to a whole spectrum of greys (I am very taken with 'chrome'). I think regardless of color, as long as you keep your long hair in good shape - well-conditioned, and in a cut with some shape, you're going to look stunning

Deborah, that Pinterest board rocks!

12 years ago

Anonymous

I'm in this same situation IK. My hair is a good two or three inches longer than it was last year, though still not to my shoulders. I have no plans to wear it long, but I started feeling like having "short grey hair just because that's what you do over 40" was in itself starting to age me. Most women I know IRL with grey chose to keep their hair pretty short, and they tend to all fall into the low-maintenance/not interested in fashion category. I was thinking just a little more length might help me to feel more modern, as long as I can keep it healthy looking and styled.

12 years ago

KikiG

Veteran

I think this is going to entirely depend on what your hair in a state of nature looks like, longer.

If I kept my length (shoulder length) but let my hair revert to a state of chemical and appliance freedom, it would look a hot mess, and it would not be work appropriate for me. Not to mention, I'd look 10 years older instead of the 10 years younger I am frequently mistaken for. My once stick-straight hair now has a natural 1980s perm texture in the under layers, and most of my gray is in the top, which creates a drab haze of coarse looking, kinky ugly.

On the other hand, if you can pull of Paula Deen hair, or the elegant, thick and steel gray silky bob of a woman I know who has most interesting angles in her face, you could rock it.

12 years ago

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

As someone who is letting her hair go grey naturally (and loving it I might add!), I personally believe you need to keep your hairstyle current whether it's long or short, in order to have the grey not age your look.

I have friends who have stopped coloring their hair and look fantastic with shoulder length grey hair but the style is modern, they keep their hair very healthy, and we all use products geared for grey hair to keep the grey silver and shiny rather than that dull flat grey that it can be.

12 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

I'm mostly dark with a few white threads. I don't have the genetic makeup to have silver hair. Is the only way to have it be longer with grays to have it be shimmering platinum? Gotta say, sounds out of reach.

12 years ago

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Definitely not IK. It's just that grey hair has a different consistency than your regular hair and has the tendency to "yellow" and be flat. It doesn't need to be silver, just shiny. All I do is use Pantene Silver Expressions shampoo and conditioner and that keeps it shiny. Does that make sense?

12 years ago

Cindy

Active Member

I don't think there is any age cut off for longer hair as long as it is nicely styled and not the same style you wore in high school. (I have a couple of sister-in-law in their forties who have been sporting the same long non-style since I met them.) As for going gray, that is something I struggle with. People are always asking me how I get such bright blue highlights and I have to confess that is dyed over silver while the darker blue-black is over my light brown hair. I am letting my hair go back to it's natural color but I don't know how long I can go before I give up and dye it again.

12 years ago

rebekahphoto

Veteran

I feel you can wear undyed long hair no problem...

I think of Emmylou Harris and Stacy Clinton as having darker hair streaked with grey/silver that is very stylish (Emmalou's was more streaky a while back before it went all silver). Looks good to my eye.. I think the main thing is to keep it conditioned and out of the witchy zone....

12 years ago

AviaMariah

Veteran

I've seen longer, grey/white hair on older women (40+ isn't older is it?) that I think looks great. I agree with some of the others that I think it needs to be well kept in order to not look frumpy.

12 years ago

Marlene

Veteran

I'm 49 and still color my hair. I am waiting for my grays to hit a certain percentage before I start the graying out process. I was thinking of doing it after my 50th birthday but I will wait and see how gray I am at that point. I think that if you are MOSTLY gray, it looks good. Less than that and it looks ungroomed. My plan is to do some sort of "streaking" process during the transition period to help the color grow out. But right now I think I am just over 50% gray and I am told I look 10-15 years younger than my chronological age so it might look weird to go with my grays at this point. I plan to keep my hair at shoulder length even when gray because I like how it looks on my frame. I don't think that there are firm rules about length and age or color and age...its a person by person decision.

I am happy that my grays are bright white. My daughter says they glitter.

12 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

I'm with Shannon on this one. I think greying hair requires a up-to-date cut and shine to look good. Length depends on your features and personal style.

My stylist laughs at my insistence on not getting an "old-lady" cut; she is young, edgy, and a wizard with the scissors. She pushes my boundries as far as the cut goes, while totally respecting my desire not to dye my hair. She is also adamant about my using only certain products to keep my hair in top notch condition.

12 years ago

deb

Veteran

IK, I posed a separate thread this morning, but did you see this? This morning I came across this article on Advance Style.
http://advancedstyle.blogspot......black.html

12 years ago

Raisin

Veteran

Sure! The right cut, and well kept will make all the difference.

12 years ago

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