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Is 40 the age to get your hair cut?

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Amber View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 11 2000 at 9:01pm
Well, I had long, thick, wavy hair all my life and this was my pride and glory. I always got compliments on my hair. Once 40 I started to feel maybe I should cut it off as perhaps I was looking like a witch. Then into my 40s I succumbed - a couple of years of horror ensued. It was now short, thick and bendy - like a haystack in the wind. I spent hours trying to get my tortured locks to behave and the best I could hope for was a neat kind of mushroom on my head. I could stand no more and decided to grow it once agian. It is now past my shoulders and once again I can breathe a sigh of relief. Maintenance is minimal. Once again people tell me how great my hair is and how pretty I look. I am now late 40s, though people never believe me. I think I look late 30s but people often mistake me for early 30s (not when I had short hair though).My message to all you older ladies like me - GO FOR WHAT SUITS YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR TYPE OF HAIR, YOUR SANITY - not for what others may think is right for a PERSON YOUR AGE!!
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JM View Drop Down
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Thick, curly hair is hard to have short sometimes. I agree that numbers shouldn't have any bearing on hair length! I'm 36 and have the rest of my life to have short(er) hair if I wish (ooooh, I *LOVE* Sophia Loren's hair on the cover of this week's "People" magazine!) I want long hair now, and that's what I'm going to have.
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Diane from Canada View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Diane from Canada Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2000 at 9:01pm
>> Thanks for sharing this. I am 38 and I am being pressure. I look very young . So young at times that some 20 year males can't believe the age I am . lolOH well c'est la vie.Anyways where is it written in this univers that when a woman turns 40 that she should cut her hair in fact when she does cut her hair she just announced to the world her age.I am happy for you that your hair is growing back to the way you love it.
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Amber View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Amber Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2000 at 9:01pm
I know I agree about Sophia Loren. She is in her 60s and looks mature, beautiful (of course), but above all she uses her femininity as her strength.
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cindy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cindy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2000 at 9:02pm
This is kind of a twist. I had long brown hair that I had cut shoulder length and frosted in my late 30's to pacify my husband and co-workers. Well everyone LOVED it. Everyone except me. I looked in the mirror and saw bleach. I missed my brown color and length. Then I found this site and felt even worse. It definately looked more glamerous and cutting edge but also very unnatural. I immediately grew it back to where it was despite all the "constructive critisism" from others.I turn 40 soon and have been feeling kind of frumpy and old. I want to be natural yet I've been afraid of coming across like an old hippie, which I guess is what I am. I actually contemplated cutting and frosting it again until yesterday when I saw a much older woman who had long (to her waist) beautiful silver hair. She came across as chic, self confident and extrememly interesting. She was very striking and now to make a long story short (I know, too late) I'm going to leave my hair alone.I've been inspired. Long hair has always represented freedom and I feel now more than ever that to follow your own sense of self and be a nonconformist can be a sign of true wisdom and ultimately an inner beauty of spirit. 40 is just a number and not necesarily a sign to drop your individuality. Thanks for listening, Cindy
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JM View Drop Down
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What do you tell your husband and coworkers when they pester you to cut it again? How long is your hair now?
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cindy View Drop Down
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Hi JM, I told my husband that it just didn't feel right to cut it at this time. I explained it is part of my personality, not just an assessory, and I'm just not ready for us to go separate ways. He nodded and told me to do what I felt comfortable with and explained he was only expressing a preference. Prior to this I had just put him off because I wasn't sure myself. I married a wonderful man but find it a bit ironic to have one of the few who don't like long hair.Coworkers are different. The men like my hair. It's the women who make the comments. Again I haven't been saying too much because I wasn't sure myself if they were right. But lately I just told one woman that maybe it did look better shorter and blonder but I didn't feel better inside that way. She pulled out the heavy artillary next and said, "but it drags your face down and makes you look older." I just replied, "I can live with that", and changed the subject.My hair is past the middle of my back. These women do seem to like it french braided but so many walk by and pull the braid! I find that extremely startling and irritating. I wouldn't dream of touching their hair. Which makes me wonder if it's so unappealing, why do they do that? Cindy
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Gee, aren't insults just wonderful?> But lately I just told one woman that> maybe it did look better shorter and blonder but I> didn't feel better inside that way. She pulled out the> heavy artillary next and said, "but it drags your> face down and makes you look older."Want to drive people really mad? *Agree* with them. They can't argue with that! If someone says, "You really ought to cut your hair," just nod, raise your eyebrows, and say, "Yeah, you're right," with the utmost confidence. You'll probably leave her with a gaping mouth open!> My hair is past the middle of my back. These women do> seem to like it french braided but so many walk by and> pull the braid!Are we talking about teenagers or adult women? Teenagers, well, they do silly things like that. But adult women in a workplace? I'm just curious -- how do you react? If it were me, I'd turn and stare in a steady gaze at the person without saying a word, which will speak *volumes*. The person will most likely turn red and be quite embarrassed, which she should!I've had long hair, but never super long hair and cannot imagine people actually treating you like this (but I believe you!).
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Dawn from RareGems View Drop Down
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What a great example of the unnecessary anguish caused by following the conventional "wisdom" about how we should look. Good for you Amber! Follow your heart!Very best wishes to all, especially those over 40 who scoff at such ridiculous "rules", and you know who you are!Dawn> Well, I had long, thick, wavy hair all my life and> this was my pride and glory. I always got compliments> on my hair. Once 40 I started to feel maybe I should> cut it off as perhaps I was looking like a witch. Then> into my 40s I succumbed - a couple of years of horror> ensued. It was now short, thick and bendy - like a> haystack in the wind. I spent hours trying to get my> tortured locks to behave and the best I could hope for> was a neat kind of mushroom on my head. I could stand> no more and decided to grow it once agian. It is now> past my shoulders and once again I can breathe a sigh> of relief. Maintenance is minimal. Once again people> tell me how great my hair is and how pretty I look. I> am now late 40s, though people never believe me. I> think I look late 30s but people often mistake me for> early 30s (not when I had short hair though).> My message to all you older ladies like me - GO FOR> WHAT SUITS YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR TYPE OF HAIR, YOUR> SANITY - not for what others may think is right for a> PERSON YOUR AGE!!
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Hi Cindy.. I turned 40 this February and have been in the process of growing my long hair back for 16 months now. So, I am in the reverse order! It's below bra strap length..about 27 and a half inches long. I plan to grow it to my upper calves! Have you visited the Long Hair Site? go to www.tlhs.org/ There are other women who are on the email list who are past 40 and have long hair and love it. There are all age groups there.. Visit the site and view the photos and the archived photos. They are a great help to inspire me to continue to grow my hair long again. I have had hair as long as 42" before and have had hair to the tops of my shoulders. It's been a few years since I have had hair on my back and to tell you the truth I love the feel of it on my bare skin. I had forgotten that feeling and every night I swish my hair across my back as I comb it out for the night. I can't wait to feel it on the backs of my legs again. I have silver coming in abundantly but that doesn't stop me. I prefer to have feathery bangs to soften the salt/pepper hair on the front and sides. I usually wear the length frenchbraided and my youngest son (14yrs) thinks the silver interwoven is kewl. I am a grandmom..and have been since I was 37. I hope my grandson will always remember his Grammy with the long braid. I guess my point is I would rather be unique with my long hair than a clonedmiddle aged woman. (no offense to those who rather have the politically correct hairstyle) My husband thinks I am finally back on track as he begged me not to cut it in the first place. But I had experienced environmental damage and cut it all off to correct the uneven look it had. Anyway.. there are some of us who brave to be different..Go for it if it's you at heart!! :-) best regards..Cher~This is kind of a twist. I had long brown hair that I> had cut shoulder length and frosted in my late 30's to> pacify my husband and co-workers. Well everyone LOVED> it. Everyone except me. I looked in the mirror and saw> bleach. I missed my brown color and length. Then I> found this site and felt even worse. It definately> looked more glamerous and cutting edge but also very> unnatural. I immediately grew it back to where it was> despite all the "constructive critisism"> from others.> I turn 40 soon and have been feeling kind of frumpy> and old. I want to be natural yet I've been afraid of> coming across like an old hippie, which I guess is> what I am. I actually contemplated cutting and> frosting it again until yesterday when I saw a much> older woman who had long (to her waist) beautiful> silver hair. She came across as chic, self confident> and extrememly interesting. She was very striking and> now to make a long story short (I know, too late) I'm> going to leave my hair alone.> I've been inspired. Long hair has always represented> freedom and I feel now more than ever that to follow> your own sense of self and be a nonconformist can be a> sign of true wisdom and ultimately an inner beauty of> spirit. 40 is just a number and not necesarily a sign> to drop your individuality. Thanks for listening,> Cindy
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Julie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Julie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2000 at 9:04pm
> Well, I had long, thick, wavy hair all my life and> this was my pride and glory. I always got compliments> on my hair. Once 40 I started to feel maybe I should> cut it off as perhaps I was looking like a witch. Then> into my 40s I succumbed - a couple of years of horror> ensued. It was now short, thick and bendy - like a> haystack in the wind. I spent hours trying to get my> tortured locks to behave and the best I could hope for> was a neat kind of mushroom on my head. I could stand> no more and decided to grow it once agian. It is now> past my shoulders and once again I can breathe a sigh> of relief. Maintenance is minimal. Once again people> tell me how great my hair is and how pretty I look. I> am now late 40s, though people never believe me. I> think I look late 30s but people often mistake me for> early 30s (not when I had short hair though).> My message to all you older ladies like me - GO FOR> WHAT SUITS YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR TYPE OF HAIR, YOUR> SANITY - not for what others may think is right for a> PERSON YOUR AGE!!I had a similar problem and I am late 30's. I had long hair well below shoulders. I always had long hair - so one day I had it buzzed for a change. I had no problems with it after that and I still buzz it when necessary.Julie M
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> I always had long hair - so> one day I had it buzzed for a change. I had no> problems with it after that and I still buzz it when> necessary.You went from long hair to a *buzz*!?! Are you literally talking about a buzz cut of an inch or less all over the head? I've gone from long to quite short, and I'm finally getting over the shock, but I'd freak going directly from long to ultra short all in one take!!
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> Well, I had long, thick, wavy hair all my life and> this was my pride and glory. I always got compliments> on my hair. Once 40 I started to feel maybe I should> cut it off as perhaps I was looking like a witch. Then> into my 40s I succumbed - a couple of years of horror> ensued. It was now short, thick and bendy - like a> haystack in the wind. I spent hours trying to get my> tortured locks to behave and the best I could hope for> was a neat kind of mushroom on my head. I could stand> no more and decided to grow it once agian. It is now> past my shoulders and once again I can breathe a sigh> of relief. Maintenance is minimal. Once again people> tell me how great my hair is and how pretty I look. I> am now late 40s, though people never believe me. I> think I look late 30s but people often mistake me for> early 30s (not when I had short hair though).> My message to all you older ladies like me - GO FOR> WHAT SUITS YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR TYPE OF HAIR, YOUR> SANITY - not for what others may think is right for a> PERSON YOUR AGE!!Hi AmberI have several friends in their 40's and 50's who keep their hair long and silver. I believe that they are just stunning. Keep growing your hair as long as you are comfortable with it. The witch part just might offend some of us. Have a great day John
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nina Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2000 at 9:07pm
Amber,You are so right. I work at my City Hall. There is a female politician in my area that is mid-50's and has long hair that she colors a very pretty shade of blonde. On more than one occasion she has received a comment like "Isn't that hair alot of work?" and she said something like "I am in the public eye. I have to look my best"One time, a newspaper columnist called her a "blonde bimbo". She responded by reading a letter on TV from a supporter calling her "a smart and sexy grandma" and an "excellent role model, especially for young women". Soon after that, she received an achievement award from a local women's group for her accomplishments in politics, and showing the city that "age is no barrier to success or beauty"Touché!!
Nina
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Young L da Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2004 at 11:47pm
lol i like this.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MenaceIISociety Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 17 2004 at 1:08am
good luck on yalls hairstyles
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