Probably not a typo. Attitudes have been changing a lot about hair length and now it is considered better to have long hair than short if you are older. The reason? Wrinkled necks, soft jaw lines and other age markings.
Longer hair will add a softness and if cut properly will actually erase years.
Bangs are a great example of instantly removing forehead wrinkles. Long hair that is cut to softly caresse the face will help to eliminate softening jaw lines and neck lines.
Too short hair can actually make someone look older since it will magnify the very things that long hair can soften and minimize.
That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger or drives you totally insane. :-)
Well, unfortunately the article also says short hair makes you look younger so I think the author is sitting on the fence. Personally, I agree that long hair is very flattering on an older face. It draws attention away from the odd wrinkle. I think a short style requires absolutely perfect skin. That's the way it worked for me anyway.
I always thought long made people look younger. I don't know what
magazine and such articles say on the subject, but I always notice that
when I see friends of mine go instantly from long to short or over time
short to long. I've never seen any of them look younger with
shorter, and longer can often subtract 10 or 15 years from a woman in
her late 40s.
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
Magazines are always a little paranoid these days about making any statements that could be construed as ageism. There are a lot of sensitive people out in the world and so editors try to paint a broad picture....at least the ones I know.
Anyway...super short hair like a Mia Farrow or Twiggy will actually add 10 years to someone that doesn't have flawless skin or bright sparkly 20 year old eyes or perfect eyebrows.
A classic example of "too short" for her age was Heather Locklear when she did the last TV show about the airport. Her hair was cut above her chin and actually magnified her softening jawline. It was a topic of much controversy with Hollywood makeup artists and hairdressers at the time but it never made it into the public arena because it definitely could have been considered ageism.
Heather's hair was also worn stick straight which made her face look like it was sagging and her eyes look baggy. Eva Longoria who is still 30 can wear her hair stick straight because she still has the bone structure to support it. With age needs to come some texture...especially along the cheek bones. Long hair has the advantage that it can be worn with a wedge in the front along the hairline that can encourage natural texture & fullness and look excellent.
I was just looking at some photos of 55 year old Jane Seymour and she wears her hair now about 3-4 inches below her shoulders but with texture around her cheeks and jaw. She also wears bangs. She looks spectacular and definitely a lot younger than 55.
Edited by Karen Shelton - June 21 2006 at 8:00am
That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger or drives you totally insane. :-)
Bob S
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Anne, I know some women who look *better* with short hair, but after age 30, the only ones I've ever seen who appeared *younger* after a cut were those whose hair was in atrocious condition, often from over-processing or lack of grooming. Now, some gals benefit from improved face- framing with their short coifs, but they really could have done this *and* kept their back length.
I'm not saying that every woman should have framing layers. I've seen some venerable looking ladies intheir 80's who look spectacular with hair off the face. My own wife looks her best with one-length tresses. That is so very individual. But, in general, women over 40 look 5-10 years *younger* with flowing locks, not to mention more sensuous and mysterious. Sometimes the difference is unbelievable. I really wonder how anyone ever bought the canard that women shave years by lopping their tresses.
Long hair has the advantage that it can be worn with a wedge in the front along the hairline that can encourage natural texture & fullness and look excellent.
I was just looking at some photos of 55 year old Jane Seymour and she wears her hair now about 3-4 inches below her shoulders but with texture around her cheeks and jaw.
Very interesting comments Karen (and, of course, others)!
Please excuse my ignorance, but in the above sentences that you wrote, could you please explain what you mean by texture and wedge? (I made them in bold print to find them easier). I'd really appreciate it, thanks.
Alayney
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I love long hair on "older" women! What does this mean: "bright sparkly 20 year old eyes" I hear people talk about "sparking" or "bright" eyes. What makes eyes bright or sparkly? I'm not saying how do we get them, just what is considered bright/sparkly?
A skilled hairdresser can cut one, very carefully designed, long "layer" if you want to call it that..or a "wedge" of hair...which others may call it, that blends into the rest of the long hair's length but it is curl right around the hairline in the front. It is usually cut with a fringe/bangs although it doesn't have to be.
Note: Of course Dr. George Michael - an authority on long hair - does not approve of bangs or this "front layer/wedge" method but this method has worked for me and others with long hair who want more texture (movement or natural waves or curls). I respect Dr. Michaels but I also follow what works for me.
The "long layer" or "wedge" that is cut around just the faceline area allows natural waves to form (if the hair is naturally wavy) and it allows for more "texture" or movement so that long hair doesn't just hang as one straight curtain of hair around the face.
Because it is cut only around the faceline and because it is carefully blended it does not cause the same problems as it grows out as layers cut throughout long hair...which also will encourage natural wave, curl or movement. Long layers cut throughout long hair can be a pain growing out but they do offer more "shape" to long hair especially stick straight hair.
Whether you want "classic and very traditional long hair" that consists of hair that is all one length (and does not include having bangs) or long hair that has more movement around the face is up to the individual.
Right now I do not have a long wedge or layer and my hair is one length all around except for my bangs (I really love bangs). When I have the long layer in front I love hot is slenderizes my cheeks and face which tend to be rounded.
It is again a matter or prersonal preference and should only be considered if it is something you would like to try with your own hair.
Hope that clarifies.
That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger or drives you totally insane. :-)
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The linked article was typical of the "hairstylists are a life necessity" promotion. "Mop Top - The top layers are left too long." Gee, that's nice... and the glowing praise heaped onto short haircuts was not balanced by similar for long hair. So, boo! to that article.
Karen, this is fascinating! This sounds very much like what I'd like when my hair gets a little longer. So, with traditional layers, you can pretty much see the layers. But with the wedge, it sounds like it really isn't like a layer on top that is cut, but almost like someone went in a hand-picked a few hairs at random places so that nothing is really visible. That's probably not a very good description, but is that fairly accurate?
Why would Dr George Michael not approve of this wedge or of bangs? I'm really curious about the latter. Bangs don't look good on some people, but how can he say that for everyone?
Dave -- I didn't read the entire piece that carefully. I was just so excited about seeing the exact opposite of what I'm using to reading, that is, that to look younger, you HAVE to cut your hair short. Of course, there had to be a catch....
What annoys me about the article is that it is obvious "cyber rehash" which happens so much these days. People decide...oh gee...I'm going to have a hair website. So they throw it up and decide to "borrow" existing content from long standing hair websites. While some blatantly cut and paste, others will just slightly rewrite and often take things out of context so that the results are in total contradiction. In some cases they cut and paste pieces from different articles and then it is total nonsense.
It really irritates me because it confused hair consumers, steals hard work from long standing sites and it used for the sole purpose to get advertising dollars for their new sites.
I can literally feel steam coming out of my ears when I see brand new websites that are hair related and they consists of a series of one paragraph articles...fluff and puff the web insiders call them....that talk about nothing but may confuse consumers ultimately.
I just hope web visitors see through all of this cyber trash.
OK. I'm done ranting for now. :-)
That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger or drives you totally insane. :-)
Dr. George...as I understand it....believes that for the hair to grow to its longest and healthiest levels must be all one length. Which means no bangs or layers or other anomolies.
I think Dr. George is a great man but I look horrible w/out bangs. So even though I sent to a Dr. George disciple for some years, I defied my long hair expert by cutting my own bangs or stopping off at a HairCutInTheBox shop just to get my bangs cut. Maybe my hair is not as long or healthy as if I had no bangs...but I need to feel good in my own hair.
As far as the wedge along the face, I also enjoy that look. Not every long hair person likes it because it does violate the "all one length" style but again, it works great for me and allows me to keep my length in the back.
You will need to make sure that whatever stylist cuts it for you understands exactly what you want...and yes it is a very slight layer cut around the face that is graduated to blend into the overall length so there is no obvious layer line.
Actually, a long hair expert is the one that showed me that trick. He did it for a lot of his long haired clients that wanted more cheekbone definition but didn't want layers throughout. Not all long hair experts follow Dr. George to the letter and are willing to cut bangs and front layer wedges.
I don't know where you live but my friend Barbara Lhotan is a long hair expert and she is in Virginia and New York City. She is expert at the front layer. Robert Hallowell can also do it. In fact, Robert can cut the original Dorothy Hamill wedge which many people can't do any longer.
If you find the "right" hairdresser, they can work with you to create it.
Meanwhile I am still struggling with my botched highlights job from over 1 year ago. It has finally all grown out but now I am paranoid about trying it again since I don't have a hair colorist that I trust. I have a woman that comes to the HB office once a month to trim my bangs and even out my ends. However, I won't let her highlight my hair because I am not sure she can do it the way I need.
One of my resolutions for 2006 is to find a great haircolorist that I can trust to do my highlights w/out burning my scalp and turning my hair red (like the last highlights).
OK. Enough rambling. Back to work.
Have a great day everyone.
That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger or drives you totally insane. :-)
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Karen Shelton wrote:
