Forget the "experts," long hair is youthful!

[halo_tightens]

I'm posting this from my own personal experience on this forum only-- but seriously, long hair must make people seem youthful. (To me, anyway!)

I can't even begin to describe how many times I've been fooled on here. I see an avatar or sig pic, or a pic in a post, and make a vague assumption about that person's age, only to find that the person is actually decades older than I would ever have guessed. I'm not kidding-- there are countless members here in their 40's, 50's, and 60's who I mistakenly guessed to be in their teens or 20's! I'm not going to name names, but this just happened to me again a few minutes ago. I saw the avatar and immediately thought of someone around 20-ish, but when I checked, she turned out to actually be in her mid-fifties.

I'm NOT just referring to back-of-the-head shots, either; sometimes faces are included and they still appear far younger than their actual ages.

Is it just me? Do I have some weird mental bias that causes me to see people with long, beautiful hair as automatically being youngsters? Or does long, beautiful hair really make people genuinely look more youthful?

[didrash]

No you are not biased - happens to me all the time here. I would see the age in the profile and think "What? No way, she looks 20 years younger than that!"

[adiapalic]

I agree--I have mistaken someone for much younger when they are decades older! I also believe the long hair does it.

However, with one exception... I saw Edie Falco with passed shoulder length hair on an episode of "30 Rock" last night and thought, "wow, she looks so much younger with her short pixie cut in 'Nurse Jackie'!" Just an observation of one person's face.

Maybe really short, stylish pixies or really long hair have youthful effects faces?

[DMARTINEZ]

I think this is true! I dont know if I look younger,but I sure feel younger with longer
hair.

Deb

[RancheroTheBee]

I agree completely. I'll look on someone's profile, then check their age and then go "40?!" I have people guess my age wrong now. I can't wait to see how young people think I am when my hair is actually long.

[heatherdazy]

I agree 100%!

The first thing I do when a client says she wants a more grownup/professional look is suggest a big chop.

[Amara]

Hm. I think it's more of an attitude, for me. A lot of people here with long hair are taking good care of themselves (and their hair), and are proud of how they look, and it shows. If someone is like that, I think it doesn't so much matter their length, I bet they'll look healthier (younger). Of course I'm sure some people's facial structures are more suited to different things, too.

[rach]

defiantly agree on you on that one.

[23_seconds]

It's not just you! I also think long hair makes a woman appear more youthful. Never got why "experts" say otherwise.

[MemSahib]

I do look younger with my hair down. But at classic length and with babyfine fragility, I don't wear it down except sometimes at home. It is very difficult to find an updo which is not aging for my nearly 60 year old face. There are tradeoffs here. A longer length means it MUST be up but having it up is aging, at least for me.

That's the breaks.