Why do old ladies all have the same hairstyle?

[Rufflebutt]

So, I went to a square-dancing competition last night to see my great uncle that I haven't seen in a couple years. So, while awkwardly sitting there as the only person under 50 in the room, I noticed that every single elderly lady had the exact same hairstyle.

That is, a short curly pixie. Some were sporting their natural grey hair and some were dyed. But not a single woman in the room had a style that deviated from that. Not a single one!

Is there some reason I don't understand because of the generation gap? Is it a style that was very popular at one time! I'm genuinely curious.

[lydiajo]

I don't think the problem is the little old ladies. I think the problem is the hair stylists.

[Aliped]

Based on people I know. Some women's hair changes texture with age, becoming very curly. After sixty plus years with straight hair, it must be difficult to deal with curly hair, so snip, snip, chop, chop and you've got a curly pixie... I know two ladies like this....

[Iolanthe13]

Sometimes older people have to worry about thinning/changes in texture/mobility issues that make caring for longer hair difficult. Some of them probably find shorter, permed hair easier to deal with. Also, it's easy to forget how many women have had short hair all their lives; all the old pictures show both my grandmothers with short hair in their youth.

I'm sure the hair stylists have something to do with it, too. When my great-grandmother went into care, they cut all her hair off and gave her that same pixie cut. It was sad, because it was against her will :(

My mother and I are both determined to keep our long hair into old age. She's not old at all (51, and looking ten years younger), but people have started pestering her to cut and dye her hair. I think her tidy cinnabun with its silver streaks looks beautiful and professional, so I'm glad she's not caving into the pressure.

[Agnieszka]

my grandma is one of those short curly pixie ladies. She goes to the same hairdresser (some old friend of her using the same products and cutting the same hairstyle since 60's :-)) She goes there, they chat all day in hairdresser house, hairdresser fries my granny's hair by giving her old generation perm after that my granny tips her well and they both very happy :-) I did ask her why you always have perm and pixie she said it is comfy for her and low mainanance.

[Madora]

Arthritis can sure put a crimp in your hair routine! Achy hands are bad, but nothing compared with shoulders that kill you, or a bad back!

[Kaylala]

My grandmother has maintained blonde hair (unnaturally I'm sure lol) all these years. Her routine consits of hairspray and bleach. The smell of Aquanet gives me a warm fuzzy feeling hehe.

[jeanniet]

Mobility issues, loss of dexterity, medication effects, fatigue...all kinds of reasons why. Could simply be they like having their hair done at the salon!

[Becky9679]

Have hope, it doesn't always happen that way! My great-grandmother had thigh-length hair right up until she died in her 80s, though she did have to have someone to help her put it up and take care of it ;)

[Suguru]

I'm sure for some ladies it's to do with comfort, ease of styling and all the things that have been mentioned but for both my grandmothers it was simply a matter of this having been the style they have always worn. My dad's mum has naturally curly hair and has worn it short ever since she cut it at about the age of 20. My mum's mum has always had short hair and she has gotten it permed ever since she was a young teenager. Short curly hair was in style when she was a young lady and so having short curly hair as an older lady was less of a matter of "changing" her hairstyle when she got older and more of a matter of keeping her hair as it had always been. I suspect we'll see something similar as the younger generations age. Those currently in their 40s and 50s will keep their shoulder length or shorter layered bobs and those currently in their teens and 20s will keep their long, straight hair.

Also, as someone who works in Aged care, I want to say that not all nursing homes force long haired ladies to cut their hair. There are a few ladies I care for who don't have the standard issue permed pixie and I help them to brush and braid or bun their long hair each morning because they can no longer do it for themselves. It must be said, however, that these ladies aren't exactly poster girls for long hair. As I'm sure you can imagine their hair, although long, is very fragile and thin. But I say all power to them for being different!

[Ticky]

I saw that question being asked before, people have said that it's probably a mix of hair thinning (perm, hides it), mobility issues (short, no braids, no detangling) and some of it is fashion-related.

My own grandmother has short, permed hair. She told me that she keeps it that way because it annoys her when it's longer.

[pepperminttea]

The two elderly ladies I see most (my great aunt and grandmother, who's ages are either side of ninety) both have very short hair. My great aunt's hair has thinned a lot on top, she gets it carefully curled up and hairsprayed into place once a week to obscure it a little, and buoy up her confidence.

My grandmother has mobility issues and is in constant pain; she literally can't lift her hands above her shoulders; even getting them up that high is incredibly painful for her. She doesn't curl hers, and it's naturally quite straight, but she keeps it short and oft-trimmed so the maintanance is easier. It's often then my great aunt who combs the back of her head for her; she simply can't do it. It's no longer a choice how she keeps her hair, it's what she can do.

[coneyisland]

Is there some reason I don't understand because of the generation gap? Is it a style that was very popular at one time! I'm genuinely curious.

Yes, it has been a very popular style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTW-OOEvEg

[MinderMutsig]

For the very same reason young ladies all have the same hairstyle. Give it a decade or two and those homes will be filled with Martha Steward lookalikes.

[silverthread]

Sometimes older people have to worry about thinning/changes in texture/mobility issues that make caring for longer hair difficult. Some of them probably find shorter, permed hair easier to deal with. Also, it's easy to forget how many women have had short hair all their lives; all the old pictures show both my grandmothers with short hair in their youth.

I'm sure the hair stylists have something to do with it, too. When my great-grandmother went into care, they cut all her hair off and gave her that same pixie cut. It was sad, because it was against her will :(

My mother and I are both determined to keep our long hair into old age. She's not old at all (51, and looking ten years younger), but people have started pestering her to cut and dye her hair. I think her tidy cinnabun with its silver streaks looks beautiful and professional, so I'm glad she's not caving into the pressure.

I can empathize with your mom. I'm 50, and I started letting my grey grow out about 6 years ago. Almost immediately, women my own age were telling me I looked too young to have grey hair and I should color it. Women much younger than me were telling me that my grey hair looked good on me.

I have noticed a big texture change in my hair. It's still fine and low-porosity as it's always been, but it has a strange wave pattern, ranging from 1b to 2b. But, I'm determined not to color, perm, or pixie-cut my hair just because I'm 50. I'm just shy of armpit length, and I intend to let it grow to BSL.

I've had two hair-stylists hack my hair to pieces and then style it like a helmet because my hair happened to be 50% grey. I wanted to kill them. They always try to convince me to color my hair and use damaging products in it. Needless to say, I won't go to a stylist again.

[Vampyria]

I know what you mean. I can actually tell which women go to the same stylist as my grandmother does, because they all have short curly (perm) grayish-light brown hair. And she has to use rollers and heat style it anyway.

My grandmother still has pretty thick hair, but for some that don't this kind of style, can add some volume and mask the thinness better in my opinion.

But I've seen older women with BSL or a bit shorter naturally grey hair. That is really rare though.

[Inky]

My Gran's the same ... short & permed & bleached blonde ... she's nearly 95 and so far as I can tell she's had this style (or something similar) since she was in her 20s ... personally I prefer it when she lets it go straight, but whenever she's off out to a dance she spends most of the day curling & setting it under her hairdryer, which is far from low maintenence!

I'm guessing for most women, once they've got that short style it's hard to wait ot the mullet stage to get back to anything else ... I only knw one person my age with anything remotely similar & that's because she has naturally curly hair ... most everyone else has a bob or longer ...

[MinderMutsig]

For the very same reason young ladies all have the same hairstyle. Give it a decade or two and those homes will be filled with Martha Steward lookalikes.

Since I made this post I can't get the image of Bieber-haired grandfathers out of my head. :o

[HylianGirl]

I did not know some nursing homes forced to cut the hair of elderly ladies, that is awful!


Well, my grandma from my mom's side has her hair short, dyed brown, and although not permed she still uses rolers to keep curls and lots of hairspray, which seems like the routine she had when she was younger. But her hair has become very thin, like, you can see her scalp sometimes, and I actually think what she does help make it look fuller, although I am not a fan of dying grey/white hair, but it's her hair, so what. She is also very active and lively ^-^

My other grandma, from my dad's side, has fuller hair, although kept short. She used to dye it blond, but stopped doing that and now has beautiful completelly white hair. She curls it with curlers too. But she also has some health issues so I don't think she'd be able to take care of a long hair, and I also don't think she'd wanna grow it...

Well, I'd say it's beause that is what was fashionable at their age...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx4C_fkujb8



Since I made this post I can't get the image of Bieber-haired grandfathers out of my head. :o

hahahahahahah now I can't get that image out either xD

[spidermom]

That style has been around for a long time time. I remember 45 years ago, give/take a few years, I was concerned because my grandma had hair down to her butt that she wore in 2 braids wrapped around her head while all the other women her age had short, curly hair. I actually encouraged her to get her hair done like them. She didn't.

Around here, I see all kinds of styles on older women, even long, although rarely as long as mine.

[jillosity]

Maybe they do it to bother those young whippersnappers who aren't minding their own biznatch? It's also possible that they like the style.

[duchesswannabe]

They all don't. Just look around some more. Play hair detective. :D

[rowie]

Yes, it has been a very popular style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTW-OOEvEg

Omg! This is how I felt like when I was in the "Any super shorties thread" growing out my hair for the first time. LOL Maybe i'll borrow your quote and post it on that thread. :D

[elbow chic]

My MIL's worn her hair in some variation of a pixie since sometime in her twenties, I guess. She's seventy-one now.

Before she was married, in her teens, she wore it maybe about chin length, then permed or curled so her earlobes showed. Even as a little girl, you'd see her in a chin-length bob. I'm pretty sure that is the longest her hair has EVER been. Same for her sister.

She wore it permed and curly for awhile in her fifties or so, now she doesn't perm it anymore, so it's straight, sometimes a little spiked with mousse. :D

and always auburn. I think it looks pretty good on her. Really, in a way, though my hair is waist-length, on a day-to-day basis our styles aren't that different.

We both keep our hair strictly out of our faces! She uses hers more to frame her face, and I use mine more to decorate the back of my head. lol

[Honestwitness]

I just spent three weeks visiting my son in Colorado. Everywhere I went, Boulder and Golden mainly, I saw lots of women with long gray hair. It's definitely a regional thing, because I don't see that much long, gray hair in Kansas City. On my way from Missouri to Colorado, I spent the night in Colby, Kansas. Most women there had 80's or 90's styles. Then I went to Iowa City, Iowa, and saw a lot of short gray pixies.

[MelH]

I know right? I told my hubby that if he ever tried to make me have an "old lady hairstyle" I would hurt him! I wanna be that old gal with the long silver/white braids/buns!!

[lapushka]

Maybe they do it to bother those young whippersnappers who aren't minding their own biznatch? It's also possible that they like the style.

Haha! Yes, probably! ;)

[jacqueline101]

They can no longer take care of long hair so they cut it to a manageable length.

[silverthread]

I just spent three weeks visiting my son in Colorado. Everywhere I went, Boulder and Golden mainly, I saw lots of women with long gray hair. It's definitely a regional thing, because I don't see that much long, gray hair in Kansas City. On my way from Missouri to Colorado, I spent the night in Colby, Kansas. Most women there had 80's or 90's styles. Then I went to Iowa City, Iowa, and saw a lot of short gray pixies.

Honestwitness, your hair is stunning! :blossom:

[spookyghost]

My mom is 78, but looks 60, and she has basically the same doo. She goes to her hairdresser once a week to get it washed and styled. In my moms case, she just cant style her hair. She never could. She has always had some type of short hairstyle that requires very little maintenance. But the one thing that I dont know how she deals with is the style/set gets worse and worse everynight she sleeps on it.

[dwell_in_safety]

I would guess that it mainly has to do with the fact that arthritis throughout hands and other joints eventually makes caring for long hair difficult and painful, for most.

I've never known any of my grandmothers to have long hair. One, who died last October, I don't think ever had hair beyond her chin. *shrug*

[akilina]

I can't believe that someone would blame the hair stylist!
As a hair stylist...these older ladies are VERY VERY firm on what they want! There is no room for change because that is exactly how they like it, through and through. Usually, you can try all you want but they are really firm on this style.
I have spoken with some of them about it and they do it because it is easy for them. Many of them can't manage to take care of their own hair because of mobility issues and it makes it as simple as possible for them :)
Many of them got tired of dealing with hair, and a HUGE percentage of them are on medications that have caused their hair to thin out really badly. They are doing what is best in their mind to help it look good :) Others simply do not want to be bothered with hair anymore.
I love these sweet old ladies ^_^ And I loved having my "weekly regulars" in beauty college. They are so fun to talk with. Most of them went to the school and got their hair styled once a week because they could hardly even brush their own hair because of the pain and not being able to lift their arms up very high for any amount of time.

[Lindseyh]

My grandmas both have short curly hair; my mothers is similar. My moms mother had a wig at one point that was identical to her natural hair for "days it wouldn't do right". Growing up we kids regarded that wig as some exotic animal. I don't recall ever knowing if she wore. She fooled this kid at least.

[Indigostreams]

So, I went to a square-dancing competition last night to see my great uncle that I haven't seen in a couple years. So, while awkwardly sitting there as the only person under 50 in the room, I noticed that every single elderly lady had the exact same hairstyle.

That is, a short curly pixie. Some were sporting their natural grey hair and some were dyed. But not a single woman in the room had a style that deviated from that. Not a single one!

Is there some reason I don't understand because of the generation gap? Is it a style that was very popular at one time! I'm genuinely curious.

I've always wondered the same thing. Good question.

[ahrph]

Since I made this post I can't get the image of Bieber-haired grandfathers out of my head.

Hilarious!

[Rufflebutt]

Maybe they do it to bother those young whippersnappers who aren't minding their own biznatch? It's also possible that they like the style. Well sorry I have a working brain and curiosity. I wasn't bagging on old ladies with this hairstyle, I was just wondering why so many women have it.

[Redhead Rebel]

My dad's mum has a wavy pixie that is a pale strawberry blonde, she used to have more ginger hair like mine when she was younger. She was a hairdresser but has never dyed her hair and has always had the same style.

My mum's mum has had medium thickness, wavy, classic length, dark gray with white streaks hair as long as I have known her. A couple of years ago she was diagnosed with cancer, after all her treatments she now has very thin tailbone length hair but will never cut it :) .

[catamonica]

They either don't have time & patience to care for it. Or they have arthritis. I imagine most just
don't want to take time to mess with long hair.

[Ceisdein]

My grandmother (who sported the same hairstyle) called any place with a lot of little, gray, short, curly, haired old ladies "A Dandelion Field".
"Looks like a bunch of dandelions gone to seed."

[Dang3rousB3auty]

My Father's mother had beautiful waist length hair. My cousins and I loved to braid it..then suddenly one day when I came to visit her she had chopped it all off! I was so sad. I am not really sure why she did that, possibly because it was too much work?

My other grandmother has short hair that she gets dyed a blonde-ish color and she gets it permed. She has a lot of pain in her neck and head because of brain surgery she had done, but she has also had that same hair ever since I was born.

My own mother used to have long-ish hair that she used to get permed, but it really looked awful. She also ended up cutting it super short and it looks nice on her. She says it's a lot less work and my mother is so not a girly type. Never wore makeup and only had her toenails painted the couple times I did it for her, so I doubt she has any patience for having long hair.

[freznow]

It's their secret to longevity. Clearly everyone with long hair exploded at an early age.

[browneyedsusan]

I'm just guessing, but I think they do what they did when they were young.
Betty Grable, Judy Garland, (in Easter Parade, not Wizard of Oz...) Marylin Monroe, Jayne Mansfield; all wore their hair short and curly from time to time. Many old girls today simply can't twist up victory rolls like they did in their prime, and their thinning hair won't support them anyway, so they do the best they can with what they've got. Isn't that what we all do? :love:

[Nae]

My grandmother actually grew her curly do out to a slightly past chin length bob and let me tell you, it looks quite strange to me, since it is so different than what I am used to. She had to do it because she had a stroke and was unable to style her hair the way she has since the 50s and 60s. She doesn't much like it, and she can't do much with it, but she can run a Tangle Teezer through it and keep it in half-way decent shape.

I too think that it was just the way hair was worn back then.

[coneyisland]

Omg! This is how I felt like when I was in the "Any super shorties thread" growing out my hair for the first time. LOL Maybe i'll borrow your quote and post it on that thread. :D

Feel free. My post came out kind of funny. :o The huge popularity of the pixie cut came with Mia Farrow's having it in that movie, so I was looking for a video showing it, and there was that video someone had made, seeming to indicate that (her character) Rosemary's problem was her hairstyle. In linking to that video, I meant no offense to the pixies.
　

[spookyghost]

I can't believe that someone would blame the hair stylist!
As a hair stylist...these older ladies are VERY VERY firm on what they want! There is no room for change because that is exactly how they like it, through and through. Usually, you can try all you want but they are really firm on this style.
I have spoken with some of them about it and they do it because it is easy for them. Many of them can't manage to take care of their own hair because of mobility issues and it makes it as simple as possible for them :)
Many of them got tired of dealing with hair, and a HUGE percentage of them are on medications that have caused their hair to thin out really badly. They are doing what is best in their mind to help it look good :) Others simply do not want to be bothered with hair anymore.
I love these sweet old ladies ^_^ And I loved having my "weekly regulars" in beauty college. They are so fun to talk with. Most of them went to the school and got their hair styled once a week because they could hardly even brush their own hair because of the pain and not being able to lift their arms up very high for any amount of time.

I agree. My mom is very firm on her hairstyle and there is no changing things up a little! And from what I can tell with her friends that she dances and exercises with-they are the same. As long has my mom is happy so am I but I have to admit that I just cant see how she likes the one wash a week, hairstyle, and set. She wears a plastic babushka if it rains but if its windy and she is caught without it-Wow! Her set curls are gone. And she waits till her Saturday appointment to get it fixed. Her style just doesnt stay all week. And my mom is in excellent shape. No arthritis and she works out at the YMCA every day. So there are no medical issues as to why she likes this. With her its the fact that she cant style hair and she doesnt have to mess with it at all. But watch out for that wind!

[piffyanne]

I'm sure for some ladies it's to do with comfort, ease of styling and all the things that have been mentioned but for both my grandmothers it was simply a matter of this having been the style they have always worn. My dad's mum has naturally curly hair and has worn it short ever since she cut it at about the age of 20. My mum's mum has always had short hair and she has gotten it permed ever since she was a young teenager. Short curly hair was in style when she was a young lady and so having short curly hair as an older lady was less of a matter of "changing" her hairstyle when she got older and more of a matter of keeping her hair as it had always been. I suspect we'll see something similar as the younger generations age. Those currently in their 40s and 50s will keep their shoulder length or shorter layered bobs and those currently in their teens and 20s will keep their long, straight hair.

Also, as someone who works in Aged care, I want to say that not all nursing homes force long haired ladies to cut their hair. There are a few ladies I care for who don't have the standard issue permed pixie and I help them to brush and braid or bun their long hair each morning because they can no longer do it for themselves. It must be said, however, that these ladies aren't exactly poster girls for long hair. As I'm sure you can imagine their hair, although long, is very fragile and thin. But I say all power to them for being different!
Who better than an LHCer to help with hair upkeep? This post made me smile! :flowers:

[MrsGuther]

My mom is mid fifties and she has beautiful silver BSL+ naturally wavy/wurly hair. She thinks it's weird that most women chop their hair off when they become older.

[Charybdis]

I agree. My mom is very firm on her hairstyle and there is no changing things up a little! And from what I can tell with her friends that she dances and exercises with-they are the same. As long has my mom is happy so am I but I have to admit that I just cant see how she likes the one wash a week, hairstyle, and set. She wears a plastic babushka if it rains but if its windy and she is caught without it-Wow! Her set curls are gone. And she waits till her Saturday appointment to get it fixed. Her style just doesnt stay all week. And my mom is in excellent shape. No arthritis and she works out at the YMCA every day. So there are no medical issues as to why she likes this. With her its the fact that she cant style hair and she doesnt have to mess with it at all. But watch out for that wind!

Yup, this was my grandmother. Her hair was a little on the thin side, but other than that there was no particular issue she was compensating for. She was very busy, not interested in hair, and had a dry scalp that didn't need washed more than once a week. She was all about the once-a-week wash and set. Not my thing, but it worked for her! And she had a variety of scarves and little plastic rain covers to keep it from getting blown around or flattened. Little trip down memory lane there.... She'd be 104 now if she were still with us!

[spookyghost]

Yup, this was my grandmother. Her hair was a little on the thin side, but other than that there was no particular issue she was compensating for. She was very busy, not interested in hair, and had a dry scalp that didn't need washed more than once a week. She was all about the once-a-week wash and set. Not my thing, but it worked for her! And she had a variety of scarves and little plastic rain covers to keep it from getting blown around or flattened. Little trip down memory lane there.... She'd be 104 now if she were still with us!

Awe-your post made me smile!:) My mom is still alive, thank goodnes, but I know this will be one of those memories of her that I will think of often. The scarves and babushkas! Im slovak and I have no idea if thats where the babushka originated from or not but thats what my mom and grandma always called them. We giggle every time we say it "babushka" :)

[xoerincolleen]

I can't believe that someone would blame the hair stylist!
As a hair stylist...these older ladies are VERY VERY firm on what they want! There is no room for change because that is exactly how they like it, through and through. Usually, you can try all you want but they are really firm on this style.
I have spoken with some of them about it and they do it because it is easy for them. Many of them can't manage to take care of their own hair because of mobility issues and it makes it as simple as possible for them :)
Many of them got tired of dealing with hair, and a HUGE percentage of them are on medications that have caused their hair to thin out really badly. They are doing what is best in their mind to help it look good :) Others simply do not want to be bothered with hair anymore.
I love these sweet old ladies ^_^ And I loved having my "weekly regulars" in beauty college. They are so fun to talk with. Most of them went to the school and got their hair styled once a week because they could hardly even brush their own hair because of the pain and not being able to lift their arms up very high for any amount of time.


This! My grandmom is almost 86 and she goes to the beauty shop every week and she complains until the cows come home if they do a single thing wrong, if it's not teased perfectly, if the curls are too tight or too loose. She is very particular and I know a lot of
older ladies are just like her!

[akilina]

This! My grandmom is almost 86 and she goes to the beauty shop every week and she complains until the cows come home if they do a single thing wrong, if it's not teased perfectly, if the curls are too tight or too loose. She is very particular and I know a lot of
older ladies are just like her!
Ahah that is sort of cute!! SOOO true though! Some of them are happy as pie with however it turns out, but some are like super super crazy about it :D I had 3 or 4 regulars and one of them didn't even like her curls brushed out so they lasted her longer..another one you literally had to section out half inch sections and tease them TO THE end of the hair!! SUPER hair spray too. She would buy her own of what the school sold and wed use up the tiny little travel size ones every 2 weeks. Thats a ton of spray!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

My mother has the short cut as well, (she is nearly 89) however she did have APL hair until her mid 60's. She just can't be bothered with hair any more. She goes once a week to have it set and styled and that's it. The rest of the time it has to fend for itself.

She feels that hair stylists can do a better job of caring for her hair than she can. And her hair does look smart when she has just had it done. So who am I to question what she does, I might well feel the same about my hair at that age, I hope not, but really, who knows?

[Miss Catrina]

I always assumed it was because that sort of style was in vogue when they were young.

[perkidanman]

I call that style the "Golden Girls" look and yeah, a LOT of the older ladies I see have that hairstyle, even if they color it. I think that's been the go-to hairstyle for older ladies since the 60s...

[Lady Neeva]

Because they want to.

[Unicorn]

I always assumed it was because that sort of style was in vogue when they were young.
That's always been my thought, I suspect I'll be the same and keep the style I'm accustomed to, into my dotage.

Unicorn

[happybear]

I always thought this was a cut that old ladies did just because they were old, until i saw a photo of my grandma's highschool graduating class. all the girls had the old lady haircut. short and curled.

I bet most old ladies have had this hairstyle since they were 16. I know my grandma has never had long hair. as a child she had a bob, and then when she was in highschool did the old lady style which she has had ever since. Twice a year she gets it permed, and then pins curls it every night and sleeps on it.

my other grandma though, is much different, she has always had long hair and right now it is at a shoulder length bob, that is the shortest it has ever been. But she lived in europe for most of her life, not north america so maybe that has something to do with it

[Lamb]

Because they want to.

Thank you.

As someone who is currently sporting a "dandelion head,"at the ripe old age of 30-something (shedding and plain old "I've-had-enough" syndrome), I actually check out the hairstyles worn by old ladies (65+) on the street these days.

And most of them are charming. Truly charming. The product of a lifetime of routine, discipline, habit - just like long hair. Most of these ladies have been going for a weekly wash & set for decades, maintaining a routine with the same tenacity as any long-haired lady here.

The only grandma I have left has baby fine, naturally wavy hair (I inherited my hair genes from her), and keeps it in a very short, swept-back bob secured with side combs. Has done so for over 40 years. She had APL hair for a while in her early 20s, as one single picture testifies.
The grandma I lost several years ago had stick-straight, coarse hair when she was young. The earliest photos I have of her were taken when she was 15-16 (the late 1920s). Short hair all the way.

For these "dandelion headed" ladies, having their hair curled, trimmed and uniform is one of possibly very few beauty routines continued from the time when they were young and strong and fashionable. For them, this hairstyle is not a uniform sign of aging. It's a sign saying "not dead yet."

And, if you look closely, the style is not at all as uniform as it seems. Short and curly - maybe. But the way those curls are arranged can vary considerably, in length, shape, even colour. Go and see. ;)

[jasper]

My grandmother didn't go for the pixie, really, but she had one of those cuts that gets "set" by the hair dresser each week on rollers, then teased a bit and sprayed almost solid. All she had to do was sort of fluff it if an area got flat from sleeping on it. She had carpel tunnel and arthritis in her hands from being a typist her whole career. And he hair texture got thinner over time, so teasing and spraying would make what hair she had cover her scalp. I think that is why she and many her age (90 and up) go for similar styles.

[DancingQueen]

I think it is because it is easier to maintain. Let's face it: not everyone care as much for long hair as we do. ;) But I know what you mean: My great grandmother (95, and still taking care of herself) have had it as long as I remember, and the same goes for both of my grandmothers. I decided long ago, that as long as my hair looked good that way, I would wear a long, silver braid when I get old. :D

[neko_kawaii]

That style has been around for a long time time. I remember 45 years ago, give/take a few years, I was concerned because my grandma had hair down to her butt that she wore in 2 braids wrapped around her head while all the other women her age had short, curly hair. I actually encouraged her to get her hair done like them. She didn't.

Around here, I see all kinds of styles on older women, even long, although rarely as long as mine.

Yep, its been the trend for quite a while. One of my grandmothers had the poodle perm and now my MIL has is. My mother will probably keep her hair long though I know she is looking forward to gray. As a red head she firmly believes the poem, "When I am and old lady I shall wear purple" was written by a red head.

I think it is used as a type of social status marker. To me it stands for suburban Grandmother, but if you start looking you see both a variety within the style itself as well as those who do something totally different.

[duchesswannabe]

It can be a cultural thing. One of my grandmothers was born in the U.S. but had roots in Eastern Europe and lived there during here late childhood. She thought things like getting a haircut and a perm were high class. She used to make two braids and wrap each one on either side of her head. Her hair thinned out considerably when she got into her 80s, and I am not sure that someone didn't cut it along the line when she was hospitalized and then had to go into constant nursing home care before she passed on.

[KittyBird]

My grandmother is 86 and she has had short hair almost her entire life. It's because she likes it that way, and it's easy to take care of. She gets it curled with rollers once a week, and all she has to do in the morning is to fluff it and comb a little bit.
When she was young she had hip length hair that she always wore in braids. In her late teens she had enough of it and cut it all off. Her mother and grandmother thought it was absolutely outrageous, but my gran felt it was the most liberating thing she had ever done.

I work in a nursing home, and almost all the ladies there have short, curled hair. We had one lady with straight shoulder length hair, but she was only one who had longish hair.
I think old ladies have short hair because they are used it and they like it. ;)

[perkidanman]

I found a picture of my grandma from an old family reunion from the 40s. She had the exact same hairstyle she had for the entire time i've known her (and when asked, she said she's had the same hairstyle all her life). She's recently let it grow out to her shoulders though, as an experiement for her 80s.

[Miss Catrina]

I call that style the "Golden Girls" look and yeah, a LOT of the older ladies I see have that hairstyle, even if they color it. I think that's been the go-to hairstyle for older ladies since the 60s...

Funny you should say that, I just saw an episode the other night where they all went to Sophia's hair stylist and the joke was supposed to be they all ended up with Sophia's exact hair. The funny thing was Rose and Blance didn't look much different... Dorothy was the only one who was really a big change.

[beautifulending]

I think that as women grow older it may not be possible for them to take care of it like it needs or they just actually like it short and curly.