Does your hair age you?

[MClass]

As I look through the threads I am *amazed* by some of your signatures, with the before and afters! :eyebrows: The difference in your length, texture and style is so vast and beautiful.

Due to the fact that I could not see your faces (hehe) all I had to look at was your hair. It surprised me how the before made me think one might be older, and the after (the long healthy hair) made me think it looked like a much younger person!

I know for me personally, the shorter my hair is, the "older" I look in my own eyes. It may be in part due to how fine my hair is. Do you think your hair makes you look younger or older in certain lengths and styles?

[jojo]

I am told that shorter hair physically ages me and I feel older sort of mumsy with short hair not that I grew long hair to try and recapture my youth.

Long hair is about who you are.

[Peggy E.]

A dear friend recently cut her hair. She had BSL and always wore in it a loose, what I considered "artistic" updo, that had lots of bounce, looked creative and (to me) marked her as a soaring spirit.

The hair cut brought her back to earth; clipped her wings and added years to her appearance. She is 62 and no one would question this today, whereas with her long hair it was difficult to believe.

For instance, Wed. is "Senior Citizen Discount Day" at the local grocery stores. She was always getting "carded" by cashiers who couldn't believe she was old enough to qualify for the discount. Since cutting her hair, she has not been carded once. So it isn't only my take on her appearance.

She likes the "wash and go" aspect of the short cut - even though the longer hair was a "wash and go," too, it took longer to dry and then she had to do something with it; not true now with the short hair.

I have not said a word to her that would indicate how I really feel about her new hair - I would never want to hurt her feelings. But it certainly was interesting to see how the business of "long hair ages you" was actually the exact opposite case - the "short hair" aged her! :o(

[GeoJ]

I can't comment on the length part because I've kept mine waist or longer for the last 15 years, but I do notice a difference in how old or young I look based on different styles. If I do loose styles that cause the hair to hang so that it looks bob-like in silhouette, I will look older. I look youngest in a high bun. Generally for me, the hair lifted up to at least ear height, or totally down, make me look younger.

[Tiina]

When I was 15 I had my hair cut into a pixie after an unfortunate incident. I was told more than once that I looked 30 and when I went to the interview at a school I was trying to get into (and did) I was asked if I was the new biology teacher. :o I don't have an "old" face but I have and always have had strong features (big eyes, high cheekbones, big eyebrows, full lips, strong chin... practically everything a little exaggerated). So I need some softness around my face.

[sophiamarie]

I've been told I look younger with my hair longer. Had it in a bob a couple of years ago and when I see the pictures even I think I look older. I've also been told by some family and "friends" that since I am "middle-aged" why did I let my hair grow again. But the most important person to me, i.e. my husband loves me with long hair and is thrilled I've been letting it grow. He says it makes me look younger and he loves it.

[sophiamarie]

Just another thought. (not sure why I can't get my act together today, maybe because I worked until 11 p.m. last night) I FEEL so much younger with my hair longer.

[angelfell]

I think longer hair makes you look younger.. unless it's totally ruined. Then it looks old :x. But, I've also always been told bangs make you look younger, apparently. I like bangs and long hair, but not until it's long, so I'm going to have to wait. *whistles*

[breezefaerie]

I look much older with short hair. Even in my 20's when I had a pixie cut, I looked much older.
Long hair makes me look better ... and I feel much better with it.

[luthien_belewen]

Short hair made me look older I think, especially when the gel and spray didn't hold (which it usually didn't). I looked like a soccermom at times...

[Spike]

When I was going short, my stylist refused to take me from waist to pixie in one whack. She said she’d lost a good client that way—the woman asked for a short short cut, consultation followed, customer was adamant about SHORT durn it all—and then in the middle of the cut, the woman started crying and left, never to return.

So we went in stages—waist to BSL, then BSL to APL, APL to shoulder and so on. I really really hated the soccer-mommy cuts at APL-shoulder. I felt like I looked middle-aged. Seeing as how I’m squarely in that demographic, you’d think that would be okay. But no. Ewww. Soccer-mom hair was just not for me; I think it made me look like a well-preserved mid-forties rather than an ageless person. You know—somewhere between twentysomething (I have life lines on my face, and Renegray tinsel coming in) and sixtymumble (the lines aren’t yet grooves, and the tinsel isn’t streaking yet).

Now that I’m growing it long again, I’ve been bunning it since about shoulder-length. And I routinely get asked my age, or guessed to be thirtysomething. And I got similar responses (adjusted for age) when I had the pixie. So—long hair up is good, short hair down is good, but hovering around the shoulders—not so flattering.

[Toadstool]

To me it depends on the style.

Will someone PLEASE show me a picture of a soccer mom cut??! I've been reading it here since 2008 and still don't know what it is!!

[Dragon]

People say I look 16 to 17 with my long hair even tho Im 21, almost 22. I have a hat that makes me look 18 but that is as old as I can get my self to look with long hair.

[chopandchange]

Most people who meet me for the first time seem to think I am still a teenager. I think it's the long hair (normally worn in two plaits).

Of course, that's only here in the West. If I were living in a country where all (or most) females had long hair, and people were used to it, I expect people would not be judging our age by looking at our hair. I wonder how they judge your age in those countries? By observing your skin and how wrinkled it is? Maybe if I went to India everyone would instantly know how old I was. LOL

[princessp]

I think being happy and keeping a positive attitude makes you look younger. Long hair makes me happy and I definitely look younger than I am (about 10-15 years). I attribute it to being happy more than anything else.

[spidermom]

No, but I think I age my hair.

[MissManda]

I'm not quite sure, actually. It seems that most people seem to assume that I am younger than I actually am. For example, I'm twenty and people usually assume that I'm fifteen or sixteen. When I had my hair bobbed when I was about twelve, people would guess nine or ten. I think I just have the general youthful look about me.

However, I do not think that shorter styles are terribly flattering on me and I think they MIGHT age me a wee bit. I think if I were to get my hair bobbed (GACK!), I'd probably look older.. When I look at the photo of me with my hobbit hair perm, I think it does make me look older. I remember when I had my pixie cut that I didn't style it with gel/mousse and would rather deal with having mushroom hair so that might be why it didn't age me much. :shrug: I have some pictures of me with long, permed, and about shoulder-length hair if you want to compare.

[luxepiggy]

My mother looks SO much younger now with APL length hair than she did 15 years ago with chin-length. It's really amazing (^(oo)^)

[RachelRain]

I actually look younger with shorter hair... but it also makes my face rounder, which I don't like right now. I'm fat enough, I don't need any help from my hair. :)

[Kristin]

I think longer hair makes me look younger, especially with blunt bangs. Now that my hair is finally at waist, I recently cut my bangs straight and I think I look about 15. ;)

[Anywhere]

Maybe. I feel like in pictures where I had shorter layers that showed in the front and made it look SL, I looked younger than with all this long hair. Not by more than a year or so though. When my hair's up in a bun i look much older/mature than with it down..

I haven't had it shorter than APL since 6th or 5th grade so I don't really know.

[Bene]

Doesn't matter how long my hair is, I still get carded http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/bene25/smilies/mad.gif

[irisheyes]

I think my hair ages me, because it's damaged , growing out red dye, and shabby from no trimming for 2 years.

[Speckla]

I look younger with shorter hair.

[kwaniesiam]

Right now yes. A short choppy, trendy pixie makes me look a bit older than I am. I have no idea what long hair does for me. I was too young when it was long to really make much difference.

[boomtownrat]

Even with a head full of short silver hair, I've had a few people tell me (unprompted by me) that they think I look younger now than I did with my hair longer and dyed red. I do think I might look younger with it at shoulder length than I do with a bob, and when I look back at photos from about eight years ago I think having bangs cut in a certain way does age me considerably.

[christine1989]

I do think that long hair can age you if it is unhealthy looking but short bobs are definatly the standby "soccer mom hair" so they can make people look older too.

[virgo75]

Doesn't matter how long my hair is, I still get carded http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/bene25/smilies/mad.gif


Hahaha, this goes for me too. :p


My face is rather heart shaped and I have fat, round cheeks so I get mistaken for younger all the time.

From what I've been told:
Really short hair looks cute and makes me look younger in a natural, carefree sort of way(probably because it's curly).
Bobs are cute too.
Medium length hair makes me look(feel) like a soccer mom.
Long hair also makes me look younger.

So basically most hairstyles are flattering on me except what I have now. :roll:

I can NOT WAIT for my hair to grow out... I'm hoping this medium length stage passes quickly. :pray:

[slythwolf]

Time ages me. I haven't noticed my hair doing it. But then I don't really care how old I look.

[<3OnHerSleeve]

I'm only 19, so short hair actually does make me look young. When I curled my hair to make it look shorter and it sprung into a curly bob, my friend said I looked like a 14 year old trying to look older with makeup lol.

Now part of this is probably to do with the way I treat my skin. I have medium-acne prone skin although half the time it's actually pretty clear. There was a program on TV earlier this year or late last year where an international beautician came to Australia and when she'd guess the age of her clients here, she was always 5 years off because our dry sun makes our skin age quicker than Europeans and Americans.

So I've been already working on anti-wrinkle creams etc. like Lanolin oil and aloe vera. So my skin, unlike my friends who are close to my age, has no wrinkles around the eyes basically at all. So my theory is I look baby-skinned and shorter hair makes me look like I did as a young teenager... I suppose I'll be cheering about this in about 15 years, but for now it's sometimes a tad embarrassing lol

[chelseamichelle]

Typically I think shorter hair will age a person, but on me, it makes me look younger.

[mellie89]

I think long hair gives people an "ageless" look. I think long hair makes most people look younger. It makes me look older, personally, but only because I'm 20. Shoulder length or shorter makes me look about 14. I've been told that I look like an entirely different person now compared to a year ago, because I went from SL to almost BSL.

[CrowningGlory]

People who don't know me can't believe that I'm a grandmother to two precious granddaughters with two more grandbabies due next year. I must admit that I do have good genes (my mother always looked young even though she wore her hair short!) but I'm sure the hair has something to do with it too.

[MementoMori]

Considering I'm a teenager, it actually does the exact opposite. I'm 14 going on 15 and a waiter at a resturaunt asked if I went to middle school. It's quite odd, actually. When I WAS actually 12 years old, everyone thought I was 14-15 and acted rude when my parents requested the children's menu. Now that I am actually 14, people think I'm 12.

-____-;

[Elenna]

Well, my hair is inching toward waist and it makes me look older because of the silvers.

[Jules diamond]

I'm the opposite. When I have long hair I get mistaken for someone in my twenties, but when it was shorter, I'd be mistaken for someone younger then I really was. I think it's partially because of my round face. I've got a babyface, but when my hair is covering my cheekbones you can't tell. Once it's off of my face, as it was with the shorter hair, I looked younger.

[cleanbug]

You know...i haven't heard from anyone other than one comment here on LHC, if longer hair makes me look younger or older.
I got one comment in a different post that i looked younger since my hair is a bit longer now.
Here's a hair chronicle...what do you think?
http://ilovehenna.tripod.com/id1.html
I usually was under the impression that when you are over 55-60 age, longer hair would age a person but I am questioning my thinking now after being a member of the LHC.
I have 2 hairdresser aunts & I think alot of their opinions probably influenced my thinking.

[MClass]

You know...i haven't heard from anyone other than one comment here on LHC, if longer hair makes me look younger or older.
I got one comment in a different post that i looked younger since my hair is a bit longer now.
Here's a hair chronicle...what do you think?
http://ilovehenna.tripod.com/id1.html
I usually was under the impression that when you are over 55-60 age, longer hair would age a person but I am questioning my thinking now after being a member of the LHC.
I have 2 hairdresser aunts & I think alot of their opinions probably influenced my thinking.

I looked at your website and I think you look younger with longer hair. It sofens your features as well, very pretty. I think partly is because it looks very healthy, not "dry" at all.
PS I love your arm tattoo I have been wanting to get one there but I'm not brave enough yet!

[JulietCapulet]

I think short hair is definitely aging. I have no idea why so many people think long hair ages women. They are insane!

[janedoe0]

In general I think that women look younger with longer hair, but it really depends. If it's unkempt and unstylish, then long hair can add years to someone's appearance.

That being said, I've had both short hair and long hair and it hasn't seemed to change others' perception of me. I'm 24 and people think I'm anywhere from high school age to age 35!

[cleanbug]

I looked at your website and I think you look younger with longer hair. It sofens your features as well, very pretty. I think partly is because it looks very healthy, not "dry" at all.
PS I love your arm tattoo I have been wanting to get one there but I'm not brave enough yet!
Thanks for the compliments. I am enjoying my hair longer...in the past i would grow it out & then feel that it was damaged & cut it off right away. That was before I discovered henna & used boxed hairdye to cover my premature greys.
I can't wait to see how long I can grow it in another year or so.
The arm tattoo isn't as bad as you might think. I did it in 3 sessions & it was managable. Feet & ribs especially are much more painful (so I hear).
Tami

[MAO]

I've been told on multiple chopping occasions that I look younger afterwards:shrug:. I think the key is to not go TOO short. I never cut the bottom (front) layer shorter than chin length.

[Kibitzer]

The one time I had short hair I was told by alot of people that I looked much older. Not the words I wanted to hear. Now that my hair is longer people think I am younger than I am. Also a friend of mines 13 year old daughter had her waist lenght hair cut to a short bob went from cute kid to college kid in one fell swoop.

[Cowgirl16]

I cut my hair into a pixie after the birth of my second son. I was told then that I looked like one of the kids! Even to this day if I show off some pics from that time to friends, they think I look like a 12 year old! Go figure:confused:

[WinterInBloom]

I don't really know which length of hair makes me look younger or older. No one has ever really specifically commented on my hair/age relation. I know that when my hair was shoulder length or shorter people tended to guess around what my age actually is, and when it was longer people always thought I was younger than I really am. Actually the other day a woman complimented me on my hair (BSL now) and she later asked if I was about 16 or 17. Then she said she would have guessed younger than that if it wasn't for my son who was obviously at least 2 if not 3 yrs old.:hmm:

[1nuitblanche]

When I was 14-16 and had a pixie, people often thought I was 18-16. Now that its longer, the age I'm pegged with depends more on how I'm wearing my hair. A bun always makes me look older, but having it looser usually makes people think I'm right back there in high school again.

[julliams]

When I was actually young (early 20's) I got my very long hair cut to my shoulders and everyone (including the kids I taught) told me I looked younger. I think this was more due to the style though because I had very little layering and it probably just looked like a child's style.

When I went through my "Meg Ryan" phase I think that hairstyle aged me and the kids told me I looked like Dragonball Z and I didn't know if that was a compliment or not - lol.

Now I keep my hair longer than BSL and I think at my age (37) it keeps me looking younger (I hope). I don't think I'll ever have short hair - it just doesn't suit me - I am all about my hair.

[arwenevenstar37]

I have had people say that I look like I am sixteen when I was 13 and had just cut my waist hair up to my shoulders and now that I am 22 people still ask me if I am sixteen (once on a plane the flight attendant was worried I was not old enough to sit by the emergency exit...) and my hair is down to bsl... Maybe I do look younger with longer hair or I am stuck in my late teens...( I am a ballerina so the body type might also be affecting it...)

[MClass]

I have had people say that I look like I am sixteen when I was 13 and had just cut my waist hair up to my shoulders and now that I am 22 people still ask me if I am sixteen (once on a plane the flight attendant was worried I was not old enough to sit by the emergency exit...) and my hair is down to bsl... Maybe I do look younger with longer hair or I am stuck in my late teens...( I am a ballerina so the body type might also be affecting it...)

My aunt was a ballerina and had the thinnest longest frame and it did make her look so young and graceful.

[henna4grey]

What a subject for the media!

"Who says middle-aged women can't have long hair?"

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/who-says-middle-aged-women-cant-have-long-hair-2402323/#photoViewer=1

[GlennaGirl]

There are so many short styles that I love, love, love and that I lemming like crazy (complete with a little drool coming out of one side of my mouth)...but I know that on ME they will look awful. I'm not sure they make me look older; maybe. Rather, they all just...make me look plainer. It's hard for me to describe.

I know so many women who look incredible in short hair. I think if any length at all is left and it's not in a style one equates with "old ladies," shorter hair doesn't necessarily have to age a woman.

But for me...even when I was young I looked awful in short hair. It's very sad for me as, like I said, there are short styles that are so cute and sexy. It's just like thick bangs...I have always, always, always wanted to make those work and no matter what, they just look horrible on me.

Just one of those things.

[FrannyG]

Well, I know I've been told a number of by people who didn't see me between having short hair and long hair that I look younger with the long hair. Even some very young people have told me this.

I have very clearly aged in other ways in that time, but I do think that my hair doesn't age me.

[FrannyG]

There are so many short styles that I love, love, love and that I lemming like crazy (complete with a little drool coming out of one side of my mouth)...but I know that on ME they will look awful. I'm not sure they make me look older; maybe. Rather, they all just...make me look plainer. It's hard for me to describe.

I know so many women who look incredible in short hair. I think if any length at all is left and it's not in a style one equates with "old ladies," shorter hair doesn't necessarily have to age a woman.

But for me...even when I was young I looked awful in short hair. It's very sad for me as, like I said, there are short styles that are so cute and sexy. It's just like thick bangs...I have always, always, always wanted to make those work and no matter what, they just look horrible on me.

Just one of those things.

I feel like you in so many ways. I still see short hairstyles that look so gorgeous, but with my face shape and my hair type, they just wouldn't work (this I know from past experience). I think that there are people who have the perfect hair type for a specific cut, and they can wear it with ease and look amazing.

I think it's harder for people with our hair type to find a short cut that really works.

Also, if you don't feel fabulous with your hairstyle (whatever the length), then you're not likely to project that fabulousness that some people have.

I know that I look like just my dad; when my hair is short, I feel like I need to reach for the lipstick and mascara just to look like a female. I don't like living that way.

There are some people with face shapes that can wear any length of hair and look youthful and feminine; I'm not one of them.

[Kittee]

I am rocking the soccer mom cut right now :whistle:

Or as I would like to call it the... "Green Mom who was fed up with her long hair being grabby grabbed by the baby so in sheer desperation she whacked it all off..."

Haha. :) Anyways, I don't know if it aged me or not. I'm sensitive about aging right now because I'm turning 32 soon.

My hair is now a good "canvas" for growing back out and this time I won't abuse it while its growing, no more bleach, chemical dyes or non-organic products. I'm excited to see what my hair can do without all that damage. Sure I had tailbone length when I cut it all off, but a good 2 ft of it was split ends and dry/damaged.

I'm going to treat my hair like LACE now. Antique lace. :)

[FrannyG]

I am rocking the soccer mom cut right now :whistle:

Or as I would like to call it the... "Green Mom who was fed up with her long hair being grabby grabbed by the baby so in sheer desperation she whacked it all off..."

Haha. :) Anyways, I don't know if it aged me or not. I'm sensitive about aging right now because I'm turning 32 soon.

My hair is now a good "canvas" for growing back out and this time I won't abuse it while its growing, no more bleach, chemical dyes or non-organic products. I'm excited to see what my hair can do without all that damage. Sure I had tailbone length when I cut it all off, but a good 2 ft of it was split ends and dry/damaged.

I'm going to treat my hair like LACE now. Antique lace. :)

Bolded For Disbelief. :bigeyes:

You're thinking about aging at 32? Oh dear. :grouphug: Honey, I'm going to be 50 next year, and I'm not even sensitive about aging.

Please try not to think of being 32 as even the slightest bit old. It really isn't, believe me. You have many, many more adventures to come, my dear. It ain't over; not even close. :blossom:

[constantki]

I look quite young either way considering I'm still a teenager, but I did notice that when I had chin length hair I felt like I looked significantly younger, which is something that I did not want considering I was 12.

[MonaMayfair]

I think this is an individual thing. Some people look younger with long hair, but it makes other people look older. The same thing applies to hair colour, natural or not..

I've been told I look younger with shorter hair and I think myself I look younger with dark hair (I used to dye it dark brown with a semi permanent colour) although it's naturally blonde.

[Bonkers57]

Every time I get mine chopped most people say I look younger. I'll admit that's something I struggle with every time I try to grow mine out, considering I used to get carded well into my 30s.

But then - once it's long enough to put in a ponytail or updo, wouldn't it look like short hair anyway? (At least from the front?)

[Kittee]

Bolded For Disbelief. :bigeyes:

You're thinking about aging at 32? Oh dear. :grouphug: Honey, I'm going to be 50 next year, and I'm not even sensitive about aging.

Please try not to think of being 32 as even the slightest bit old. It really isn't, believe me. You have many, many more adventures to come, my dear. It ain't over; not even close. :blossom:

Thank you dear. :) I appreciate that! By the way, I looked at your website and your progress photos...your hair is SO PRETTY. I love how it's looking in the Aug 2010 photo!

[ChatNoir]

Well... *scratches neck*.. Before I cut to shoulder I had BSL hair.. one day me and my mum were taking the buss, and mum was going to pay. I had my hair down, no make up, a huge purple hoodie, leggings and converse.The buss driver thought I was 12... I'm 18... No one questions that now when it's at shoulder, but I still can't wait until I get to BSL ++ again. Less fare on the buss :D

[Wind Dragon]

No, but I think I age my hair.

Hah! :smooch: I love you (and not just because yeah, since my dimples have let go and become jowls, me too :p)

I was in my thirties and wearing my hair pixie-short when I got carded ("And, you want to see my ID, why?" "Because [confused now,] you have to be eighteen to buy cigarettes?") Yeah, I chuckled about that for weeks. And I have a picture of me from about five years before that with long hair, that someone might have looked at and easily guessed me at 40-ish. Or I don't know, certainly beyond the 20's I was still in. The difference between the two looks, though, had way more to do with the state of my mental and physical health and happiness than my hair.

Not smiling ages me. Worry ages me. Loss of muscle tone ages me. My hair isn't even in the running. :lol:

[Maverick494]

Love your posts Wind Dragon and Spidermom! :applause

I don't really think hair makes that much difference in how old you look. That said, if it's badly taken care of, yes ofcourse it doesn't help you when you try to come across as fresh and youthful. You just need to pick the right hairdo for you and that doesn't necessarily mean it has to be long.

I think that in order to look young (or as best as you can look) nutrition, exercise and skincare routines are what makes or breaks you.

I'm 22 and I get mixed guesses. A week ago at the gym I was helping a new girl. She was 16 and she didn't know how to use some of the machines. Then she asked me how old I was and I told her to guess. She thought I was her age and when I said I was 22 she thought I was trying to fool her.

On the other hand a relative of my parents thought I was 23, so I can't really say whether I look older or younger for my age. I don't care really. I haven't celebrated my birthday in 10 years, so it's not like it matters to me.

What does irritate me is the mainstream's obsession with age:rolleyes:.

I've got classmates at Uni who are 24 and yapping about how "old" they are. I mean, if you're going to concentrate on that already when you're young, how are you going to survive when you reach middle age? :confused:

[Neneka]

My grandmother is 80 ears old and her hair is waist length, maybe even more. It grows very fast and it's thick and black and shiny and she is maybe my number one hair idol. It doesn't age her! No way! My hair will never look like that because it's not black and it's thinner and it will go gray but I love long gray hair! For myself I can't really say because I am 22 years old...

I think that long hair means youth and health and it's not aging. Middle aged women have short hair so often that maybe short hair is aging more nowadays...

[FrannyG]

Thank you dear. :) I appreciate that! By the way, I looked at your website and your progress photos...your hair is SO PRETTY. I love how it's looking in the Aug 2010 photo!

Well, you are still a youngun. However, I do know that having little ones around can make you feel older than you are as they tire you out. That does pass though. And I think that a huge number of us cut our hair at some point after we had our babies. I know I did.

Thank you so much about my photos. I appreciate that. :flowers:

[moonkitty]

I definitely think shorter hair makes a woman look older. Maybe it's because I think longer hair is more feminine.

[Fadedbluedreams]

To me it depends on the style.

Will someone PLEASE show me a picture of a soccer mom cut??! I've been reading it here since 2008 and still don't know what it is!!
Lol Toadstool I guess I don't know either :)

[noelgirl]

People seem to think I'm younger either way - I'm small and have a bit of a baby face, so I don't know that my hair plays into it much at all! I'm 26 (almost 27) and a grad student, but people on campus who don't know me tend to assume that I'm an undergrad. I haven't had short hair in many years, so I don't really have a basis for comparison, but people I know from dance often don't know how long my hair is, because it's usually in a bun for dance, and they too assume that I'm younger than I am - just the other day a fellow dancer invited me out for drinks, but then was like, "wait, you're not 21, are you?"

[girlcat36]

I am nearly 45. When I have my hair down, or mostly down, it's a sure bet that I will get carded. Happened twice in the last month, and the people who carded me were actually questioning the validity of my ID.
If my hair is in a bun or a ponytail, I never get carded.
So I can say that having long hair makes people think I am younger.

[sakuraemily]

Nah it doesn't. I'm very kiddy looking and look the same with long hair and short hair. But I look a bit more childish with short hair.

[Bonkers57]

I'm not sure of the exact definition myself. And I don't think the mods would like it if I looked for random pics of people to post here. My guess is a generic, short (but not ultra-short) - to - midlength layered cut. Loaded with product, blow dried and sprayed into submission. Nick Whatsisname used to cut a lot of them on What Not to Wear.


Lol Toadstool I guess I don't know either :)

[girlcat36]

I'm just thinking back to the last time I had short(above shoulder) hair. It was in 1991, and my hair was about BSL, but horribly dry and frizzy. I had been trying to grow it out for 4 years, but it kept breaking--now I know that it was actually cone damaged.
Anyway, I got a chin-length bob. It actually was kinda cute, lots of healthy ringlets.
When I came home from the salon my then-husband was very pleased with the new cut, saying "Now you look grown-up!"
He did not like the way longer hair made me look younger.
He was one of those husbands that didn't want their wives looking too good.

[prosperina]

About the soccer mom hair cut: you can google it. A few pics of Katie Holmes after she got that short cut look soccer mom-ish to me.

Original post: I don't know. I think things like weight gain and fatigue are more likely to age me. I did hear a co worker say to another coworker that she looked older (in a good way) with her shorter hair. I think a lot of people don't even look at the person too carefully and just make their decisions on certain characterisitics, body size, hair length, etc. I think shorter hair is seen by some as more sophisicated, therefore older.

[squiggyflop]

i dont think my hair ages me.. but my glasses definitely do.. i only ever get carded buying booze when im not wearing them.. but apparently i must look older in glasses.. people always assume im like 26-27 with them on

[wookermuffin]

hard to say since I'm only fifteen but last year I was at the library and I was checking out a lot of books and the librarian said that I must be a teacher since I was checking out all those books. When I told her I was in high school she asked what collages I was thinking of going to and I told her that I had just started my freshman year and had no idea.

I think it's because where I live teenage girls tend to have long hair (BSL to waist is average) and when they finish school most cut it to APL or shoulder. I was wearing my APL length hair in a low bun which around here is worn mostly by adults were as teens tend to wear their hair in a really high bun.

Now with my midback length hair no one ever is off in guessing my age by more than a year or two; I solidly look like I'm in high school.

[Bonkers57]

Great point. Weight gain has most definitely aged me. If I could get down to about 170 again, I'd be happy (I'm about 220 now :( ). If I got down to my high-school weight (140) I'd be too gaunt and then I'd look really old. The fat kinda plumps my wrinkles out a bit, and hanging skin won't make me feel attractive...

(I'm off to google soccer mom hair cut)

UPDATE: I've googled it and they show a lot of different styles, my current one being one of them :laugh: Hilary Clinton's is closest to what's in my mind's eye. And Meg Ryan's current style.


About the soccer mom hair cut: you can google it. A few pics of Katie Holmes after she got that short cut look soccer mom-ish to me.

Original post: I don't know. I think things like weight gain and fatigue are more likely to age me. I did hear a co worker say to another coworker that she looked older (in a good way) with her shorter hair. I think a lot of people don't even look at the person too carefully and just make their decisions on certain characterisitics, body size, hair length, etc. I think shorter hair is seen by some as more sophisicated, therefore older.

[Grille]

longer hair makes me look younger.. only when I have a bun I look much older..

but nobody thinks I am of age, anyway :D

[Toadstool]

Soccer Mom hair refers to, according to Urban dictionary:


"Short, easily managed, but completely unfeminine and unflattering haircut worn by overweight, middle-aged women with 2.6 children"
Google images showed lots of different bob haircuts, some of which were very glamorous and did not fit the above description. So I'm getting an idea of it but think perhaps the bob pictures were misleading.

I look oldest with my hair up and without a fringe.

[rapunzelna]

I think it all depends on who you are as a person and your physical appearance. For me there's no question, I think I look younger at 48 with long hair than I did at 38 with short hair

[tinti]

I think longish bangs ages me a bit because of my hairline, but whatever. It's easier to deal with longer bangs than shorter because of my ugly cowlick and I don't have to trim them every 2 months.

[kmouse43]

I'm 46 and with my long hair, people think I am in my early 30's! Lovin it!!

[mrs_coffee]

Age ages you. It kind of annoys me that women are so pressured to look as young as possible. God forbid we look our age.

When I turned 40 this year, I had a number of people say "Don't worry, you don't LOOK 40," as if turning 40 is a great curse or I'm somehow crossing the line into Oldpersonville. I asked everyone who said that "What's wrong with looking 40?" not in a snarky way, but just to make them think a little about what they're saying and/or unintentionally implying.

I've always been told I look younger with short hair, but it really doesn't sway me one way or the other.

[Madora]

Couldn't care less. My hair was what was important. The age factor isn't an issue since you can't do much about it (except for cosmetics, etc.).

I believe it's more important to feel happy with what you have to work with, than worrying about Father Time. Your mileage may vary, of course!

[chrissy-b]

The last time I cut my hair really short everyone told me how much older it made me look, so I suppose longer hair makes me look younger.

[MommaRalph]

I think longer hair makes me look younger, especially with blunt bangs. Now that my hair is finally at waist, I recently cut my bangs straight and I think I look about 15. ;)

OK. I haven't had bangs in 15 years but you make me want to cut some! I'm 33 and I think my long hair does age me. I tried a bob wig and got so many compliments! My experience has been though that my short haired mommy friends want every mom to have short hair. Perhaps because their husbands tell them they like my long hair. No joke! LOL! I equate that to the same phenomenon as newlyweds thinking all their single friends should marry! ;)