There are many reasons you might want to cut your hair short, whether it’s to keep things low-maintenance, simplify your hair care routine, or just find a new, sophisticated style. In those cases, you might wonder about the best short haircuts for women over 60—something sleek, stylish, and easy to manage. We checked in with pro hairstylists to learn how to choose a cut that flatters your face shape. Plus, the top trending cuts and who they look best on. Keep reading for everything you need to know about switching up your hair in your seventh decade and beyond.
RELATED: 10 Tips for Switching to Shorter Hair After 50, According to Stylists.
How Do We Define Short Hair?
We classify short hair as anything between the length of a long bob, which can almost reach shoulder length, and a pixie cut, which is quite short. If you’re cutting off a lot of length, any chop can feel short and fresh, especially if you’ve had it long for a while.
Which Short Haircut Is Best for Me?
When choosing any new hairstyle, but especially a short one in your 60s, you’ll want to take your face shape into account, since these chops will put it front and center. Most faces can be categorized in one of four ways: oval, round, square, and heart. By basing your style on your shape, you’ll balance out your features and play to your strengths.
Oval Face Shape
Try a French bob for this face shape—the style is very short and wavy, with a few layers thrown in.
“Between the layers and the waves, it increases volume for those with thinning hair,” says Ghanima Abdullah, cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles. “It also ends at the cheeks, which helps emphasize the center of the face, taking attention away from crow’s feet and laugh lines.”
If you have naturally wavy hair, you can let it air dry; or, blow dry and add a heat protectant, then put in a few loose curls.
Round Face Shape
“Those with a round face shape need volume on top of the head to elongate the face to oval, removing bulk and length on the side to create softer texture,” says Yvey Valcin, master stylist and founder of Yvev Salon.
You can add that volume with layers, side-swept bangs, or simply by getting more familiar with your blow-dry brush and volumizing mousse.
Square Face Shape
For this shape, use your hair to add a softening effect.
“The perfect short hairstyle for a square-shaped face is a bob that comes right to the jawline,” says Abdullah. “This kind of bob masks the sharp look of the jaw, especially when it’s curled forward.”
Those curls and waves can also increase your hair’s volume, which may begin to wane in your 60s.
Heart Face Shape
Valcin prefers a modern textured bob on this face shape. “The fluidity of the texture around the face and neck can look very sexy,” he says. “In my opinion, women over 60, have seen life a bit, so a hairstyle where they don’t have to babysit it brings the perfect energy out of them.”
If you want to go super short, Abdullah suggests a pixie. “These cuts bring attention to the eyes, removing it from the lower part of the face where you might have a protruding chin,” she says. “Besides that, they look super chic and can hide thinness as well.”
You’ll also want to consider your maintenance routine when choosing the best short hairstyle for you in your 60s. Short hair typically requires less time washing, drying, and styling than longer locks.
However, if you choose a style that you’ll need to straighten, curl, or blow-dry, then you’ll want to ensure that routine fits into your schedule—especially since pulling short hair into a ponytail isn’t an option. Be honest with your hairstylist about what’s manageable.
The color of your hair, including any highlights or lowlights, can play up your style as well. Talk to your stylist about how yours will look, and whether you should color your hair before or after your chop.
RELATED: 5 Tips for Having Bangs Over 60, According to Stylists.
10 Best Wash And Wear Short Hairstyles for Women Over 60
1. Classy Long Bob Hairstyle
A long bob is super classic, and a great way to dip your toes in with a short hairstyle. Abdullah says they look best on oval and square face shapes because the hair nearest to the face can remove some width from the jaw area.
“If the bob is shorter in the back than in the front it can lend a more modern look and also bring the hair forward into the face, which is great for hiding signs of aging,” she adds.
It looks great in all colors, and you can style this cut in many different ways.
2. Shaggy Bob Hairstyle With Bangs
This style translates to a wavy bob that comes just past the chin. “After the hair is curled lightly, it’s fluffed to create a shaggy look,” says Abdullah. “With bangs, it’s good for people with oblong faces as it hides some of the forehead and makes the face more of an oval shape.”
However, it’s also a good cut for people with any face shape. “That’s because the length of it pulls the sight down to the neck beyond a pointy chin or square or rounded jawline,” explains Abdullah. “The waves also hide the cheeks of a round face and the angles of a square one.”
3. Textured Pixie for Thin Hair
This cut can help give the appearance of fuller, thick hair—especially if your strands lean limp.
“Texture creates movement and volume to create a fun, playful, and versatile look,” says Lana Bowen, owner and CEO of Salon Tonight. “Product is also very important with fine hair: Choose a volumizing and or texturing product that will add density, volume, and control when blow drying and styling a short pixie cut.”
4. Short Gray Undercut Hairstyle
Opt for an undercut if you’re looking to go bold. “It’s usually done on a pixie and is an edgy look for youth that looks as good on those over 60,” says Abdullah. “It’s for those with a rebellious spirit.”
The style doesn’t have to be restricted to a pixie—you could also shave one side only and bring all of your hair to the other side of your head. With salt and pepper hair, it’ll make a real statement.
5. Short Angled Bob With Face-Framing Layers
This look is pretty and soft. “An angled bob with face-framing layers is versatile in the fact that you can wear it straight, curly, or wavy,” says Abdullah. “Wavy is the best option for adding volume and making the cut look chic, regardless of your age.”
She adds that it looks extra feminine when worn on the longer side.
6. Jaw-Length Bob with Short Layers
For this cut, your stylist will chop your strands to the jaw and then create layers throughout starting around the temples. You can wear it straight, wavy, or someplace in between.
7. Curly Crop for Natural Gray Hair
This is a curly style that’s shorter on the sides than on the top. “Usually, it’s more of a pixie cut than a bob, or somewhere in between,” says Abdullah. “If you’re over 60, it’s a perfect haircut if you have a square or heart-shaped face that has lost some of its definition.”
The curls can bring some angles back to the jaw and chin area, and the curls on top can balance those features by drawing the eye upward. When your strands are naturally gray, they may develop more of a curl, making this style extra flattering.
8. Short Feathered Cut
A feathered cut leaves the ends of your hair nicely textured and layered. “The exact cut and face shape doesn’t matter so much as the fact that it miraculously disguises wrinkles,” says Abdullah. “There’s something about all those feathers that pull the attention away from similar lines on the face—it looks fabulous, especially with bangs.”
Add some highlights or dimension with your color to really play up the cut.
9. Classic Stacked Bob Cut
This layered bob is when there’s height and volume in the back, and the sides angle down further. It’s doable, but Abdullah notes it’s the haircut that’s synonymous with the “Karen” moniker. However, if you remove some height in the back, you can make it much more modern.
10. Blonde Bob With Flipped Layers
A flipped bob is similar to a classic bob haircut, but when the ends flip upwards. You can accomplish the look with a blow dryer, curling iron, or straightener. Just curl the bottom up, and you’ll get the style!
If your hair is blonde, it’ll look cute and retro with a big flip or sophisticated and classic with a smaller one.
RELATED: 10 Ways to Embrace Keeping Your Hair Long After 50.
Do Women Over 60 Look Younger With Short Hair?
It depends!
Ryan Sanger, founder of Hair Lingerie: The Studio in Los Angeles, cautions that they can sometimes make you look older.
“I generally refrain from recommending short hairstyles, such as pixie cuts, for clients over 50, unless the individual explicitly desires to convey a more mature or older appearance,” says Sanger. “I attribute this caution to what I term the ‘Golden Girls effect,’ where individuals in their 50s, like the Golden Girls TV characters, are often perceived as being in their 70s or 80s due to their short hairstyles.”
However, with face-framing layers, the right color, and sometimes even the use of extensions, every cut can look youthful.
How Can I Take Care of a Short Haircut?
- With Glasses: Most glasses wearers can empathize with the experience of hair getting stuck in the hinges of their specs. To prevent this, keep your glasses on your temples (instead of on top of your head), and screw the hinges tight.
- For Wavy Hair: If your hair is wavy, find a short haircut that plays up its texture; that way, you don’t need to use heat on your hair.
- For Straight Hair: There are also lots of styles that work well with naturally straight or fine straight hair—ones that don’t require much heat styling, like a flipped bob, or a voluminous cut you can accomplish with a blow-dryer.
- For Thinner Hair: Try to wash less frequently, and eat a protein-rich diet, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- For Gray Hair: Make sure to use a moisturizing shampoo to keep your strands healthy; you may use a purple toner to keep your color a crisp silver.
- For Dark Hair: Use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner to minimize trips to the colorist.
- For Blonde Hair (Or Blonde Highlights): Use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner and a moisturizing hair mask regularly.
Conclusion
Overall, the decision to go short in your 60s is highly personal—and even once you make a big chop, there are tons of short styles to choose from. Your hair stylist can help you choose the exact cut, color, and style that will flatter you. Just be sure to bring inspiration images so they can understand your vision. And, be upfront about the time and resources you have to commit to your style routine. For more haircare and beauty advice, visit Best Life again soon.
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