9 Worst Hairstyles Older Women Should Avoid Because They Draw Attention To Bald Spots And Thinning, Stylists Warn

Age should never dictate your style, whether we’re referring to clothes, hair, or makeup. If you feel your most confident self with super-long hair and you are past the age where it is no longer recommended to sport super-long hair, don’t give others’ tips a moment of attention. If, however, you feel like your current hair style or haircut isn’t serving you, and you can’t figure out why, it could be because it isn’t making the most of your hair how it is at this moment in time.

Holding onto old hairstyles when your hair has changed can make your strands look thinner and draw attention to sparse areas of the scalp — a normal and natural occurrence with age and hormonal shifts. These nine hairstyles aren’t always the best choices for women over 40 — avoiding or modifying them can make a world of difference.

Middle Part

It’s easy to become devoted to the way you part your hair. Changing your part can also make a big difference in your overall look. The potential problem with a severe middle part as we age and perhaps lose some hair is that it can make shedding and thinning on the crown more evident. Often times, you can conceal thinning a bit by parting your hair more to the side or even trying a deep side part.

Super-Straight Hair

Some of us are born with straight hair — this isn’t to suggest you should change your natural hair type. But if you’ve become used to ironing your hair straight, this could be making your hair look thinner and more fragile. Allowing some natural texture to come through, and maybe even rough drying your hair instead of taking to the iron, can look more youthful.

Braids

Braids look so stylish, but if you have a lot of thinning by your scalp they can accentuate it. The tight pulling on your scalp when creating tight braids can also make thinning and shedding worse.

V-Shape Haircut

A V-shape haircut is one in which the sides are much shorter than the back, resulting in a literal V-shape at the back of your head. This style may work for very thick hair if you need to relieve some bulk, but for thinning or fine hair, it will only make your hair look less dense.

Slicked-Back Hair

The wet look, complete with slicked-back hair, was all the rage for a moment a few years ago. But it isn’t always the best option for thinning hair, as it can allow the scalp to show.

Extremely Long Hair

Extremely long hair that reaches your waist or lower can look straggly and unhealthy unless it is truly well maintained, conditioned, and lacks split ends. There is no hard and fast rule about needing to cut your hair after a certain age. But some report that very long hair can drag down their faces and features, plus it’s not always easy to maintain when your hair is fine or thinning.

Shaved Pixie Haircut

The pixie cut is always a classic favorite of women of all ages, but especially after 40 or 50. Its shorter sides and back with length on top can make thinning hair look thicker and gives you a variety of fun styling options. But shaving the underside of your pixie haircut may draw more attention to sparseness on the scalp.

Too Many Wispy Layers

Wispy layers are those that are feathery in texture, allowing a lot other space to pass between the strands. They work when helping to remove bulk from thick hair that lacks shape, but can make thin or fine hair look thinner and finer. Work with your stylist and ask her to keep some of your layers blunt, as well.

High Ponytail

A high, tight ponytail can often reveal baby hairs at the sides of the forehead as well as sparseness around the scalp. If your hair is thin, it may show more in the density of your ponytail, as well. A low ponytail or bun is a good alternative for days when you want to pull your hair up and off your face without making it look thinner.