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What are the best hairstyles for older women with thick hair?

I have very thick, wiry, coarse hair that is graying. What would be some suitable hairstyles?

While ladies with thin tresses dream of lavish heads of hair, those with thick manes don’t mind to tear off at least some of their locks. Indeed, thick hair can look gorgeous with its fullness and depth, but it can be a nightmare as well. It’s weighty and often unruly, and it doesn’t hold shape eagerly. But we’ve managed to pick a couple of hairstyles for older women with thick hair that can kill two birds with one stone – manage heavy tresses and make you look younger.

Short Hair for Older Women with Thick Hair

A stylish crop can be a nice choice for a mature lady because of that built-in boyish feel about short cuts. It adds some playfulness, energy, and edginess to the whole look, thus delivering a rejuvenating effect we all seek in our older years. Besides, it’s easier to take care of short tresses. Low maintenance short hairstyles are especially crucial for seniors, who are not that thrilled about frequent brushing, styling, and pampering their locks with masks and other TLC products. And don’t forget about graying – whether you choose to go naturally gray or want to continue dyeing your strands in trendy hair colors, you’ll save lots of time, money, and effort when dealing with short hair.

On the other hand, we need to be really picky when recommending short hairstyles for older women with thick hair. In this case, Earth’s gravity won’t help to weight the locks down and make them more manageable. So, there is a risk to get sticking out strands that are anything but low maintenance. With all these in mind, we’ve come to the following short haircuts for thick hair in older women.

– Layered chin-grazing bob

Bobs are easily adaptable to any face shape by adding bangs or/and face-framing pieces – they have the power to soften, hide, accentuate, or bring in whatever you want. Strategically placed layers work to customize bob hairstyles for older ladies with thick hair. They remove excess bulk for easy styling while shaping the head flatteringly. Think of Jane Fonda’s piece-y bob to get the idea.

 

– Shaggy pixie

When talking thick hair, short hairstyles for older women may come with that disheveled look we’ve been enjoying over the past years. Combined with a pixie cut, it radiates confidence, which is appropriate for persons of riper years, yet has a bit of fun in it for an age-slaying effect. And even if your hair is coarse and unruly, you can perfectly let it stick out as it likes. Take your cue from Jamie Lee Curtis’ cropped locks, but ask for longer tresses if you need to balance your bone structure.

Medium Length Hairstyles for Older Women with Thick Hair

Shoulder-length styles are the middle ground for a full head of hair. They are feminine and can create softness around the face, which we need to counteract age-related changes. With this, mid-length remains light-weight and allows for versatile styling, including updos for special occasions. Moreover, it serves different hair types but can be tricky to customize, if you choose, for example, a long pixie cut for older women with thick curly hair.

Nevertheless, the length alone won’t make you look younger and more stylish. For example, a one-length lob can accentuate bags under your eyes while a hairstyle that lacks shine and texture will make the overall look dull and just emphasize your age. Harsh lines and sharp disconnection also work poorly, not to mention that they are out of fashion. So, what medium haircuts for older women with thick hair are flattering?

– Long bob with subtle layering

To get a softer (read “more youthful”) feel about your lob, opt for longer layers – those that have a larger distance between them as opposed to short intervals. They will make your mane lighter and spice it up with some movement without overwhelming the whole look. It is especially true for a bit wavy hair (Mary Steenburgen is a good example), but with coarse locks, you can rock a more shaggy style.

– Effortless voluminous gray hairstyle

If you’re quite happy with your facial contours and want to set them off with something really elegant, you need a good blow-out and, maybe, some teasing at the crown. The best thing about this hairstyle is that you shouldn’t get it polished – on the contrary, some nonchalance is encouraged.

Long Hairstyles for Older Women with Thick Hair

Wearing your hair long may seem like a good idea – the length will weight your unruly locks down, and long tresses are believed to be associated with youth somehow. Looks like a perfect combo, doesn’t it? But the problem here is that long hairstyles tend to drag you down with all that age-related sagging involved. Besides, you won’t have anything around your face to draw attention away from wrinkles and lines. And what a heavy burden you are going to put on your shoulders!

Is there a way out? Certainly! You can keep your mane on the longer side (though not down to your buttocks), but make sure to adorn it with something to catch the eye. Here is how to upgrade long hairstyles for older women with thick hair.

– Graduated face-framing layers

Let the shortest layers hit your cheekbones while the cascade of locks will deliver plenty of movement without any excessive bulk. This hairstyle will work fine with side-swept bangs in case you’d like to camouflage some wrinkles delicately – Raquel Welch never fails to show us how to rock the style.

– Beachy waves

Again, this style doesn’t require the look with not a hair out of place – if your locks seem tousled, this is what they are actually supposed to look like. And you can go without heat styling since a tiny drop of a styling product and braiding will do the job perfectly, as illustrated by Rita Wilson.

Surely, you can find more hairstyles for older women with thick hair on Instagram, but we’ve handpicked only those that are officially in style and versatile enough to work with different face shapes and hair types. Based on them, you can create your own perfect cut by adding some custom details.

Featured Image: pressfoto – www.freepik.com

by Donna Sullivan
Donna is a hairstylist with 8 years of experience. Ask her about any hair-related problem (haircuts, hairstyles, colorings, hair care) and get a pro advice!
Comments
  • Valía Jiménez
    Reply

    Tengo el cabello largo le agradezco mucho por sus comentarios,Gracias