15 Best Hairstyles for Women Over 50 in 2023 | Prose (2024)

Take one look at the IG baddies under those hashtags and you’ll see: There are no “best hairstyles for women over 50,” because everything is on the table and we don’t limit our personal style. And with that said, here are some incredibly fly women with hair to match. They may just have you screenshotting and texting your hairstylist.

Short hairstyles

Short-haircut women just hit different. The confidence of it all! Whether you’re embracing the gray or not, short hairstyles let your hair color (and bone structure!) sing the high note. They’re also a great option for fine and thin hair, because you can add layers and get way more volume than you would with longer layered hair.

Cropped bangs

Self-described “silver model” Nathalie shows the versatility of a super short, stacked bob with bangs on her Instagram. Sometimes she goes for a sexy bang, like the above, and sometimes she does an oomphy slick-back style.

Stacked bob

For more of this ferocity, see also: Maye Musk.

Afro

Speaking of ferocity, designer Tracey James wrote on her Instagram for World Afro Day that she’s “rocking an afro for the first time in almost 40 years,” while also letting her grays do their thing, which is a whole vibe that we are 100% here for.

Razored buzz cut pixie

Model and “pro-aging ambassador” Deborah Chambers, aka Deborah Darling, has a very cool and versatile cut with buzzing around the nape and razored lengths at the top. As the cut grows out she can wear it down in an uber-short bob or up in an incredible faux-hawk. Having fun with your hair isn’t just for your twenties!

Short bob

Jacki Cook of “My Over 50 Skin” sports a short platinum bob with baby layers around the ends and subtle face-framing. This kind of bob is great for fine and thin hair, as it creates movement and enhances the volume of your natural waves and hair texture, especially if you use a little volumizing mousse before air-drying. Simple and chic.

Medium hairstyles

While there’s no rule that says we have to go short in our fifties, growing and maintaining super long hair isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Shoulder- and chest-length hair is the perfect, manageable balance for those of us who like to be able to wear a ponytail but don’t want to spend an hour blow-drying Rapunzel hair.

Bouncy blowout

Pair a shoulder-length layered cut with a couple turns of a curling wand or roll brush and blow-dryer and you’ve got instant bombshell hair, as evidenced by silver hair influencer Adelina, below.

Low ponytail

You can also swap heat tools for hair accessories and a low pony like designer Tamara Beardsley. From hats to headscarves to jeweled headbands, her Instagram shows the power of marrying fashion and hair.

Faux pixie

The beauty of medium hairstyles is you can have the best of both worlds. Dutch model Fransje has gorgeously curly shoulder-length hair, but she’s giving pixie vibes (and serving face!) with this deeply parted, slicked back pony. Check out her tutorial here.

Shoulder-length bob

A blunt bob with minimal layering is not only timeless, it’s easy to style and makes hair look sleek and healthy. Silver hair influencer Grateful and Gray shows the versatility of a classic bob by styling it with deep side parts, beach waves, and her natural color pattern, which is shining through more and more after being three years dye-free.

Long bob

If you really want to have fun with your look and keep it fresh: vacillate between a shoulder-length bob and a long bob (or “lob”). But definitely keep your salon appointments in between to add chiseled layers to your lob, as seen on model Marielle van Oostrom above. She keeps her lob bouncy and textured with chin-length layers in the front and long layers to add fullness in the back.

Natural gray curls

Embracing the gray takes on new meaning when you’re also on a natural gray hair journey, like Ebonie (aka “OuchGreyGirl”). She started her Instagram in 2013 to encourage other women—of all ages—to love their natural hair and care for it with the right products and, most important, patience. “I’m so thankful that I decided to embrace my gray hair and I haven’t regretted it one day!” she writes.

Long hairstyles

There’s no rule that you have to get a short haircut when you turn 50. And likewise, deciding to grow long hair later in life isn’t just possible, it’s magical.

Long layers

International model Manon Crespi, below, began growing her mid-length hair out and embracing the gray 12 years ago and has never looked back.

Face-framing layers

Layers are loved for adding fullness and movement to fine, thin hair, but they can also lighten the weight of super thick hair. Model Violeta Zuvela strikes the perfect balance for her hair texture and length with cascading layers that start at her chin. This look was popular in the ‘90s and proves timelessly chic on Zuvela.

Two-toned curls

The process of going dye-free and embracing your natural hair color can be a hairstyle unto itself. Silver model Sharon Young shows how beautiful the in-between can be. Whether your hair color pattern is naturally two-tone or you’re stepping away from dye, this look is magical and unique.

Half-up top knot

This is a great style if you’re stretching between wash days, because you can still wear your hair down while tucking any less-than-fresh strands into a top knot. The trick to a seamless and secure half-up top knot is to secure a half-up pony with an elastic before making your twist. And for a more effortless looking knot, only twist the first few inches of hair and wrap the rest, securing with bobby pins.

Side part

Gen Z brought back the middle part, but that doesn’t dampen the glamour of a classic side part. In addition to adding volume and showing off your layered haircut, a side part can be accessorized with bobby pins or aesthetic hair clips on either side of the part. You can also sweep it into a loose side braid.

Bangs for women over 50

Bangs are back and they’re for everybody. Sure, curtain bangs are trending at the moment, but there’s also blunt bangs, shaggy bangs, feathered bangs, baby bangs…the list goes on.

Curly bangs

Don’t forget about curly bangs á la model/stylist Ophelia Ba Kon who gives major Tina Turner vibes with her hair and personal style on Instagram.

Hairstyles for thin or fine hair

While layered cuts look great on fine and thin hair, surprisingly, blunt cuts can be just as (if not more) flattering. Blunt bobs and lobs give hair a sleek and healthy look with minimal styling—meaning less heat tools and styling products that could contribute to buildup and damage. If you love your length and aren’t looking to make a big chop, long layers with face-framing pieces in the front are perfect for long, straight hair.

Layered hairstyles

There are dozens of ways to add layers to your hair. Whether your stylist uses a razor or shears, or whether the layers are all over, just around the mid-lengths and ends to add fullness, or just around the face, it’s about finding a layered hair style that works for your hair type and personal style. If you have super thick hair, try internal or “invisible layers” which are added underneath the hair to remove weight for a lighter look. This technique can also be used on fine and thin hair as “ghost layers,” a style that uses internal cuts to give hair beachy, all-over layers that are less defined and choppy.

Hair care for women over 50

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