As they get older, many women want to give their appearance a fresher look. Surgery and aesthetic medicine are one way to achieve this, but there is a quicker and simpler way to refresh your look: choose a rejuvenating hairstyle. Before you turn to drastic solutions, why not try a visit to the hairdresser? Some hairstyles can make you look younger and take several years off.
The short answer. The most rejuvenating hairstyles are those that give hair volume and movement and frame the face rather than hide it. Typical examples are a bob between chin and shoulder length, a layered cut, a pixie for fine hair and a soft fringe or side fringe. A colour one or two shades lighter than your natural one also helps, ideally with subtle highlights around the face. Don’t expect a miracle that takes decades off, but a well-chosen cut will visually lift the face and make it look fresher.
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How to look younger with your hairstyle
The main rule for looking younger is to lighten your hair. A short cut also tends to have an immediate and genuinely rejuvenating effect.
TOP 7: The best hairstyles to make you look younger
13 tricks to look youngerThat is why many older women choose medium-length, chin-length hair instead of longer hair, because this length visually lifts the face. Long hair draws the eye downwards and emphasises sagging facial features. A shorter cut makes the face look lighter. However, this is not always the case. If your hair is still thick, a longer cut can actually look more rejuvenating.
Loose waves look more youthful, while straight hair can make you look older. Play with framing your face and give your hair softness and movement. Layers can also make your hair look fresher and healthier. Small curls frame the face and bring features to life, contributing to a “lifting” effect. What’s more, if thin hair is one of your concerns, fresh waves will also make you look younger. Remember that as hair loses density, and therefore movement, straight hair is generally not the best choice.
When you subject your hair to heat styling and chemical treatments, your hair can look older. These damaging processes cause breakage, so your hair doesn’t look healthy, let alone youthful. Any treatments of this kind go against the principles that rejuvenating hairstyles must follow.
Stylists stress, however, that the key to the right hairstyle at any age is finding the one that suits your features best. This principle cannot be stressed enough. Above all, choose a hairstyle you feel good in and that boosts your confidence. To do this, you need a hairdresser you trust who will help you choose.
Hairstyles by age
Age alone does not dictate a cut. But hair does change: over the years it thins, becomes finer and turns increasingly grey. According to a worldwide study by Panhard, Lozano and Loussouarn, published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2012 and involving 4,192 volunteers, 74% of people aged between 45 and 65 had grey hair, on average affecting 27% of their hair.
The same study challenged the old rule that at 50, half of all people have at least half grey hair. Only 6 to 23% of people were this grey at 50, depending on their origin and natural hair colour. Men also went grey considerably more than women. For choosing a hairstyle, there is only one takeaway: go by the condition of your hair and the shape of your face, not the number on your ID card.
Hairstyles after 40
Around 40, hair is usually still thick, so you can afford a longer length. The most rejuvenating options are a layered cut at or below shoulder length, which brings movement back to the hair, and a curtain fringe, which softens the forehead.
If your first grey hairs are appearing, opt for subtle highlights or balayage instead of all-over colour. The grey gets lost in them and regrowth is less visible. It is best to give up very dark solid colour, which often looks harsh with age.
Hairstyles after 50
After 50, many women deal with thinner and finer hair. That is why a bob, a chin-length bob and an asymmetrical cut work so well: they don’t weigh the hair down and they add volume at the roots. Short hairstyles after 50 are not compulsory, though.
Density is what matters. If your hair is still strong and healthy, you can stick with a shoulder-length cut with layers. If the ends are thin and see-through, taking off a few centimetres will do more than any product.
Hairstyles after 60
After 60, it pays to choose a cut you can manage at home in a few minutes. A pixie with a longer top layer, a short layered bob or a chin-length bob all work well. They all hold their shape without elaborate blow-drying and let your face stand out.
Many women of this age stop colouring and switch to natural grey or silver. If you decide to do this, focus mainly on regular trims and shine. Well-groomed grey hair looks fresher than colour that grows out quickly and loses its tone.
Short or long hair after 50?
As a general rule, a shorter cut makes hair lighter and lifts it, which is why it is among the most common rejuvenating hairstyles. Long straight hair with thin ends can visually drag the face downwards. But this is not a rule for everyone.
If you have thick hair, shoulder length or longer may suit you better, as we explain in the eighth tip. The deciding factor is the condition of your ends. As long as they are thick and shiny, feel free to keep the length; once they start thinning, it is time to cut.
If you are unsure, try a compromise in the form of a long, shoulder-length bob. It is a length you can easily put up in a bun, yet it doesn’t weigh the hair down. After a few weeks you will know whether you want to go shorter or let it grow.
8 tips for hairstyles that make you look younger
Hair has enormous power in your image: it brings personality, boosts confidence and can help you look renewed and fresher if you choose the right cut, style and colour. For a fresher and more youthful image, turn to a fringe, which often takes years off, a bob or more modern cuts.
Tip: Try a homemade face mask for wrinkles.
1. Pixie cut for thin hair
If you are ready to say goodbye to medium-length or long hair in general, the pixie cut will be your best ally. It is a short cut, which is why it used to be called “masculine“.
The pixie cut is a safe bet. It easily makes women over 50 and older look younger. A short hairstyle also gives you plenty of playfulness. Leave the top layer longer so you can wear it as a fringe or sweep it back when you are going to a more formal event. A tousled touch is often a sign of good taste and on-trend style.
The advantage of this extra-short cut is that it works as a rejuvenating solution for thin hair. The shorter length means the hair is not dragged down by its own weight and can create a lighter, livelier look. If your hair still seems limp even when short, try a light volumising spray or mousse to keep it full.
2. The bob
As a general rule, women tend to shorten their hair as they get older. There is a logic to this. With age, hair changes in thickness because the hair strands become thinner. It loses shine, becomes more brittle and even changes texture, so it may become either straighter or curlier. For women who wear their hair long and don’t want to risk such a radical cut as the pixie, a suitable bob, the Bob cut, is ideal.
Bob-style cuts can be varied. A hairstyle that doesn’t go past the shoulders and has a slightly wavy surface is one of the best ideas. It will give you freshness and a natural look, and you can expect a very rejuvenating change.
So if you don’t fancy a really short cut above the ears, the bob is one of the short hairstyles after 50 that will help you look beautiful, well groomed and chic.
3. Hair colour
The best rejuvenating hair colours are both fresh and warm. Good examples are copper tones and other warm brown shades (such as mocha).
One of the most suitable colours to make you look younger is undoubtedly blonde, though with shades. Go for lighter colours, as they brighten the face more. The best option is a couple of shades lighter than your base colour. Highlighted hair is much better than a solid colour or toning.
A combination of highlights is the best solution. Go for soft colours. The technique known as “contouring” is not just for make-up but for hair too. It involves placing highlights around the face and combining different light shades.
If you have fair hair, choose golden or honey shades, which you can rarely go wrong with. For brunettes, chocolate or copper highlights are a good choice. For chestnut hair, some golden shades.
Tip: Plan a day just for you! Go for a good coffee in Prague, relax in a sauna, for example, read your favourite book and, last but not least, visit the hairdresser.
4. Fringe
Asymmetrically cut fringes look soft and can also hide a few laughter lines. A simple way to take off the years is to make a subtle change to long hair by adding a fringe. A curtain fringe helps give the face a youthful look and covers wrinkles.
A fringe is a great trick that you can combine with other tips, such as a rejuvenating bob. If you are worried about a fringe, choose a side fringe instead. It has the same rejuvenating effect, and if you cannot get used to it, it will soon grow out. You can then tuck it behind your ear, and it will create a lovely wave across your forehead that you are sure to fall in love with. Combined with a bob, you will look fantastic and people will find it hard to guess your age.
Which fringe to choose depends on your hair. For fine, thin hair, a light, thinned-out fringe or a curtain fringe parted in the middle works better. A heavy straight fringe quickly goes flat on this type of hair and tends to draw attention to the forehead. Thick hair can carry a fuller fringe. Just have it cut so that it ends at the eyebrows or just below them and does not fall into your eyes.
5. Square and asymmetric cuts
Square and asymmetric cuts will take a few years off you. If you want to add a touch of originality, go for asymmetric styling. This means the hair is cut straight overall, but the front strands that fall towards the face are left slightly longer. This creates a long bob, also called an A-line bob because of its shape, which is longer at the front and shorter at the back.
A long bob suits straight to slightly wavy hair of medium thickness best, as the angled line shows up well on it. The longer front strands visually lengthen both round and square faces and soften the jawline. On very curly hair the line gets lost, and on very thin hair the longer front strands can look sparse. To keep its shape, the cut needs regular trims.
6. Bun for mid-length hair
If short cuts seem too old-fashioned to you and you do not feel ready for them yet, there is a solution for you too, with hairstyles for mid-length hair for older women. Buns can serve the same rejuvenating purpose for mid-length hair, and they can also look very sexy. Layered styles provide lift and volume, giving a very lively look.
A bun with a fringe is a rejuvenating hairstyle for mid-length hair. If you are no longer young but do not feel comfortable with a very short cut, you can choose this style, which hides wrinkles and imperfections.
High buns are hairstyles that help rejuvenate the face by creating an upward line.
7. Mid-length hair with waves
With mid-length hair you can create a variety of styles. An asymmetric cut works well. You can wear it sleek to make the effect more visible. Remember, though, that wavy hair is often a byword for youth and good taste. So go for soft waves or a relaxed, tousled style that gives hair more volume.
If you choose waves, leave the ends straight to make the style look more modern. Accessories also help: jewelled headbands and hair clips will help you achieve a more youthful look.
Soft waves (for example, beach waves) soften the facial expression, which is why they are also a good choice for mature women.
8. Long hair
Did you think short hair was the only option at a certain age? It is not! On the contrary, thick hair looks more youthful and elegant when it is shoulder length or longer. Shorter hair tends to spread out at the ends and creates an unflattering triangular effect. When hair falls past the shoulders, however, its length weighs it down and prevents this. In that case, this is exactly the rejuvenating hairstyle you need.
Hairstyles for fine and thin hair
Why hair thins with age
Hair thinning with age in women most often has one main cause, known medically as female pattern hair loss. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it is the most common cause of hair thinning in women and usually appears between the ages of 40 and 60, and in some women earlier.
It shows mainly as a widening parting in the middle of the head and receding hair at the temples, but complete hair loss as in men is not a risk. The Academy describes the condition as progressive, meaning it does not improve on its own, and it tends to be more common after the menopause. According to experts, hormones probably play a role. The styling in this section will disguise ongoing thinning, but it does not address the cause. If you are losing hair quickly or unevenly, it is worth discussing with a dermatologist.
With fine, thin hair, the aim is to add visual density. Cuts with light layers at the crown and bluntly cut ends work best. A straight line at the ends makes hair look thicker, whereas over-thinned ends make it look even sparser.
The ideal length ranges from a pixie to a bob above the shoulders. You can boost volume at the roots by blow-drying with your head upside down and using a light volumising spray instead of heavy oils and creams. If your hair is thinning significantly or quickly, see a dermatologist. We cover hair nutrition in our article on hair supplements and vitamins.
Hairstyles for thick and curly hair
Thick hair needs lightening rather than extra volume. A layered cut at shoulder length or longer removes weight and stops the ends from spreading out into a triangle. Short cuts are possible with thick hair, but they need more frequent trims.
Curly hair is rejuvenating in itself because it has natural movement. Have it cut in layers so that the curls are not flat on top and wide at the bottom. Curls tend to get drier with age, so rely on a moisturising conditioner, gentle detangling with a wide-toothed comb and less heat styling.
Hairstyles for a round face
A round face needs a cut that visually lengthens it. An asymmetric bob ending below the chin, a longer bob with volume at the crown and a side fringe that divides the forehead with a diagonal line all work well. By contrast, a straight, heavy fringe and a rounded bob ending at the cheekbones make the face look even wider.
If you want short hair, choose a pixie with a longer top layer that you can style upwards or to the side. Height at the crown lengthens the face. Not sure what face shape you have? Our article on the different face shapes will help.
The same principles apply to a fuller face, but the overall proportion with the rest of the head matters more. A very short, close-cropped cut makes the head look smaller. A bob or a cut from below the chin to shoulder length, with volume at the crown and soft layers around the face, works better.
Avoid volume at cheek and jaw level, such as curls or waves starting at the cheekbones, and also very sleek hair flattened against the head. A parting slightly to the side, strands falling below the chin and waves that start only below it will lengthen the face. Subtle highlights around the face can liven up the colour and draw the eye upwards.
Asymmetric haircut
An asymmetric cut breaks up the regularity of the facial features. One side of the hair is noticeably shorter or longer than the other, usually with a diagonal line running from the ear forwards. It works on both short and mid-length hair, and you can even try it just by changing your parting, without taking off much length.
It is not the same thing as the A-line bob in tip 5, Square and asymmetric cuts, or the asymmetrically worn mid-length hair in tip 7. There, the only difference is the length of the front strands around the face. Here, one whole side of the head can be shorter, for example through an undercut or a much shorter side section along its entire length.
The advantage is that it draws attention away from regular features, and the diagonal line visually lengthens the face, much like a side fringe or side parting. It suits both round and square faces. On very thin ends, however, the diagonal line quickly loses its shape and needs more frequent trims.
Grey hair, dye it or leave it?
Grey hair really does increase perceived age. In an experiment by the American authors Nutt, Thorstenson and Yorzinski, published in 2025 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, 120 people aged 18 to 43 (23 on average) rated photos of the same faces with their original hair colour and with digitally greyed hair. They estimated men’s faces with grey hair to be roughly six to eight years older, and women’s faces five to six and a half years older. They rated the attractiveness of the grey-haired faces only slightly lower.
However, the experiment used faces of around 30 years of age with completely grey hair, and the raters were mostly people in their early twenties, so the result cannot be applied to every woman over 50. In our view, well-groomed, glossy silver hair with a modern cut looks completely different from dull, shapeless grey. So the decision is mainly up to you.
The American Academy of Dermatology explains that hair turns grey when the hair follicles stop producing melanin, and on average this begins in your thirties to forties. Do not pull out grey hairs, as another grey hair will grow in their place, and frequent plucking can thin your hair. You can find more about premature greying in our article grey hair at 30.
If you want to dye your hair, choose a lighter shade such as blonde, light brown or caramel with highlights. Grey regrowth blends in with these shades. If you want to switch to natural grey, gradual lightening with highlights or a shorter cut that gets rid of the dyed ends sooner will help. A purple toning shampoo neutralises the yellow tinge in grey hair.
Why try rejuvenating hairstyles
Some women naturally look younger than they are. Others have to work harder to come across as younger. Hair and hairstyles play a big role in appearance and in how others perceive age. There are more rejuvenating hairstyles than you might expect. Some of these styles are very popular styling classics for young and older women alike. Try the secrets of using your hairstyle to look younger than your age.
Bold, youthful, soft and spicy: these are all qualities of youthful hairstyles. Bold short haircuts add youthful energy to the look of mature women, too. Try a bob for fine, thin hair, which is sure to pleasantly surprise you. Strikingly cut short hair creates an impression of confidence and strength. Be happy with your hair. What do you think? Will you try a new haircut?
