MomSkoop
Turning 40 is a milestone that brings confidence, wisdom, and a clearer sense of personal style. However, some hairstyles that worked beautifully in your twenties or thirties might not be as flattering after this age.
Hair texture changes, faces mature, and what once looked fresh can suddenly feel outdated or unflattering. Understanding which styles to avoid can save you from costly salon regrets and help you maintain a youthful, polished appearance that celebrates your age rather than fights against it.
1. Super Long Hair Past the Waist
Hair that cascades down your back might seem romantic, but after 40, it often reads as trying too hard to reclaim youth.
As we age, hair naturally becomes thinner and more fragile, making extremely long lengths look stringy rather than luxurious.
The weight of long hair can also pull down your facial features, emphasizing sagging rather than lifting your appearance.
Most stylists recommend keeping hair at shoulder length or slightly below for a more modern, age-appropriate look.
Shorter styles tend to appear fuller and healthier while framing your face in a flattering way.
If you love length, consider stopping at mid-back and adding layers for movement and body.
2. Overly Severe Blunt Bangs
Blunt, straight-across bangs can be incredibly aging on mature faces, creating harsh lines that draw attention to forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet.
While bangs can hide forehead lines, the heavy, blunt style often makes faces appear shorter and wider.
This cut requires frequent trims and styling, which becomes more challenging as hair texture changes with age.
Many women find that blunt bangs emphasize rather than minimize their age.
Side-swept or curtain bangs offer a softer, more forgiving alternative that still provides coverage without the severity.
These gentler options blend seamlessly and require less maintenance while creating a youthful frame around your eyes.
3. Jet Black or Extremely Dark Hair Color
Going dramatically dark might seem like a bold choice, but jet black hair can be surprisingly harsh against aging skin.
As skin loses elasticity and develops more lines, the stark contrast of very dark hair emphasizes every imperfection and can make you look washed out or tired.
Dark colors also show gray roots much faster, requiring constant touch-ups that can damage hair quality.
Colorists typically recommend warming up your shade and going a few tones lighter than your natural color after 40.
Rich browns, warm chestnuts, or softened blacks with dimensional highlights create a more flattering, youthful appearance.
These gentler shades soften facial features beautifully.
4. The Super Short Pixie Cut
Did you know that ultra-short pixie cuts can actually emphasize neck sagging and jowls rather than hide them?
While some women look stunning in pixies, this style requires specific facial features and bone structure to pull off successfully after 40.
Without the right face shape, a too-short cut can make your face appear rounder or highlight areas you’d prefer to minimize.
This cut also demands near-constant maintenance and styling to avoid looking messy or dated.
If you love short hair, consider a longer pixie or textured bob that sits just below the ears.
These alternatives provide coverage while still offering that chic, modern vibe you’re after.
5. Chunky Highlights or Frosted Tips
Remember when chunky highlights were all the rage in the early 2000s?
Unfortunately, this dated look screams outdated rather than stylish on mature women.
Thick, contrasting stripes of color or frosted tips look artificial and can add years to your appearance.
Modern coloring techniques focus on natural-looking dimension through balayage or babylights that blend seamlessly.
These subtle techniques create depth and movement without obvious lines of demarcation.
The goal after 40 is to enhance your natural beauty with soft, blended color that catches light beautifully.
Save yourself the regret and ask your colorist for hand-painted highlights that look sun-kissed rather than salon-striped.
6. Overly Teased or Volume-Heavy Styles
Big hair might have worked in the 80s, but excessive teasing and backcombing can seriously damage aging hair while looking outdated.
Hair naturally loses density after 40, and aggressive teasing breaks fragile strands while creating an unnatural, helmet-like appearance.
The style also tends to look dated rather than glamorous in modern contexts.
Instead of piling on height through teasing, create natural volume with strategic layering, texturizing products, and gentle blow-drying techniques.
Modern volume should look effortless and touchable, not stiff or sprayed into submission.
Your hair will thank you for the gentler approach, and you’ll achieve a fresher, more contemporary look that flatters your features naturally.
7. Stick-Straight Flat-Ironed Hair
Poker-straight hair achieved through daily flat-ironing might seem sleek, but it often falls flat on mature women in more ways than one.
Without natural movement or texture, completely straight hair can make thinning more obvious and create a lifeless appearance that emphasizes rather than enhances your features.
The excessive heat required to maintain this style also causes cumulative damage that aging hair can’t easily recover from.
Embracing your natural texture with some gentle waves or soft bends creates dimension that makes hair appear fuller and more youthful.
A little movement softens facial features and provides a more forgiving, modern frame.
Your hair’s health will improve dramatically without constant heat damage too.