Look younger in minutes: 5 anti-ageing hair fixes
Sometimes a smart new cut is all it takes to instantly achieve a fresh new look, so check out these quick anti-ageing hair tips:
1 Go short
‘A dramatic cut signals confidence,’ says Rachel Shattock Dawson [LINK] (www.therapyonthames.co.uk). And it can work for anyone. ‘I disagree when people say certain face shapes won’t work with short hair,’ says Jamie Stevens [LINK], a recent nominee for British Hairdresser of the Year. ‘Short styles can be adapted to suit anyone.’ Round faces require longer, side-swept layers to elongate their shape, but people with angular bone structure can experiment with more graphic outlines. Oval faces suit most styles. Go on, be bold.
2 Go beyond the shoulder
Got long locks? Lucky you! Long hair has never been more popular with celebrities over 40 – think Demi Moore or Sarah Jessica Parker. So what’s changed? ‘Women today want to look younger and feel sexier for longer, and maintaining a healthy head of hair is all part of that,’ says Sally Brooks [LINK], artistic director of Brooks & Brooks, London. ‘Your hair is also a “sex signal” that can indicate youth, fertility and availability,’ says Shattock Dawson. ‘Long, glossy, flickable hair is synonymous with sexiness, while behaviours such as playing with your hair are well-known flirting gambits.’
3 Fortify your follicles
These days anti-ageing your hair is just as important as treating skin. ‘As we age, the body’s production of melanin, the substance that gives hair its softness and colour, slows down, making the hair feel dry and coarse,’ says Brooks. To combat, use nourishing conditioners and look for supplements with biotin and zinc, to fortify hair from within.
4 Rethink your layers
‘Layers reduce bulk in thick hair or add texture, body and movement to fine hair,’ explains Stevens. Cut cleverly, layers can transform the shape and behaviour of your style, but on fine or thinning hair, proceed with caution. ‘While layers add volume to fine or limp hair by creating texture, if you over-layer, hair can start to look thin.’ It will also affect your styling time, especially on longer hair. ‘The more different lengths in your style, the longer the drying time, so consider how that fits into your lifestyle before you commit.’
5 See the fringe benefits
Fringes are a savvy shortcut to reworking your current style (not to mention magically disguising forehead wrinkles), but consider which styles will suit you before taking the plunge. On round or oval faces, a longer, side-swept fringe is most flattering, while square or angular faces lend themselves to blunt fringes. As well as face shape, consider hairline. ‘A full fringe won’t suit someone with a low hairline as, chances are, they’ll have small features and it will box them in, making their face seem smaller,’ says Stevens. ‘But it would suit someone with a high hairline, narrowing the gap between hair and eyes.’
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