Turning forty is a milestone. It signifies the beginning of the second half of life, and one can no longer claim to be young. At this point, when you look in the mirror, what do you see? You may be fixated on graying hair or surprised that you don’t look as bad as expected at this age.
It is only natural for someone to question whether it’s time for a change in appearance. And what is among the fastest ways to change things? A new hairstyle.
In this piece, I’m going to provide some hairstyle suggestions for women over 40. However, instead of assuming that your only objective is to appear younger than before; I will touch on multiple likely aims that could be at the back of your mind.
1. Braid Over The Top
This style is perfect for the hair that is thinning on top because it does double duty. Firstly, it serves to cover patches where hair is sparse. Secondly, by plaiting the braid we create an illusion of volume thus making the face look more attractive.
2. Short Curly Hair
If you want to add some volume to your hair quickly consider curling it up. And this effect can be enhanced even more by cutting the hair shorter. Because shorter hair is lighter and therefore seems to be thicker naturally but at the same time curls themselves may well conceal any bald spots on your scalp.
3. Straightened Bob
What this sleek bob lacks in physical volume it makes up for with visual trickery. By appearing minimalistic and flat, it can give the impression of intentionally thin chicness pretending as though its wearer has thinning hair which was done deliberately.
4. Side Swept Bob
Volume at the top is what side-swept bangs in this short bob style provide a magic solution for… It’s also able to hide any thinning spots on the scalp very effectively.
5. Twist On The Side
To make this hairstyle take one side of your head twist its strands towards the back and let loose curls fall naturally. Thickness appears instantly along the twist line just like with an over-the-top braid only here even more so.
6. Layered Medium Length Hair
Even if you cut layers no amount of them can help achieve fullness with long thin locks – hair should be medium length at least for that! The thing about lighter ones being situated higher up than underneath them causing more puffiness there in comparison to heftier portions below applies here too only stronger because lengths are longer.
7. Long Bob With Layers
If you’re thinking about getting slight trim then adding some layers onto a long bob can still work wonders when it comes to volume. This style retains the length while enhancing thickness creating a fashionable and becoming appearance.
8. Messy Pixie
Flat is what short-tousled hairstyles like messy pixie are designed for – they create bulk where there was none before! They give the body even fine limp hair that usually lies flat on the head when left alone… Therefore instead of fighting against messy texture let’s embrace it which will make us get more voluminous locks.
9. Uneven Part
An uneven part is not only a reference back to the early 2000s but also helps in giving more body to your hair. Besides well placed parts could serve as a disguise for places with less coverage thus providing a stylish solution with an additional amount of volume.
10. Short Angled Bob
This style adds volume for several reasons: layers cut in shorter lengths at the back can make puffiness happen especially if some mousse is used additionally so. Angularity makes hairs push forward thus seeming thicker while framing faces with fullness along sides.
11. Classic Blowout
With this style, your hair will not only appear fuller but also gain a classic touch that goes way back in time. It works magic on shoulder-length or slightly longer hair too. All you need is mastery of blow drying which might take some practice before getting perfect results but once done then this is a look that can last for days without washing or styling again.
12. Loose Curls
For short hair, curling it into loose curls has never been easier than using a flat iron which holds even fine or thin locks without hairspray thus making them stay intact over several days while still looking fashionable and practical too.
13. Longer-On-Top Pixie
The sides remain short while the top is left long in this sleek haircut where thinning on either side becomes irrelevant because of its design which makes volume creation easy on the other hand being relatively low maintenance adds to its attractiveness as well.
14. Comb Your Hair Back
Sweeping all your strands behind over the forehead without having bangs helps to increase fullness at the crown instantly; by keeping each strand closer together near the scalp area they create lushness throughout rest falling behind the head thus giving an appearance of density where there isn’t any really.
15. Ponytail On Top
Putting a ponytail high up on your head serves as an ingenious camouflage for thinning locks since pulling tightly around the scalp region makes it lie flat where there’s less hair but still leaves enough volume over shoulders especially if located towards the front side however note that such style may feel heavy when worn for long hours.
16. Short and Tousled
This look involves intentionally messing up one’s own hair strategically around the face so as to achieve not only bulkiness but also playful youthfulness in the general outlook.
17. Bump Your Hair
Another method of adding height to hair is by creating a retro-inspired bump on top which can be done through backcombing extensively and then smoothing over the surface before securing it with hairspray or using a bump accessory though the latter tends not to give a very round bump shape and hiding it becomes difficult particularly with thin hair types whereas for those having thicker manes, this option might work better.
18. Shag Haircut
Shag haircut has become a hot trend lately due to its ability to give volume thanks to textured layers plus being able to suit various kinds of locks as well as face shapes thus making it quite a versatile choice overall.
19. Depth Highlighting
Changing your hairstyle is not the only way to make it appear more voluminous, you can also achieve that through strategic highlighting. The highlights in this case have been well planned so as to create a sense of depth in the locks. This gives an impression of fuller hair than there really is.
20. Pompadour
Like the longer-on-top pixie cut I shared before, a pompadour has shaved or short sides and back with significantly longer strands on top. The effect is actually quite similar but much more dramatic in this case – it screams volume! Also, because we usually see men wearing this style, it looks a bit “edgy” which might be an additional advantage.
21. Straight Hair
You may be worried about grey hairs sticking out all over your head as you grow older but equally concerned about hair that hangs lifelessly straight down until eternity. Well actually… straightening your hair will take care of both these problems while instantly making you look younger too!
22. Beachy Waves
Speaking of which… you can get an easy-breezy youthful vibe going on just by adding some flat-ironed-in beachy waves! Believe us, it is possible to create this look within minutes – and they hold really well even in fine hair for several days.
23. Messy Long Bob
Another ‘carefree’ looking style – which also happens to add body to thin hair.
24. Funky Pixie
This pixie cut with its funky styling will turn heads wherever you go; people will see how fun-loving, eclectic, and boldly confident you are! Because it’s such an “energetic” look, it does a great job at capturing all things young (and vibrant). And seeing yourself rocking such bright colors in the mirror might just infuse some extra energy into those old bones too – so be prepared for anything after leaving that salon chair!
25. Highlights for Blondes
Blonde highlights are another youthful trend that has been around forever and isn’t going anywhere soon. This is a great way to make it look like you have a carefree, youthful life spent mostly in the sun.
26. Bright Colors
At one time I would have said that highlights like this were too “out there” for someone over 40, but things have changed a lot since then. Now it’s not even uncommon to see vibrant colors like this represented in all different age groups. So picking this look is a definite way to show that you’re “with it” when it comes to current trends … which in turn can make you seem young and cool.
If you’re just dipping your toe into unnatural hair colors, I would suggest starting off with some simple highlights first. If you like what you see, then maybe go for the full-dye job next time around.
27. Ombre Hair
Speaking of hair colors – another popular thing right now is ombre hair (where it goes from darker on top to lighter on bottom). As a tip though: if you try for this look at home yourself or by getting a friend to help, just be sure that when doing so you create a gradual transition between shades, or else it ends up looking more like straight-across dip-dye … which is also trendy, but different.
28. Blunt Bob Hairstyles for Women Over 40
One easy way to make your appearance more youthful (without going under the knife) is to change up your hairstyle. And one very simple way to do that is by getting bangs. Literally, any type of bangs will work, but for whatever reason blunt bangs seem to create this effect most easily (maybe because young people wear them more?). So they automatically make you look younger by association.
