The Older Women Get, the Shorter Their Hair Gets. Menopause Related Question

I'm a hairstylist, so this is what I see.... Some cut their hair because of arthritis or other ailments that makes styling long hair hard. Some do it because shorter hair makes them more fashionable and youthful looking. Or because it makes upkeeping the color easier/cheaper. Some do it because their hair dries out and becomes brittle and breaks, so the long hair looks flimsy. Some do it because of hairloss due to hormones, meds or general side effects of aging, then like you mentioned, the hot flashes. And some do it, b/c they have had long hair all their lives and they finally want to feel liberated and try something new.

44, still have long hair, don't plan on changing that anytime soon.

If I am hot it goes up in a pony. :)

I just turned 50 and I pass for mid 30's. I am Native American heritage and blessed with some good genes plus I am very faithful with my skin/hair care routines.

I do wear my hair all 1 length and all 1 color, although sometimes I will play with low lights or something like that.

Right now... my hair is perfect for me but I do see some women my age and older/younger with long hair that draws their face down,etc and looks awful.

I am open to changing my style when I need to and my stylist is not afraid to be brutal with me so I trust her completely.

When I was in college, I wore my hair exactly like Dorothy Hamill and it looked great but I look at those pictures vs now... I look younger now than I did then based on hair alone.

You have to chose what is comfortable for you and not let media outlets, etc influence your choices. I must not look too old or aged because I still get modeling jobs with the younger women.

Don't know about menopause, but my mom is 68 and has the hippest hair of anyone I know. In her youth she had raven straight locks down her back. Now she has really short, spiky salt and pepper hair which she uses gel in.

She's one cool woman!

I'm mid 60's, with very short hair. I'm with OneAndDone on this one – you reach a point where certain fashions in hair, clothing, and makeup start to look harsh, or unrealistically silly. And even more importantly, for me, is that I just don't care as much to try to maintain youthful beauty (an impossible dream at best).

I do henna my hair once a month, because the color has become very patchy – ranging in areas from original bright red to pinky-beige to stark white. Very odd. But I've settled on a darker, quieter auburn, because the carrot-orange of my youth is simply shocking now.

As my energies decline, so does my sense of available time, and I use what I have for more important pursuits – enriching relationships and learning about who/what I truly am. (That's what the people in my life care about, too.) Still working on it, but I know I'm not my body. Appearances are superficial – once I get past "neat, clean and self-respecting," it's all pretty much superfluous. I refuse to fight a losing battle with the mirror, or with fashion magazines.

Short hair is easier, cooler during menopause, and simply more fun for me. I hope you reach a place where you're comfortable letting go of your youthful looks – aging brings beauties of its own!

ETA: I do have a few older friends who still look good in long hair. They are very slim and have very little facial sagging, and it still looks great on them. It doesn't work that well for most women, though.

I have had very short hair my entire life.. I just have crappy hair.

But yeah, I'm 45 and I can see how the sweat on the back of my neck with EVERY FREAKIN' HOT FLASH would be pretty uncomfortable.

Make up just slides off my face every 6 minutes, sigh.

:(

I am almost 52 and the main beauty regimen that doesn't work for me is wearing make up. It literally slides off my face. But that is not menopause or even peri-menopause yet. I just started my period today as a matter of fact. So, still waiting on that change to happen over here.

I have pretty nice hair for my age. It's naturally blonde and wavy and my current hair stylist wants me to grow it longer to show off the curl. It is currently a few inches below my shoulders. But I ditto Victoria, I don't want people being shocked when they see my hair from behind then I turn around and they see this lady starting to wrinkle. I don't care for that look on other women.

I think long hair is so easy to put up in a clasp when I'm hot, so every time I have chopped it off, I just grow it out long enough so I can easily pull back.

However, there are many woman who look stunning in their long locks even into their 60's. I have a neighbor with 5 kids and 15 grand kids and she has stunning, long brown hair. It fits her well.

Hi H., I just turned 46 and I have long hair. Mainly because I have a fat face and detest the way I look with short hair. It makes me look fatter!

I have an aunt that just turned 60, she is my mothers youngest sister. She has beautiful long wavy hair. It just fits her. She would not look good with short hair. Now my mom and the other sister have short hair, and it becomes them.

I call my hot flashes my "personal summers" I don't get dripping sweaty but I definitely get hot!

I have been going thru this for almost 10 yrs now. It sucks! I am sure it is also the cause for my weight gain, well not "the" cause but a big factor.

I think that you need to do whatever the hell you want to do with your hair. Don't let society for anything else tell you otherwise.

I like Peg's answer! She's got the right attitude! I care more about my inside than my outside.

Blessings!
D.

We never know what may come and so anyone saying. I will never.. .about their hair, makeup clothing, shoes.. are in for a huge surprise.

Yes, thinning hair worn long looks terrible. Irt begins to look haggy or give the impression one is ill.

Long hair as we get older.. and especially when we live in an area that is so hot.. long hair is just not possible. It was one of the main reasons while I was in my 20's, I cut my hair and have rarely gone back to even shoulder length. I already run hot.. So having a huge head of hair is too much.

And then our physical changes can totally affect what we can do and not do.

And it just creeps in.. All of a sudden you realize, you are just not able to wear what you used to for many different reasons.. or it is just not worth the effort. I know it sounds foreign at this point.. But it happens to all of us.

I say wear what you look good in and what feels good to you. But do not be afraid of doing what you have to do to be comfortable and happy.

I cut my long hair about 5 years ago--I am 57. I would have loved to keep that style, but didn't want people who saw me from the back gasp when I turned around.
I would not color it if it would turn gray. But my blonde has changed to a very mousy brown color about 3 years ago that is very unattractive.
Yes, you could be in perimenopause. I didn't go through that. My periods just stopped about 3 years ago and never started again. Had just a few minor hot flashes. I attribute that to my supplement program.

I'm 50 and my hair is bra strap length and about as thick as it's ever been.
I keep it braided or up and it's not a problem.
I henna it every 6-8 weeks.
Hot flashes are power surges!
And they can be annoying, but when I'm hot, it wouldn't matter what length my hair is, I'd still be a sweaty mess.
Estroven keeps the flashes in check for me.
The biggest change in my beauty routine is having to pluck an occasional whisker from my chin every once in awhile.

Well, that might be the reason for some (hot flashes, thinner hair, etc.), but I've always thought that women in their 40s and 50s look a little too "harsh" with very long hair. Not menopause related...age related.
There are exceptions to every rule though. Maybe you're O.!?

I think most older women with short hair do it because it's just easier to take care of. I know my mom and my MIL both have short hair now because they have shoulder problems and hurts to much to lift their arms that high to fiddle around with hair, so they keep it short and low maintenance.
added:
I'll be 55 this summer. My hair is in the middle of my back and still a bleached blonde because husbands ego is not ready for me to go gray. I dont want to have a short hair cut because it's not flattering for me, but I'm sure by the time I'm 70 I'll be more mature and realize its probably time to whack it off. I'm sure I wont be bleaching it for much longer as I want the natural color to come out, my moms is very pretty shades of gray, and I'm hoping that's how mine will look as well.

OK, I am now almost 59, and went through instant menopause after having an emergency hysterectomy 2 months before I turned 39. No perimenopause, no easing into it, just flat out "I'm here!" menopause. I had long, thick hair and started wearing it up in ponytails, buns, etc., to keep it off my neck because I had some horrendous hot flashes for years. My internal temperature ran hot until about a year and a half ago, I now actually need to use sweaters and jackets in the winter, lol, and can now wear my hair down again without feeling sweltering hot : )

I still have long, thick hair, it was almost to my waist when I trimmed 3 inches off of it a few weeks ago. I didn't give in to short hair and never will, it's part of who I want to be.

I'm 30 and I recently cut off all my hair--MUCH easier to style it now that it is short and I no longer have to pull it out of my baby's tightly clenched fist.

I have a headful of hair, always have had!, but now it's thinning & creating a new part right in the front of my danged head. Hate it! Not thinning anywhere else....just that one spot. :(

I have always had short hair. My sis has always had shoulder (or a little longer) length. I'll be 50 later this year, & she's right behind me. Neither of us has dramatically changed any part of our lifestyle. I'm still overweight & she's still a size 3. :)

We both try new trends in hairstyles, makeup, & clothing. But it's never out of our comfort zone. The only thing I can truly say is that we are more aware of needing hydration. Both internally, externally, ....& sexually! Thank God for KY!

Moving on.....my Mom said a few years ago that the only regrets she had were sunbathing, not moisturizing, & not drinking enough milk/water. She's changed all of that....as have we. For us, it wasn't the abrupt transition that Mom faced. My sis & I were doing a little bit of all of it, just not enough to make a difference.

& as for the whole hot flash thing, I cannot tell you how many tshirts I have ripped apart in the middle of night! Or how many necklines I've butchered with a scissor! It's seriously scary......

i had hip-length hair all my adult life, and swore i'd never cut it.
then i quit dying it, and loved the color it turned.
and next thing you know, there i was in my early 50s, and the urge came upon me. i cut it to just below my shoulder blades, loved it, and ended up with a bob, and loved that.
after decades of shampooing, combing and braiding, i felt free as a bird just doing a towel-dry and kazam! done! (NB, my only criterion for my stylist was that it be maintenance-free. after decades of french-braiding, pony tails or big clips i have no clue how to do blow dryers or curling irons.)
i did keep my long hair during the most miserable years of hot flashes, which was probably not too bright. but i wasn't ready to lose my mane at that point. i went into peri-menopause young, in my early 40s, and was in denial about it for too long!
i'm growing my hair back out because i miss it swinging around my shoulders and neck, but i'll never go super-long again. it was beautiful, but i'm more interested in ease at this point of my life. and as i told the lady at the ice cream shop who said 'you don't have your beautiful long hair any more!', 'i have beautiful short hair now!'
:) khairete
S.

I'm 51 and have had short hair most of my life. My hair has always been fine and doesn't look good long - and I only have the patience to work with it for about 5 minutes a day - so it's short. I certainly don't think I have "old lady hair" whatever that is, lol. I have changed styles over the years to keep up with trends and what I (and my stylist) think works for me. I also have only about a dozen strands of silver in my dark brown hair, so hope to never have to color.

Just during this last year, I've had some "warm flashes" but with no sweating. It hasn't changed my routines with my hair or skin. What has changed is how I dress. I've learned to dress in layers - a nice short-sleeved or sleeveless top covered by a light sweater for work - to allow for changes in temp. Sundresses for home for the summer.

My father once told me, when I was in my 20s, that long hair was for young women, and short hair was more attractive on older women. I think of that now and laugh because I had short hair for years, then when I hit 40 something began to let it grow again.

It is now just past my shoulders as I recently had 2 inches lopped off, but I plan to let it keep growing.

As for hair maintenance - I spend more time on it now then ever before. I flat iron it most days - but I refuse to ever color it - I have a few grays at the top and temple and am actually looking forward to having long, flowing, gray locks in the years to come.

Yeah, sorry Dad - I plan to break with convention. LOL

Most older women look much better with shorter hair. I've seen alot of women in their 40's with long hair and it looks like they are trying to look younger with the longer hair, which is actually making them look older.

I know that I've reached a point in my life where I just don't want to be bothered with having to worry about my hair. Now that it's shorter it's just so much easier.

I'm 43 and my hair is waist length. It naturally curly, but when it's long it's really more wavy and much easier for me to deal with. I just wash it and let it dry. Maybe some leave in conditioner to ease frizz. I haven't had it short since I was 14 because for my type of hair it's way to much work to keep it styled when it's short. As far as hot flashes etc... I just keep a scrunchie on me at all times and put it up as needed. Incidentally I had a guy tell me once that all women over 40 should cut their hair short so they would be able to tell who was "to old" to date. Pissed me off enough to decide that I'm never going to cut mine off.

I don't exactly fit in with the answers you want but I thought I'd at my 2 cents. =)

I'm in my 20s and I hate long hair. I shaved my head for a cancer fundraiser and had short, short hair for a year before I started growing it back again. My hair is to my shoulders and I hate it. I'm planning to get it all chopped off again and into a nice pixie cut in about 2 weeks. So, this kind of style isn't just for the older women! Personally, I think it's really cute and easy.