Hair: What is age appropriate?

If there’s one thing that really boosts our confidence it’s a great haircut. But how can we ensure our style is age appropriate?

Women are often preoccupied by their hair no matter what their age, and when you’re having a bad hair day it can make you want to stay home and sulk. However, great-looking hair can be achieved on a daily basis with the proper tools and style for your face.

The two key factors are the style and condition. There are so many fantastic hair-conditioning products on the market there’s no excuse for poor conditioning, but the right hairstyle is not always so easy.

We caught up with celebrity hairstylist Paloma Rose Garcia of Oscar and Oscar hair salon in Paddington, Sydney, and asked her to put together a plan for the best hairstyle for different ages.

Cutting away the years

Paloma says the right hairstyle can take years off your age. She says the key to a successful cut is time and communication between the stylist and client to find out about their lifestyle, what they want from their hair and how much time will they be able to spend looking after it at home.

‘Talk first, scissors second,’ she says. ‰Û÷These factors are as important as the actual hair type when deciding on a style. You can tell when you have had a good cut because it will look good as soon as the cut is finished before any styling work is done. If that is not the case then change cutters.’

Paloma is also an advocate of dry hair cutting for curly hair. ‘This should only be done by experienced, great cutters,’ she says. ‘Celebs like Meg Ryan always get dry haircuts.’

Best style for 20s A modern twist on the short graduated bob works very well. It is finished off with a choppy square fringe. A contemporary shape finishing above the jaw shows off the youthful neck and decolletage – if you have them show them off. The chopped fringe opens up the face placing more of a focus on the eyes and cheekbones. Blow dry into a more traditional bob shape or use a round brush to get the inward curve of the hair. Best style for 30s Women in their 30s tend to gravitate towards longer hair and a more relaxed style. The cut should have soft long layers to add movement, with a smooth fringe cut just above the eyebrow to open up and frame the face. This hair cut can be styled with tousled waves or smoothed into a straighter style for a sleeker look.

Best style for the 40s Women in their forties often have children who are a little older so they are now juggling their home life with greater work responsibilities. They are more interested in classic, but at the same time desire chic hairstyles. The perfect cut is short around the nape area, giving a clean and sophisticated look and at the same time flattering the neck. There should be length around the face, which gives movement, and the shape is versatile. The length at the front allows the hair to be tucked neatly behind the ears or with a side part and cut into a sweeping fringe across the face. This style can be blown straight or worn with a natural texture. Best style for the 50s and above The ideal haircut is a layered soft short hairstyle. It works well for this age group as it has more length around the perimeter of the hairline to create movement around the cheekbones, which accentuates all the good aspects of the facial structure. This length can be blown dry with a root lift to create volume for the woman whose hair is starting to thin, therefore creating a feminine look with soft fullness and movement.

And there you have it, great style at any age!