So Long, Granny Haircuts. Here's What Women Are Doing Instead Today

[Jilly_in_VA]

It’s never too late to have a truly fabulous haircut. Yes, hair changes as we age, and you may not have the same thick and healthy tresses you sported when you were 18. But that’s no reason to resort to what some stylists call a “granny haircut.”

In the old days, it meant a tight perm and a blue rinse. Now, it refers to any wash-and-wear, low-maintenance cut.

But there are endless options to keep things fresh and lively, so there’s no need to resort to a full-on granny style (unless you absolutely want to). Hairstylists point to older style icons as inspiration.

“I always think of the women of Advanced Style on Instagram and how cool their hair always looks with their outfits,” said hair designer Luisa Popović. (If you haven’t followed it yet, it’s a project of photographer Ari Seth Cohen that’s dedicated “to capturing the sartorial savvy of the senior set.”)

Other stellar examples, she said, include Vivenne Westwood, who died in 2022, and who was famed for her signature bright orange hair. She also cited the “powerful looks” of Michèle Lamy, the raven-haired 79-year-old French fashion designer. “It all just emanates fearlessness,” Popović said.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/say-goodbye-to-the-granny-haircut-heres-what-women-are-doing-instead_l_6508578be4b0c8ce433bb982

I'm 80 and wear mine in a short French bob. I also color it in an updated version of its natural color (just a little bit more reddish) because it's only gray at the temples. This weekend we were at an event in a neighboring county and I was struck by the variations on older women's hair, from short and spiky and buzz cuts to purple coloring jobs. Why not?

[MuseRider]

1. I never had good hair.

It was mousy brown, thin and very very fine. A mess, it would not even hold a perm. Now at just a few months short of 70 it has only a few gray hairs, I have wanted to have that blueish or just gray since my great grandmother was around.

I got a wig a couple of years ago. I never thought I would do that but I did. I wear it when I am out and around people, on the farm my own hair is under a cap. I have a gift waiting to get to my friend who has a wig shop. This wig will be gray. My other is so fun, kinda a blondish bob with pink strands and gray strands but I am going to get a full gray that I can perhaps play with some.

I think we are very lucky at this particular time. We can do whatever we want and to hell with those who frown upon that. I love your red hair at 80. Why the heck not? Go for it ladies, we had to live under some pretty strict social rules and now we do not, even if they tried to do that we DO NOT!

[alittlelark]

2. I do a French braid after every shower

Looks good as is, and after it is dry I can undo it for wonderful waves. I enjoy the length - especially in winter.

[chowmama]

3. The barber we go to didn't think my hair looked good in my lifelong pixie cut.

She kept wanting me to get it mid-length (the dreaded Karen cut) and stopped cutting it really short. It falls in my eyes at the microscope, which is unacceptable.

Plan A was short hair. Plan B is working out fairly well - I let it go silver and let it grow out, which it will now do, since it's gotten coarser with greyness. (Right up through my middle age, it was so fine and straight that it looked painted on, like a Kewpie doll.)

It's going to look ratty as hell for years, but it's at least finally long enough to get up on top of my head and out of the way. And as a bonus, I haven't been back since Covid. That's a savings of time and money. I'll go in every couple years to get a couple inches trimmed until all of it catches up. December will be the first trim.

Plan C was to just shave my head. Hair in my eyes at the scope is enough of a nuisance that I've never ruled it out completely.

[slightlv]

4. I used to love my hair...

it was always raven black and thick with this wild white streak in front from when I was struck by a car. I went from wearing it long to doing the Judy Carne shag thing for years for the ease of taking care (especially after having my daughter). And my hair always grew so fast. Now that I'm 67, my hair has thinned and it's been so devastating to me. I bought a wig... but I don't have the money to buy a really good one that I could comb like real hair. So, I've been disappointed in it. grrr...

I did go back to the shag cut, which I like, with a change to a punked out top, which I adore. I do still have some of the black streaks, but they've been overtaken by silver... not grey. And I like the silver, thankfully. The maintenance it would take to keep up the coloring is more than I could do, I think. So, punked-out silver-haired granny, I am! (LOL)

I am taking Viviscal to try to get some thickness back into my hair. Don't know for sure yet if it's helping. Haven't been on it long enough yet. I'm hopeful... have seen fewer hairs in the hair brush, so that's a good thing!

My best friend, 20 years younger than me, is one who's been coloring her hair all kinds of shades for a few years now. Never know for sure what she's going to show up with. One time it was bright blue... one time it was a brilliant shade of orange. Her daughter walked in with a beautiful shade of purple. I'm not quite that adventurous with my hair. I'd really like to have my deep black locks back... but again, but upkeep is a bit beyond my strength level, so I'm just trying to satisfied with my natural silver at this point. I've had a lot of compliments on it, so I take them and say a grateful "thank you."

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. For me, my old lady hair is far better than my

young hair was. Now that it's gray, the wiriness gives it far more body than it ever had when I was young. It seems to be thicker than it ever was, as if I'm not shedding quite as readily these days. Also, I don't try to torture it into the current popular style. I wear it fairly short, layers, wash it three times a week, cream rinse every day. Then I just let it air dry, fluffing it up with my fingers.

I also live in Santa Fe, the queen city of older women with gray, often long gray hair. Yes, some of them do color their hair various ways, but there's not the shame of gray hair here as in so many other places.