As you can see from this photo of the back of my head....
I have a lot of thick, wavy hair!
I've worn my hair long in layers for a few years, mainly because I can easy grab it up in a pony tail when I'm in a hurry and whenever I feel hot -- a condition that seems to go hand in hand with being over 50 years old, if you know what I mean. Now that a wedding is in the near future, I need a more contemporary style, but I didn't want a drastic change. How can I manage my frizz and tame my tangles? Do I lighten or color my hair darker, or add highlights? Do I wear it up or leave it down? Perhaps cut it short? Should I invest in a expensive keratin treatment and try to straighten it? Get a perm and curl it more? Help! So off I went on a computer search for a solution to all my questions
First, I asked for helpful suggestions on my facebook page. So many friends told me to find a photo of a hairstyle I Iiked and begin there. That sounds easy, and off I go to pursue the "Hairstyle" category on the wonderful resource website Pinterest, where thousands of hairstyles must be pinned every hour. Click on this link to see what I mean.
Photo sources: Found on Pinterest
Here are a few of the many hairstyles I found on Pinterest that I'd LOVE to have. I would love to have soft, shiny straight hair, but past experience of a few unhappy haircuts has certainly taught me that that's not possible with my type of hair. I also have to be realistic and accept I am not in my twenties or thirties any longer. My hair is changing, along with the rest of me, and I didn't want to try adding another treatment to try to straighten it chemically, along with the hair color I already have to apply every six weeks to color the gray.
So, through further online searches, I found a fun Makeup and Beauty blog that had a catagory of 101 hairstyle tips and tutorials. This is a fabulous resource for all kinds of hair tutorials! Lots of wonderful advice and videos and clear instructions on hundreds of topics, such as how to grow out bangs, how to use a pencil to get an up do, and what products to use on problem hair. There were also many wedding hairstyle examples to peruse. I really enjoyed spending some time on this blog looking through all their categories. I saw I have a lot to learn!
Being a realist, however, I also wanted to search for what hairstyles look good on "a woman of a certain age," like myself. Surely we have special hair issues and needs that require a unique approach.
Being a realist, however, I also wanted to search for what hairstyles look good on "a woman of a certain age," like myself. Surely we have special hair issues and needs that require a unique approach.
Photo Source; About.com Beauty
I did a search for "hairstyles for women over 50" and this lovely lady showed up among the photos -- actress Michelle Pfeiffer -- on the About.com Beauty website in their category "Hairstyles of Women Over 50" This is a hairstyle my wavy hair would easily cooperate with! The only thing I'd change from her style is that I would keep my bangs.
photo source: About.com Beauty
Some more photos of lovely actresses that were examples on the About.com Beauty website's "hairstyles of women over 50," that gave me a much better idea of what would be practical for me. I liked Glen Close's bangs and the soft way curls of Susan and Blythe.
In addition to hairstyles of all ages and occasions, there was a lot of good information on the About.com Beauty website for makeup, skincare, fragrances, nail care, etc. It is another wonderful resource!
After all this information I went to my hairdresser and trimmed my hair from long and wavy to a shorter style based on the photos I liked. It's not much, but it's a beginning!
Stay tuned as the wedding approaches and I learn more about what color I decide on that that will be best for me and my complexion, and what products I should use to tame my frizz, and what style I will eventually chose to waer for the wedding. If you have any suggestions I'd be pleased to read them.
So, what does the "Life Well Lived" Blogher expert recommend for "How To: Find That Perfect Hairstyle"? Click on this link to see, and please leave a comment there on what your favorite hairstyle resources are.
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I'm also adding this post to the "Mosaic Monday" event on Mary's blog A Little Red House -- thanks Mary!