Long hair at my age?

[makinalist]

I know this is purely a personal decision, but I'd like to hear your opinions.  I have not had long hair since I was 35, after many years of wearing it halfway down my back.  The last several years I have kept a medium-length, slightly-layered bob, with bangs, getting trims every four weeks without fail to keep the shape.

So I retired from my part-time job as substitute teacher this year, and I have not had my hair trimmed in about three months.  It grows one-half inch per month.  No color or perm, so it is a healthy and shiny silvery color.

Thing is, though, I have fine, straight, thin hair.  I do not look like Cindy Joseph!  No change in texture since I was a child.  I'm 60, and I am growing out my wispy hair.  I'm tired of never being able to put it up, pull it back, or even stick it behind my ears once in a while!

Thanks in advance for listening to me ramble about this not-very-critical issue.  Can I find happiness with long hair?

[milla]

Thanks in advance for listening to me ramble about this not-very-critical issue.  Can I find happiness with long hair?

why not?
Your hair colour is lovely. At the moment I feel very envious of people with silvery, shiny hair. I think it is very glamorous (mine is a melange ofsilver, grey and dark brown). You can just let it grow and if you decide in the end that it is not what you want, just treat yourself to a good haircut.
If you need a 'partner' for your 'growing my hair' period I am happy to oblige, because I am doing the same at the moment. I just had a trim to neaten it a bit and now I am going to let it do it's own thing for a while.

[Styyna]

I agree with Milla: Why not?

You can always cut it. But it could be stunning in its long, straight, silvery glory. You won't know until you try.

[sau]

I have only cut my hair 3x in the past few years after being told my entire life that it was too fine to keep long.  I have never loved it more!!  I have found if I let it airdry it has a lot more body.  Sometimes I use the curling iron randomly just to give it a more polished, fuller look.  With this and no coloring I am really low maintenance and happy!!

[cara4art]

Let these old "rules" about no long hair as one gets older just die! What counts more is how it looks on you rather than some arbitrary rule that keeps women locked in a box, so to speak. And yes, there's something to be said for being able to pull it back or do something interesting once in awhile with the hair. Just how fine IS your hair - do you have a pic so we can see? Please post! Getting hair cut every 4 weeks for that bob sounds awfully frequent - no wonder you'd like to let it grow and that you've let it grow for the last 3 months for starters. If you can stand it, let it go for another 2-3 months before getting a little trim(not more than 1/2", just to clean the shape and ends up). Any tendency toward scraggliness looks worse on us as we age, so maybe that's where that rule came from about aging women and hair, also the myth that long hair drags down the face. That last depends on one's features, and how one wears one hair long. Also, there are ways to have long hair that don't involve having it all one length - a few layers can be cut to frame the face and do keep the bangs - It's actually pretty easy to trim bangs oneself - I do it all the time and it extends time in between hair cuts and I'm not even growing my hair out really. Can you do protein treatments to give your hair more body as it grows? Look at some longer hair style pics specially for fine thinner hair to get some inspiration too, and consult with your hair cutter. Actually, that last might be tricky because they do make money off of you having your hair cut often LOL! Hope any of this helps!

[SusieQ]

Yes, why not, Listy?  The rules about what I can and can't do at my age went out the doors a long time ago. As far as I am concern, every women (ok men, too) are beautiful as long as they don't go out with Ronald McDonald's hairdo and shoes.  That's his style and he needs to keep that look and we do not need to try and imitate that look. 

It sounds like you have a lovely hairdo, Listy. I think with length you can play with more hair styles.

[Poppyfields]

Can I find happiness with long hair?

Certainly!  As well as with medium hair, and/or short hair.  Do whatever you feel like at the time, doll.  Do whatever looks good on you according to your whim.

[Styyna]

Can I find happiness with long hair?

Certainly!  As well as with medium hair, and/or short hair.  Do whatever you feel like at the time, doll.  Do whatever looks good on you according to your whim.

[Cougar]

My grandmother (in her 80's) always shocked us on the rare occasion she let her hair down as we always forgot that it was very long.  We always saw her with this beautiful French twist.  So I can very well see how you'd miss doing things with long hair. Doing something like this style enables you to have both long and short hair :-)

[LemonMyrtle]

Age isn't the criterion, Listy. It's whatever suits you. Many older and old women - and some men - wear their hair long and look absolutely fine and, in my opinion, somewhat intriguing and rebellious, in a good way. If you're able to grow your silver hair long, if you'd like to, DO. It will be fun to see how it turns out and to consider style options. If it gets to a stage where it drives you mad, it's a simple matter of a visit to the hair salon for a gorgeous haircut. If it doesn't ... gorgeous long silver hair. Win-win.

[makinalist]

Thank you so much, ladies, for the encouraging words!  I have not seen my stylist to tell her what I am up to, since I have not visited her in three months.  She won't approve, I know, since she always wanted to cut my hair shorter to make it look thicker.  I am just weary of having a style that only works if I structure it just so.

Y'all nailed it -- I want versatility!

(Cara - I haven't forgotten that you asked for a photo.  I'll have to find one that shows my hair well enough and post it in the members-only board.  I'm a bit camera-shy.)

[christinedenice]

So glad you started this topic, Listy! We have much in common.

Earlier this week, I cancelled the appointment for my next (every-five-weeks) cut because I've decided to grow out my short angled bob. Although this style was fine for my former (working) life, I realize that it doesn't suit my natural style, which is more boho. There is a definite disconnect between my hairstyle and the clothes I love to wear now.

My hair is fine, thin, and I had always thought it was also straight. But, this past summer I experimented with beachy/wave sprays and was able to achieve some nice (short) waves. My goal is a length between chin and shoulder that I can wear in a tousled, wavy style. I'll use the a wave spray and perhaps a wave iron and see how it goes.

Not looking forward to the awkward growing-out period    and hoping I can resist the urge to cut again before reaching the goal.

I don't believe that age should be the dominant factor in determining our hairstyle/color/length. Longer hair on a 60+ Beauty could be delightfully subversive, like black nail polish. 

Looking forward to hearing how the grow-out progresses for you. You go, girl!

[makinalist]

Ooh!  Now I need black nail polish, too!

[Styyna]

Add a studded dog collar and you'll start to look like Abby on NCIS. She's my favorite girl geek these days.

[makinalist]

Um..that might be going too far, for me.  I was feeling like a rebel just letting my hair grow, remember?

[Styyna]

OK, no studded dog collar. But you can still be smart and darling like Abby. I adore that character. I wish I could live to see how girl geeks evolve into their 50's, 60's, and beyond. I think gray hair should become very chic, if not fully embraced by our generation then by succeeding ones.

[anne]

Some people look lovely with long hair, no matter what age.

Personally, I am considering cutting mine a bit shorter, but I cannot imagine not being able to wear a pony-tail! I def. want to keep it so long I can put it up etc.

Go for it!

We´d love to see before and after photos, you know...

[makinalist]

I'm still growing it.  I have an old picture from a year ago with my old length and style, so whenever I decide it's long enough I'll show my before and after.