8 Hair Mistakes That Make You Look Older (and Hairstyling Tips to Fix Them)

8 Hairstyling Tips That Make You Look Ten Years Younger

Hairstyling tips that’ll make the whole aging thing look like it’s not happening.

Okay, so there’s not much we can do about fine lines, wrinkles or those pesky grays – but we can do something about how we style our hair. How we deal with our ‘do is one of the most inexpensive and simple anti-aging tricks out there (crazy, but true). One wrong haircut or bad color choice can take you from looking like you stepped out of a time machine to looking like it landed on top of you.

Here are 8 common hair mistakes we all make, and easy hairstyle tips to score a younger look:

1. You’re sporting a blunt haircut

If you’ve got heavy, bulky-looking fringe or your hair is cut all one length, you’re depriving your ‘do of movement – this not only makes your hair look blasé, but the blunt edges accentuate your fine lines and wrinkles. Add layers to your hair to soften your look and remove bulk, and go for a feathery fringe to highlight that wonderful face of yours.

2. Your updo is too tight

This is one of those hairstyling tips that brings me back to the ’90s – back when we’d tie our ponytails so tight we’d give ourselves a headache. We may have been able to get away with it then, but now this updo will draw attention to every fine line you’ve collected since. Always make sure your ponytails and top knots are loose and soft. To borrow from Monica Geller, it’ll make you look “breezy.”

3. Your hair is frizzy

Letting your frizz flag fly can give you an equally “frizzy” looking appearance. Always make sure your hair is getting enough moisture through deep conditioning – especially this time of year.

4. Your hair is too straight

On the flip side, going crazy with your flat iron may be too harsh a style on a more mature face. Soften things up with waves – you don’t have to go full on beachy waves or anything, just enough to get rid of the structure and hardness to give you a more natural look.

5. You styled your hair like a 12-year-old

You’re not Anne of Green Gables: You’re a grown-ass woman. When you wear tween-looking hairstyles like pigtails or a halo braid, they do nothing but highlight the fact that you’re not a tween. Luckily, being a tween sucked so it’s one of those hairstyling tips that’s easy to follow.

6. Your hair color is one note

Whether your locks are too bleached, too goth, or somewhere in between, if your hair is one solid color it’ll make you look older. To give your hair the most dimension, bring a few pics to your stylist of hair colors you like, along with a few you don’t, and let them take care of the rest.

7. You have major split ends

Trim your tresses a minimum of every two months. To stretch your time between trims, indulge in regularly nourishing your hair with hydrating masks and deep conditioners.

8. Your hair is flat

When your hair lacks volume, it also lacks life – this is especially true if your hair is thin and fine. Nix hair straightening products and hot tools from your repertoire, as they’ll add damage and dryness to the flatness. (Oy.) Focus on using texturizing products to amp up the volume, but keep it simple: The less products and tools to weigh down your ‘do, the better.

What go-to hairstyling tips do you love most?

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Image: Split ends photo via Shutterstock

Krissy Brady

Krissy Brady is a women’s health + lifestyle writer who’s so out of shape, it’s like she has the innards of an 80-year-old. Instead of learning how to crochet, she decided to turn her emotional baggage into a writing career (genius, no?). You can follow her shenanigans on Twitter (you know, if you want).