Everyone wants to look forever young…right? Call it vanity, call it human instinct, call it ridiculous societal norms, call it what you want, but human beings just do not want to look old. Thus, the billions spent on skin care and hair care products, facials, face lifts, etc, etc, etc. Well, at One Salon we have no fountain of youth, but we can make sure your hair makes you look and feel young. We’ll provide you with a professional consultation to insure you avoid common hair mistakes that make women look older.
1. DARK MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
In their on going battle to cover up their gray, women can get a bit overzealous with permanent hair color, dyeing their hair black or very deep colors every 4 weeks. The result is hair that is monochromatic and can look fake like a wig. In addition, overly dark hair emphasizes skin’s ashen tones. It may have looked good on you in your 20’s or 30’s, but as you get older your skin starts to lose pigment and the contrast between hair and skin becomes stark. Dave DeWitt, One Salon Color Correction Specialist suggests giving your face a softer frame. “If you choose to cover your gray/white hair, I would recommend lightening your hair’s base color by a shade or two, or at least adding some highlights around the face.”
2. GOING TOO BLONDE
Our Designers at One Salon concur that it’s usually flattering to lighten your hair a bit as you age. Furthermore, going blonder makes it easier to conceal gray new growth. However, going too light can be as unflattering as going too dark. Not everyone’s skin tone can handle a white blonde look. Over bleached hair not only washes out your complexion, it damages your hair. And nothing’s more aging than dried out split ends. Jeanine Cushion, One Salon Senior Designer asserts,”When choosing a base color, think buttery tones, not too platinum. Richer, warmer tones will look fresher. Cooler, ashy tones can be aging. If your hair and skin are fairly dark, try a light brown base and add some highlights. That takes the edge off the gray and allows you to ease into going lighter.”
3. CLINGING TO AN OUT OF DATE HAIRCUT
One of the biggest mistakes women make is holding on to an old, out of date haircut. It is comfortable, they are used to styling it and they are afraid to change. Unfortunately, not updating your look is the easiest way to age yourself. We are not recommending that you indulge in the hip, new, cut of the month, that is best left to the 16-year-olds, but balking at updates is no good either. Even classic cuts change a bit year to year. Katie Petrous, One Salon Cutting Specialist agrees that modifying an old cut is a way to freshen up your look without making a drastic change to the look you have loved for years. “Take the bob for example, instead of cutting it into that sleek, almost helmet-like look of the past, you can add texture and soft waves to update it”. Another big problem is the way women style their hair. Katie asserts, “you can update an old look just by the way you style your hair. Switch to a lighter weight hair spray so your hair is not so stiff and has movement and give it a more messy, textured look…controlled chaos”.
Looking current is different from looking trendy. And even if you’re completely freaked out by trendiness, that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment. “Woman say to me all the time, ‘I can’t do that because I’m too old,’” says Mandy, One Salon Senior Designer. “They don’t realize you can modify trends to suit your age. If you want to try the ombré effect (darker on top, lighter on the ends) but are afraid it’s too young for you, keep the contrast between hues fairly subtle instead of the stark contrast a 20 year old would wear.