Finding the perfect haircut to suit your age can be challenging, particularly if you’re trying to navigate new styles as you get older.
With worries about wrinkles and drooping facial features, along with hair naturally thinning with time, it can be hard to know how to adapt your style to make the most of your looks.
But now, top British stylists have revealed the best ways to ‘anti-age’ your hairstyle, meaning a trip to the salon could take years off your face by ‘lifting’ your features.
From framing your face with a fringe to wearing hair in a side-parting for added volume, experts reveal exclusively to FEMAIL the best ways a hair cut can give you ‘a natural facelift’.
Top British stylists have revealed the ways your hair can give you a ‘natural facelift’ this autumn
ADD A FRINGE
Matthew David, who owns a luxury salon in Mayfair, suggested adding a fringe as a simple way to remain looking youthful, as it could easily hide small frown lines and wrinkles.
The celebrity stylist, who counts actress Millie Bobby Brown among his regular clients, said it could be a good way to keep a haircut looking ‘modern and fresh’.
He added: ‘Sweep fringes will often be much softer. Ideally, the shortest point should be around the cheekbone to help encourage a softer style.
‘Full fringes can also produce a soft appearance if the hair is slightly over-long and touching the tops of the eye lashes.’
For confident clients, he suggested opting for a ‘hard or heavy fringe’ for ‘a confident and powerful’ look.
WEAR HAIR IN A SIDE PARTING
Top stylist Jack Merrick Thirlway, from Neville Salon in London, revealed clients could easily add extra volume by wearing their hair in a side parting
Top stylist Jack Merrick Thirlway, from Neville Salon in Belgravia, revealed that wearing hair in a side-parting could offer some much needed lift to the roots.
He said: ‘I would say a side-parting will always give more volume at the roots, so it would be a good idea to add this to your haircut if that’s something you’re concerned about.’
OPT FOR SOFT HIGHLIGHTS ALONG THE HAIRLINE
Matthew said finding the perfect colour was crucial in maintaining a youthful look, and suggested this could be done in a ‘natural’ looking way.
The expert explained: ‘Some may want to hide unwanted, pesky grey hairs using comb-on colour techniques.’
He also suggested ‘colour contouring’ in order to ‘enhance the outline of the person’s face’, bringing out the natural shape.
He said: ‘Colour contouring is a technique that concentrates on highlighting around the hair line enhancing the outline of the person’s face, bringing out high cheekbones and softening jaw lines.’
WEAR HAIR IN LOOSE WAVES
Top stylist Jack revealed: ‘If you have wavy hair, you’re in luck. Loose waves are more younger-looking, while straight hair can be ageing.’
He added: ‘Play around with face-framing layers to give your hair some softness and movement.
‘Layers can also make your hair appear to be more luscious and healthy.’
TIE HAIR INTO A HIGH PONYTAIL
Michael Van Clarke, one of London’s leading hairdressers, revealed that tying the hair up into a high ponytail could lift the features.
He said: ‘High ponytails, or styles that lift the eyes and jawline to compensate for sag, can take off the years.’
Meanwhile he suggested that lumpy bouffants, over-backcombed and hairsprayed styles are ‘ageing’.
KEEP HAIR SHORT
For those wanting to keep their hair long, Jack suggested keeping layers short on top to naturally lift the facial features
Jack revealed there’s a reason many older women choose to have chin-length hair, instead of longer tresses.
He said: ‘Long hair drags the eyes down, emphasising drooping facial features.
‘Facial features tend to drop slightly as we get older, so lifting the shape will also give the illusion of lifting the cheekbones and eye shape, which as we know makes us look younger.’
Meanwhile, he said shorter hair could ‘transform’ the face, saying: ‘A shorter cut is a non-surgical facelift that draws the eye away from facial imperfections.’
…BUT IF YOU’D LIKE TO KEEP IT LONG, LAYERS ON TOP SHOULD BE SHORT
Jack also suggested that short hair may not be for everyone.
He revealed: ‘Many ladies with thick hair can pull off long hair. But there are rules to go by to keep youthful!
‘Shorter layers on the top will help in lifting the features.’
He suggested asking stylists for ‘minimal, face-framing layers’ and said: ‘In terms of length, it should be no shorter than your shoulders.’