As women gracefully navigate the journey past 50, the desire to look and feel their best remains as vibrant as ever. This often includes a thoughtful approach to hairstyles, which play a pivotal role in framing the face, enhancing features, and reflecting personal style. For women with narrow faces, this consideration becomes even more specific, as the right cut can beautifully balance proportions, add youthful vitality, and exude sophisticated elegance.
A narrow face is typically longer than it is wide, often characterized by a high forehead, a slender jawline, and sometimes a more pointed chin. The key to flattering this face shape lies in creating the illusion of width, softening angular lines, and ensuring the hairstyle doesn’t further elongate the face. Far from limiting your options, understanding these principles opens up a world of stylish possibilities that celebrate your unique beauty. This comprehensive guide will explore the most effective hairstyles for narrow faces women over 50, offering insights into cuts, styles, and tips to achieve a look that is both modern and timeless.
Understanding the Narrow Face Shape: Goals and Guidelines
Before diving into specific styles, it’s crucial to grasp the fundamental goals when styling a narrow face. Your primary aim is to introduce horizontal lines and volume to balance the vertical length.
Key Goals:
- Add Width: The most important objective is to create the appearance of fullness and breadth around the sides of the face, particularly at the cheekbones or jawline.
- Soften Angles: Narrow faces can sometimes appear angular. Soft layers, waves, and wispy elements can beautifully soften these lines.
- Balance Length: Avoid styles that are overly long and flat, as these can drag the face down and emphasize its narrowness. Similarly, too much volume on top of the head can further elongate the face.
- Strategic Volume: Focus volume on the sides of the head, at the temples, cheekbones, or jawline, rather than directly on top.
- Texture is Your Friend: Waves, curls, and strategically placed layers add dimension and width, preventing the hair from looking flat and one-dimensional.
What to Generally Avoid:
- Long, Straight, Flat Hair: This style emphasizes vertical lines and can make the face appear even longer and narrower.
- Severe Center Parts: A harsh center part can draw a straight line down the middle of the face, accentuating its length.
- Excessive Top Volume: While some height can be good, too much volume directly on top can add to the perceived length of the face.
- Very Short, Tight Pixies: Unless carefully styled with softness around the face, these can expose too much of the face’s length.
Top Hairstyles for Narrow Faces Women Over 50
Now, let’s explore the most flattering hairstyles that incorporate these principles, offering elegance, manageability, and a touch of youthful vibrancy for women over 50.
1. The Classic Bob and Its Versatile Variations
The bob is a perennial favorite for a reason, and it’s exceptionally well-suited for narrow faces when cut correctly. Its ability to create horizontal lines and add volume at the jawline makes it a perfect choice.
- Chin-Length Bob: This is arguably the most flattering bob length for narrow faces. Ending right at the chin, it adds width precisely where it’s needed, creating a beautiful balance. It can be styled sleek or with soft waves for added texture.
- A-Line Bob: Shorter in the back and gradually longer towards the front, the A-line bob offers a sophisticated angle that draws the eye outwards, effectively widening the lower half of the face.
- Stacked Bob: While it has volume at the back, a stacked bob can work if the sides are kept soft and full, perhaps with some subtle layering around the face to prevent a severe look.
- Wavy or Curly Bob: If you have natural waves or curls, embrace them! A bob that allows your natural texture to flourish will automatically add the desired width and softness, creating a youthful and dynamic look.
- Bob with Bangs: Pairing a bob with side-swept or wispy bangs further enhances its face-flattering qualities, breaking up the forehead and adding width.
Why it works: Bobs, especially chin-length or A-line, create a strong horizontal line that counteracts the vertical length of a narrow face. They add volume around the jawline and cheeks, providing balance.
2. The Chic Lob (Long Bob)
For those who prefer a bit more length than a traditional bob but still want the benefits of a shorter cut, the lob (long bob) is an excellent compromise. Typically falling between the chin and the collarbone, it offers versatility and a modern aesthetic.
- Wavy Lob: This is perhaps the most universally flattering lob style for narrow faces. Soft, loose waves add significant width and movement, creating a relaxed yet elegant look.
- Layered Lob: Incorporating subtle, face-framing layers into a lob can add volume and texture without sacrificing length. These layers should start around the cheekbones to draw the eye outwards.
- Asymmetrical Lob: A slightly longer side can add an edgy, modern touch while still contributing to the illusion of width.
Why it works: The lob provides enough length to style in various ways but is short enough to prevent the hair from dragging down the face. The added width from waves or layers makes it ideal for narrow faces.
3. Layered Cuts: Medium to Long
If you prefer longer hair, strategic layering is absolutely essential for narrow faces. Without layers, long hair can appear flat and further elongate the face.
- Soft, Face-Framing Layers: This is non-negotiable for longer styles on a narrow face. Layers should begin around the cheekbones or jawline and gradually extend downwards. This creates softness, movement, and the crucial illusion of width.
- The Modern Shag: A contemporary take on the classic shag, this cut features choppy, textured layers throughout, often paired with bangs. It’s fantastic for adding volume, movement, and a playful, youthful vibe that beautifully complements a narrow face.
- Long Layers with Waves: If your hair is long, ensure it has plenty of soft waves or curls. This natural texture will add the necessary horizontal volume to balance the face. Avoid perfectly straight, sleek long hair.
Why it works: Layers break up the vertical line of long hair, adding volume and movement where needed. Face-framing layers specifically draw the eye outwards, creating width.
4. The Pixie Cut (with Caution)
While a pixie cut can be incredibly chic and liberating, it requires careful consideration for narrow faces. A very short, severe pixie can emphasize the length of the face. However, a softer, more voluminous pixie can be stunning.
- Soft Pixie with Side-Swept Bangs: This is the ideal pixie variation for narrow faces. Longer, wispy pieces around the ears and temples, combined with a side-swept fringe, add softness and width.
- Voluminous Pixie: Focus on creating volume on the sides and back, rather than just on top. Textured, slightly messy pixies work well to add body and width.
- Pixie with Undercut (Subtle): A very subtle undercut can create a bit of lift and volume on top without adding too much height, while the longer top layers can be styled to add width.
Why it works: When executed with softness and strategic volume, a pixie can be incredibly youthful and chic. The key is to avoid anything too severe or exposing too much of the face’s length.
5. The Power of Bangs
Bangs are a narrow face’s best friend. They instantly break up the length of the forehead, drawing the eye horizontally and adding width.
- Side-Swept Bangs: Universally flattering, side-swept bangs are fantastic for narrow faces. They create a diagonal line that softens the forehead and adds a beautiful sweep of hair across the face, making it appear wider.
- Wispy or Feathered Bangs: These soft, light bangs provide coverage without being heavy or blunt. They soften the face and add a delicate frame.
- Curtain Bangs: These bangs are parted down the middle and swept to the sides, framing the face like a curtain. They are excellent for adding width around the cheekbones and providing a soft, romantic look.
- Avoid: Heavy, blunt bangs that fall straight across the forehead can sometimes make a narrow face appear even longer.
Why it works: Bangs create a horizontal line that effectively shortens the appearance of a long forehead, thereby balancing the overall face length. They also add softness and a youthful touch.
6. Embracing Waves and Curls
If you are blessed with natural waves or curls, embrace them! They are inherently perfect for narrow faces as they add natural width and volume without any extra effort.
- Soft Waves: Whether natural or created with styling tools, soft, loose waves add a beautiful, relaxed texture that widens the face.
- Defined Curls: For those with curlier textures, allowing your curls to be defined and voluminous will provide significant width and a vibrant, youthful appearance.
- Beach Waves: This effortless, slightly messy look adds width and a carefree spirit.
Why it works: Waves and curls naturally expand outwards, adding horizontal volume and breaking up the straight lines of a narrow face. They also convey softness and youthfulness.
Hair Care and Styling Tips for Mature Hair
Beyond the cut, how you care for and style your hair significantly impacts its appearance, especially for women over 50.
- Hydration is Key: As hair matures, it can become drier and more brittle. Use hydrating shampoos, conditioners, and weekly hair masks to maintain softness and shine.
- Gentle Products: Opt for sulfate-free and paraben-free products to protect your hair’s natural oils and color.
- Strategic Volumizing Products: Mousse, root lifters, and volumizing sprays can be your allies. Apply them at the roots and through the mid-lengths, focusing on the sides to create width.
- Texture Sprays and Dry Shampoo: These products can add instant body and grip, making hair appear fuller and easier to style for width.
- Heat Protection: Always use a heat protectant spray before blow-drying or using hot tools to prevent damage and maintain hair health.
- Regular Trims: Keep your chosen style fresh and your ends healthy with regular trims every 6-8 weeks. This also helps maintain volume and shape.
- Consider Color: Highlights or balayage can add dimension and the illusion of fullness, especially around the face. Lighter tones around the face can also soften features.
Consulting a Professional Stylist
The most crucial step in achieving your ideal hairstyle is to consult with an experienced professional stylist. An expert will:
- Assess Your Face Shape Accurately: They can confirm your face shape and discuss the best strategies for it.
- Consider Your Hair Texture: Fine, thick, straight, wavy, or curly hair all behave differently and require specific cutting techniques.
- Discuss Your Lifestyle: A busy lifestyle might call for a low-maintenance cut, while someone with more time might enjoy a style that requires more styling.
- Personalize the Look: A great stylist will tailor any recommended style to your unique features, hair type, and personal preferences.
- Bring Inspiration Photos: Don’t hesitate to bring pictures of styles you like. This helps your stylist understand your vision.
Conclusion
Embracing your narrow face shape as a woman over 50 is about understanding its unique beauty and choosing a hairstyle that enhances it. By focusing on cuts that add width, soften angles, and incorporate strategic volume and texture, you can achieve a look that is not only flattering but also exudes confidence, elegance, and youthful vitality. Remember, age is merely a number, and your hair is a powerful tool for self-expression. With the right cut and a little care, you can step out feeling fabulous, proving that style truly knows no age limit.
