Most short cuts need a trim every four to eight weeks, and the closer the nape, the sooner you’ll notice it growing out. In exchange, a lot of mornings come down to a little mousse and a round brush blow-dry. Below are short hairstyles for women over 50, each matched to the hair texture and face shape it suits.
1. Timeless Pixie Cut After 50
Fine to medium hair on an oval or heart face suits a classic pixie cut. I take the sides and back short with scissor-over-comb, leave two to three inches on top, and point cut the top so it sits in soft pieces instead of a flat cap. Styling is a blow-dry with a little mousse and a light wax to finish. Of the short hairstyles for women over 50, this one needs a trim every 4 to 5 weeks.
2. Long-Fringe Textured Pixie
Medium to thick hair on an oval, round or square face suits a textured pixie with longer bangs. I hold the fringe at the brow, razor the rest short for separation, and sweep the bangs to one side so they cover forehead lines. Styling is drying the bangs forward and pushing them to the side with a texture paste. Trim every 5 weeks and cover the roots every 4 weeks.
3. Jaw-Grazing Soft Layered Bob
Fine to medium hair on an oval, round or heart face, straight or wavy, suits a soft layered bob at the jaw. I set the base at the jawline, add light layers through the back for movement, and point cut the baseline so it does not read as a hard line. Styling is a round brush blow-dry with the ends bent under. It is one of the short hairstyles for women over 50 I recommend for both textures. Trim every 6 weeks.
4. Graduated Stacked Bob
Fine to medium hair on a round or square face suits a stacked bob with nape graduation. I build short layers at the back of the head so the shape rounds out and lifts at the crown, and I cut the front longer, to the chin, for a slight angle. Styling is a round brush blow-dry that lifts the stacked section. Because the graduation grows out fast, trim every 5 weeks.
5. Chin Bob With a Swept Side Fringe
Fine to medium hair on an oval, long or heart face suits a chin-length bob with side bangs, a one-length bob with a long fringe swept across the forehead. I point cut the bangs so they blend into the side. Styling is a flat brush blow-dry with a smoothing cream. The bangs want a trim every 4 weeks and the bob every 6 to 8 weeks.
6. Wispy Layered Short Shag
Medium to thick hair with some wave, on an oval or long face, suits a short shag with wispy layers. I razor from the crown down so the layers feather and fall in pieces, keeping the length above the shoulder. Styling is a light mousse and a scrunch, air-dried or diffused. Short hairstyles for women over 50 with this much texture go 8 weeks between trims without looking tired.
7. Tapered Cropped Pixie
Fine to medium hair on an oval or heart face suits a cropped pixie with a tapered nape. I take the back down close with clippers on a number 4 guard, blend up into a short top with scissor-over-comb, and leave a little length at the crown. Styling is a blow-dry with a small amount of mousse and a matte paste to finish. Trim every 4 weeks.
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8. Wavy Bob Cut Dry After 50
Hair from 2A to 2C at medium density, on an oval, round or square face, suits a wavy bob for women over 50. I cut it on dry hair so I can see where the waves fall, with the base at the chin and a few invisible layers. Styling is a curl cream and a scrunch, air-dried, or a one-inch iron with the ends left out. Trim every 8 weeks.
9. Curly Pixie Cut Dry After 50
Curls from 3A to 3C at any density, on an oval or heart face, suit a curly pixie for women over 50. I cut it dry, curl by curl, so the curls sit in the right spot and do not spring up unevenly, keeping the top longer and the sides close. Styling is a curl cream and a light gel, air-dried. Trim every 8 weeks and gloss every 6 weeks if the hair is colored.
10. Asymmetric Bob Longer on One Side
Fine to medium hair on a round or square face suits an asymmetrical bob with one long side. I cut one side at the chin and the other at the jaw, using a blunt line on both and point cutting only the ends. Styling is a flat brush blow-dry with a smoothing serum, keeping the longer side forward. Trim every 6 weeks so the asymmetry stays sharp.
11. Short Layers With Lift at the Crown
Fine to medium hair on a round or square face suits a short layered haircut with volume at the crown. I stack short layers at the back of the head, cut them with graduation so they stand up on their own, and keep the sides smooth. Styling is a round brush blow-dry with a volumizing mousse. Trim every 5 weeks to keep the crown lifted.
12. Bixie Between Bob and Pixie After 50
Medium to thick hair on an oval or round face suits a bixie cut for women over 50, which sits between a bob and a pixie. I keep the back short and layered, the front at the cheekbone, and razor the layers so they feather. Styling is a round brush blow-dry with a texture spray. It is one of the short haircuts for women over 50 that grows out well. Trim every 6 weeks.
13. Feathered Cut Worn Short
Medium to thick hair on an oval, square or heart face suits a short feathered cut. I layer it with a razor so the ends flip back away from the face, cutting the layers from the cheekbone down and keeping the back short. Styling is a round brush blow-dry on each layer, directed back, with a light spray to set. Trim every 6 weeks and touch up color every 4 to 5 weeks.
14. Short Bob With a Blunt Line
Fine hair on an oval or long face suits a short bob with blunt ends, because the blunt line makes the ends look thick. I cut it to the chin in a straight line with no layers, head level, checking the line in the mirror from both sides. Styling is a flat brush blow-dry with a smoothing cream. Trim every 6 weeks.
15. Side-Swept Pixie Fringe
Fine to medium hair on an oval, round or square face suits a pixie with a side-swept fringe. I keep the top long enough to reach the brow, cut the sides short with scissor-over-comb, and sweep the fringe across the forehead. Styling is a small round brush drying the fringe to the side. Trim every 4 to 5 weeks. Of the short hairstyles women over 50 ask me for, this one comes up most.
16. Gray Pixie Cut With Scissors After 50
Fine to medium gray hair on an oval or heart face suits a gray pixie cut for women over 50. I use scissors, since a razor frizzes gray hair, keep the top two inches long, and taper the sides. A gloss keeps the gray from going yellow. Styling is a blow-dry with mousse and a shine serum to finish. Trim every 5 weeks and gloss every 8 weeks.
17. Silver Bob With Point-Cut Layers
Fine to medium hair on an oval, round or square face suits a silver bob with soft layers. I set the base at the jaw, add a few layers through the back, and point cut them so the silver catches light in pieces. Styling is a round brush blow-dry with a shine spray. Trim every 6 weeks and use a purple shampoo once a week to keep the silver clean.
18. Face-Framed Short Haircut
Fine to medium hair on a round or square face suits a short haircut with face-framing layers. I keep the base at the chin and cut the front pieces to the cheekbone, so the layers draw the eye to the cheekbones instead of the jaw. Styling is a round brush blow-dry with the front pieces pulled forward. Short hairstyles for women over 50 with these layers soften the jawline. Trim every 6 weeks.
19. French Bob With Short Fringe After 50
Fine to medium straight hair on an oval or long face suits a French bob for women over 50. I cut it to the jaw with a blunt line and short bangs at the brow, point cutting the bangs slightly so they are not too heavy. Styling is a light cream and air-dry, or a flat brush blow-dry. Since the bangs grow into the eyes fast, trim every 5 weeks.
20. Short Layers With Fine Highlights
Fine to medium hair on most face shapes suits a short layered cut with highlights. I run fine foils through the top to show the layers, cut the layers short, and point cut the ends after the color. Styling is a round brush blow-dry with a volumizing mousse. Trim every 6 weeks. The highlights need a touch-up every 8 to 10 weeks and a gloss between visits.
21. Long-Top Pixie Bob
Medium to thick hair on an oval, round or heart face suits a pixie bob with a longer top. I keep the top at the cheekbone, cut the back and sides short, and blend the two with slide cutting. Styling is a round brush drying the top back, with a light pomade to finish. It is one of the short haircuts for women over 50 that hides thinning at the temples. Trim every 5 weeks.
22. Disconnected Undercut Pixie
Thick hair on an oval or square face suits a short undercut pixie. I take the nape and one side down with clippers on a number 2 guard, leave the top long enough to flip over, and disconnect the two sections rather than blending. Styling is a round brush drying the top over, with a matte paste to finish. Trim the undercut every 3 weeks and the top every 6.
23. Rounded Bob With Soft Curve
Fine to medium hair on a long, oval or square face suits a soft rounded bob. I set the base at the chin, curve the layers so the shape rounds inward at the ends, and graduate the nape for a little lift. Styling is a round brush blow-dry with the ends bent under. It is one of the classic short hairstyles for women over 50. Trim every 6 weeks.
24. Bangs on Short Hair After 50
Fine to medium hair on an oval or long face suits short hair with bangs for women over 50, a jaw-length cut with full bangs at the brow. The bangs hide forehead lines and the length covers the neck, and I point cut the bangs so they are not heavy. Styling is a flat brush on the bangs. Trim the bangs every 4 weeks and the length every 6.
25. Thin-Hair Short Cut After 50
Fine, thin hair on an oval or heart face suits a short haircut for thin hair over 50. I cut it blunt at the jaw with no layers so every strand adds to the ends, using scissors rather than a razor and point cutting only the baseline. Styling is a volumizing mousse and a round brush, lifting at the roots. Trim every 6 weeks so the ends stay full.
Worth a look next: hairstyles for older women and curly hairstyles for older women.
Short haircuts for women over 50 need a trim every four to eight weeks, and the closer the nape, the sooner you notice it growing out. FYI, fine thin hair on an oval or heart face suits a blunt jaw-length cut. That blunt line is what keeps the shape from disappearing.
