I love a signature style, and I'm a fierce admirer of women like Charlotte Rampling or Helen Mirren who adapt their make- up and hairstyles as they age and have looked sexy and cool over the decades. The fear of looking like mutton dressed as lamb is part of the reason many of us succumb to the cut.
We have a deep-seated terror of coming across as if we're desperately hanging onto our youth. But there is no set age at which we should cut our tresses any more than there is a fixed point to retire our high heels. Feeling fabulous is about confidence. There are no rules. Life is for living and if your inner diva expresses itself through your long hair, embrace it, work with it, own it, and keep it.
1. Get the best haircut you can afford. The debate around short versus long hair is too simplistic. Most of us have moved on since the sixties. Today long hair is all about the cut, the shape and flattering layers. A few weeks ago I had my hair colored and styled at Tres Confidential in Paris and left the salon walking on air. When the miraculous happens and the cut and the color are perfect, you're ready to take on the world. Voila!
2. Care for your hair as though it's cashmere. As we get older our hair loses some of its natural sheen and years of coloring can thicken and damage it. I've been forty shades of grey since my twenties. It's important to use a shampoo for color treated hair and a great conditioner. I use Kerastase products. They also do a great once -a -week hydrating mask. They're not cheap but if you've ever used hotel shampoo and conditioner (eek) you'll know that you mostly get what you pay for.
3. Fight the frizz. Don't neglect the ends of your hair, which tend to get dry. There are a ton of smoothing serums out there. My favorite is John Frieda's Frizz-Ease it works like magic. Squeeze a little onto your hands and rub it into the ends of your hair after you've dried it. For even better results use my granny's tip and massage in warm olive oil before you wash it.
4. Work it from the inside too. The condition of our hair reflects our wellbeing. When we look healthy a few wrinkles are neither here nor there, our zest for life shines through. Make sure to get enough Omega3, Vitamin A and iron and to exercise regularly. This is hard science and you only have to think of times when you weren't well and your hair lacked luster to know that it's important.
5. I live in LA and swim most days so I use a UV hair protector. Try Biolage Color Care Therapie Shine Shake Spray on your hair during the summer months to protect it from sea water or chlorine damage.
6. Play with the style. Once you have a good cut; one that hits at your cheekbones, again at your jaw line and is soft around your face, then it's down to you. That's what's so brilliant about longer hair. It's so versatile. Put it up and pull out those Brigitte Bardot dangly wisps or pull it back into a smooth low ponytail. Try parting it at the side and tucking it behind one ear a la Lauren Bacall. Get a great blow dry and channel Demi Moore. It's summer. Pile it in a top- knot and forget all about it. You're fabulous at any age and your locks are your crowning glory.
Read more about Thérèse's adventures at www.thereseblogs.com and pick up her latest novel 'Letter from Paris', published by The Story Plant and available from Amazon $11.71, as well as Kindle.
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