Can you guess their age from the back?
The answers (see page 51) reveal a fascinating trend
With their thick, glossy, tumbling manes these four women could so easily be in their 20s — from the back, that is.
their real ages (from 45 to 54. Yes, really!) may surprise you — but the truth is, these days, it’s impossible to work out how old a woman is from behind.
Why? Because, regardless of age, our hair is collectively the longest it has been since the Seventies, and it’s not just the young women who aspire to girlish Kate Middleton-esque tresses, but 40-plus women, too.
Forget the sensible older lady haircut of yesteryear — today’s mature women want the swingy-haired locks of a twentysomething. And with the advent of more effective shampoos and conditioners, not to mention extensions and thickeners, even those cursed with limp strands can get in on the act.
Long hair in mid-life is fast becoming the norm and the likes of actresses Julianne Moore, 55, Demi Moore, 53, Jane Seymour, 65, and models Elle Macpherson, 52, and Cindy Crawford, 50, are proof that long locks can have longevity in the style stakes.
(Cindy and her 15-year-old daughter illustrate, too, how difficult it often is these days to distinguish between a mother and daughter with identicallength hair when they are walking down the street).
Whereas a youthful rear view — and cruelly incongruous face — used to be the dread of all women, the perceived wisdom that short hair is more flattering has now been turned on its head.
May Simpkin, a nutritionist, is 51 and a case in point. her hair is the ‘longest it has ever been’ — and, she insists, ‘the most flattering’.
‘For the past year, my secret weapon has been a weekly £15 salon blow-dry to keep it looking luscious and presentable for the next five days,’ she says. ‘twice a year, i also have a Brazilian keratin treatment. At £225 a pop, it’s not cheap, but it magically smooths any frizz.
‘But what’s not to love about having swishy locks at my age? At a glance from behind, i can see why some people assume i’m years younger. But i think longer hair is more flattering from the front, too.’
ThoSE with abundant hair like May’s can turn to products to ward off frizz and coarse grey hairs, one of the many perils for mid-life Rapunzels.
Reduced oestrogen results in a shorter growing phase, while increased levels of male hormones such as testosterone can make hair thinner.
‘Wild curly hair like mine is trickier to pull off as you age,’ admits May, who lives in Surrey with her husband Guy, 55, who works in the City, and their children Daniel, 21, Jack, 19, and Jade, 17. ‘that’s why i straighten it. Since entering my 50s, my complexion is naturally less radiant, so i focus on ensuring that my hair gleams and illuminates my face.’
others are taking rather more drastic action. hair loss specialist Lucinda Ellery says she has noticed a definite increase in older women coming to her for fillers (a new technique that uses hair extensions to add volume, rather than length) because they want to grow their thinning hair long.
‘i have long hair myself,’ says Lucinda, ‘so i understand the appeal. hair does deteriorate as you get older but these days, if you want more hair, you can go and buy some.’
the allure of long hair is all about quality rather than quantity. it implies health (or wealth, where extensions are concerned).
At 45, natural blonde Dr heike Doutine has waist-length, headturning hair, but says she never goes to salons and instead dyes it herself. ‘i do eat healthily, though — yoghurts, fruit and probably too much fish. i walk a lot, too,’ says the philosophy lecturer from London. heike has been married to her husband for 20 years and they have an eight-year-old son.
She adds: ‘i’ve always had long hair, even as a child. teachers told me i looked like Brigitte Bardot and that my hair wasn’t appropriate and should be tied up.
‘But, as an adult, i’ve only ever received compliments about it. My husband cleverly once told me: “You are the only woman who looks good in the morning.” ’
trichologist Glenn Lyons, of the renowned Philip Kingsley Clinic, advocates shoulder-length hair, rather than any longer.
‘i remember walking down the road behind a woman with long blonde hair and thinking that she looked great. But when she turned round, i was in for a shock — she must have been about 75.’
Contrary to the popular belief that washing your hair every day strips it of essential oils, Glenn says regular washing is beneficial. ‘hair is exposed to the same elements as your face and you wouldn’t go five days without washing your face, would you? Using a good conditioner is the key.’
Rae Martin, 54, from herne Bay, Kent, tried the ‘sensible’ thing, lopping off her Rapunzel-esque hair when she turned 40.
the social media consultant says: ‘Until 15 years ago i had hair down to my bottom, an antidote to the sensible bob i’d had in my teens and early 20s. But in a moment of madness, when i turned 40 i asked my hairdresser to chop it all off to the nape of my neck.’
her friends were incredulous: ‘ “What have you done with all that lovely long hair?” they all asked — and one of my sons told me i didn’t look like his mummy any more.’
So she grew it back — much, she suspects, to her husband Phil’s delight.
Model and property developer Michelle thomas, 48, agrees that longer hair is more flattering as you age: ‘A short haircut can make a woman look hard. My other half prefers it long and down.’
As for maintenance, the mother of one — her daughter is 12 — focuses on using a good conditioner and swears by Royal Jelly capsules.
Lucinda Ellery agrees that vitamins and good products are the key to good hair.
She says: ‘We are influenced subliminally by the glossy posse of celebrities, so it’s no wonder older women want lovely long, thick hair more than ever. it’s all part of that covetable youthful package.’
A look, she adds, that’s here to stay.