Stylish Short Hair Cuts and Styles for Women of All Ages
Kathleen is a freelance writer who loves sharing hair and beauty tips.
Looking for a new cut or style for your hair? Cutting your hair short leaves you with plenty of options and gives you room to style your hair in many different ways. Here are some popular short cuts.
Should I Cut My Hair Short?
Short haircuts are not just for men. Introduced, or at least popularized in the late 50s and early 60s by model Twiggy, short hairstyles have become increasingly popular choices amongst women of all ages, races, and shapes.
Short cuts are easy to maintain, can range from edgy to classic, and typically are flattering to a woman's facial features. Whether you are looking for something simple or something dramatic, there is a short cut perfect for you!
Younger women enjoy short cuts because they are great ways to express one's individuality, while older women enjoy short cuts for their simplicity, as well as their sleekness. Short haircuts have a number of benefits, are unique, highlight positive facial features, are attractive, are flattering, and require minimum daily upkeep.
From the classic bob to the edgy pixie cut, short cuts depend on lots of layers, lots of textures, and strands that frame the face in order to suit the specific person. From classy to edgy, short haircuts can be more than just a hairstyle; they can be their own fashion statement.
Be different, be bold, and try it out. You may just surprise yourself!
This stylish cut is a combination between the tomboy cut and the shag cut.
Classic Short Hair Cuts for Women
There are several simple, classic styles that women often choose when they decide to go for a short haircut. These classic cuts include the bob, the pixie cut, the pageboy cut, and the shag.
The Classic Bob
This style is one of the most popular short cuts because it is sophisticated and easy to maintain. Ranging somewhere between chin length and shoulder-length, the bob is a great way to add volume to thin hair.
The Pixie Cut
This particular cut is very short and is well-suited for women with oval-shaped faces. The pixie cut accentuates facial features by minimizing the amount of hair surrounding the face, which makes it a great choice for those who want their eyes or cheekbones to pop.
The Pageboy (Tomboy) Cut
This edgy haircut is best suited for women with straight hair, consisting of lots of wispy edges and layers. With some strands falling along the cheekbones, other strands are drastically shorter, making this style easy to switch up depending on your mood.
The Shag
The shag cut is the last of the classic short styles for women. A cut that adds volume to thin hair, and makes thin faces look fuller, the shag is an edgy cut that works great for women with curly or wavy hair.
This pixie style cut is a great way to accentuate facial features.
Short Cuts for Women with Curly Hair
It is a well-circulated myth that short haircuts are only for women with straight hair. Women with all types of hair, from straight to wavy to extra curly can find the perfect short cut for them!
While it may be true that women with straight hair have more options than those with curly hair, and that it may be easier to manage short hair when your hair is straight, women with curly or wavy hair should not rule out all of these styles.
A little wave can add a lot to a short style, giving it both body and depth. Ideal cuts for women with wavy or curly hair include the pixie cut, the shag cut, and the bob. Because you will be losing length, you will be gaining volume and bounce, making your curls pop!
This shaggy bob cut is short, but not too short.
Short Cuts for Women Depending on Age
As women age, our styles and choices change. Haircuts that suited us in our 20s and 30s may not feel right in our 40s or 50s. Sometimes we were more daring in the past with how we cut our hair, and sometimes we're more daring now! Everyone is different, and that is why you are the best person to choose your own style of cut.
Funky and Fresh Short Cuts for Women in their 20s
Your 20s is a time to discover who you really are, experiment with different styles, and embrace your inner spirit. How better to do this than with a stylish short hair cut that can be styled countless ways?
Read More From Bellatory
Some great short hair cuts popular amongst women in their twenties include the shag cut, the pixie cut, the spiked cut, as well as more modern cuts that combine elements from many short styles, such as the asymmetrical bob and the pixie shag.
Sophisticated Short Cuts for Women in their 30s and 40s
Short hair doesn't have to be a bold statement or a quest for individuality. Many women in their 30s and 40s choose to go short because it is easy to maintain, can be styled quickly, and looks sleek and classy.
Popular cuts for women in their 30s and 40s include the bob, the classic pixie cut, as well as newer styles that feature lots of layers and short bangs.
Still short and easy to maintain, this style leaves room for plenty of creativity.
Short Cuts for Women Depending on the Shape of Their Face
If you are considering a short cut, check out your local salon for pictures of styles you might like. Most salons will provide books of haircuts to help you select a cut that suits you, and your hair, features and style preference best.
The face is generally broken down into the shapes oval, round, apple, triangle and diamond. You should always try to choose a style that compliments the shape of your face. Certain cuts work from some shapes and not others.
The pixie crop mohawk is a bold choice that is most commonly associated with pop-star Miley Cyrus. Designed to accentuate strong facial features, this cut is great for those with diamond, triangle, and even oval-shaped faces.
For those with round faces, the oblong pixie is a great cut that is designed to frame the face, making it look leaner and longer. The oblong pixie cut is a wispy style with long, tousled strands in the front. It can be edgy or conservative, depending on your style.
A flattering cut for almost all face shapes is the a-line asymmetrical bob. This cut falls right below the chin, slightly longer than the traditional bob.
Made famous by model Twiggy, the pixie cut is a short, shaggy way to be creative with your hair. Featuring long, sweeping bangs in the front, shortly trimmed sides and heavily layers, this cut can be catered to a variety of facial types and looks very feminine despite its length.
© 2014 Kathleen Odenthal
Comments
Suzie from Carson City on September 19, 2014:
Kathleen.....I too am eager to see your new "do".....Of course it will be cute, I'm sure of that. I hate to "fuss" with my hair...so it's the chop shop for me, every other month or so.
I'm into wash, comb...air dry for an hour and low-intensity blow dry to finalize. My hair has natural wave and a teeney bit of curl, lots of body and shine and A MIND OF IT'S OWN. I choose my battles carefully. Made Peace with my hair many years ago!!...Up+++
Kathleen Odenthal (author) from Bridgewater on September 09, 2014:
Yea, I don't mind my cut, except when I wake up and my hair is in twenty directions! I do miss being able to just throw it up into a ponytail though
Cristen Iris from Boise, Idaho on September 08, 2014:
I love my short hair, like annart I used to have very long hair but this suits me much better. My hair cut has become part of my identity. As a student on a fairly large campus people I had never met would often say to me, "Oh, I know you. I see you all the time." Short hair that suits your personality and style can become a signature of sorts. I won't ever go back! Fun article. Good luck and kudos on donating your hair. My daughter did that too. And hey, if you hate it, it'll grow back. :)
Ann Carr from SW England on September 06, 2014:
I had long, long hair for years and years and it was one of my best features. Age brought change; I found that short hair made me look younger and I was spending most of the time with my hair up anyway.
I took the plunge and didn't look back. Now I cut my own so it changes by the week!
Great article for everyone brave enough to have a go - no loss, you can always grow it again! Hope yours was as good as you wished.
Ann
Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on September 04, 2014:
Awesome! Can't wait to see it Kathleen. You're doing a good thing!
Kathleen Odenthal (author) from Bridgewater on September 04, 2014:
Thank you! I am nervous, about to go to hair cutters now and have no idea what I am going to do with it, but yes I will have photos of my donation and my new hairdo!
Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on September 04, 2014:
Kathleen you have such an interesting array of topics and you write them all well!
When I was in my 20's and 30's I had waist-length hair. Once I hit my 40's I started experimenting with shorter styles. Now that I'm in my 50's I keep it about shoulder-length with some lift on top and bangs that I can either wear down or combed back off my forehead. I have a wonderful hairstylist who works with me when I decide it's time for a new look. I'll take her several photos that I've printed from the Internet (keeping my face shape in mind) and together we decide on which would be more flattering. Another concern is ease of style. I don't like to mess with my hair. I let it air dry until almost dry, then blow it upside down, brush it out, and spray the top of my head to keep it floofy.
I hope you show us your new do after you donate your hair. You're the bomb, Kathleen!
