Sheitels as you age

amother

Burlywood

Wed, May 11 2016, 4:46 pm

OK, nobody bash please, this is not about minding other ppls business, it's about mine.

When you see an older lady in a long, youthful sheitel, do you think she forgot to look in the mirror for the past 20 years? I am asking because I don't want to do that...

When do we admit that it's time for a bubby sheitel? Bubbies are younger all the time, and certainly in my 40s I think I looked young and great. In my 50s I was still told I look young. But I think the time will surely come when a bubby sheitel will be more appropriate. How will I know?

(I am not posting under Over 35 forum because I do appreciate hearing younger points of view.)

dee's mommy

Wed, May 11 2016, 4:51 pm

What is a "bubbie" sheital? Is it a short style? Is it shoulder length? does it just mean not past the shoulders? (the last one is a length I never had, nor would want it.) I have seen the other lengths on women of various ages, and they looked fine and age appropriate to me.

amother

Burlywood

Wed, May 11 2016, 5:26 pm

A real bubbie style is short.
Mine are just brushing the shoulders but recently I got one that's just around chin length. Now I'm feeling like the others look too long to me.

I do think it might depend on how youthful your face is, which is a good reason NOT to lose weight : ) Then I might become gaunt and wrinkled looking. A little fat to pad out the skin can be very helpful in looking younger, no?

amother

Saddlebrown

Wed, May 11 2016, 5:42 pm

My opinion [I am a shaitle macher] is that people 35--deff 40+ look much older in long shaitles, especially if it doesn't have enough layers. The older you get, the less you can rely on your natural beauty. That's why a 19 year old with perfect skin and no wrinkles can handle an "unflattering cut" [it doesn't especially bring out her features or bone structure] because she looks pretty good no matter what. It is essential to have layers that bring out your bone structure as you age. Bangs are often a good option to covering forehead wrinkles, and side bangs often make the face looks slimmer. It is just not classy or flattering for an older woman to wear a shaitle more than a drop below the shoulders.
As for the pixie-type shaitle with a lot of height at the top, it is flattering on some woman, but not everyone. As for adding grey to the shaitle, I don't like it. Instead, slowly adding more ashy blond color gives the same natural effect without actual grey.
With all beauty things though, do whatever you want, it's your body and it doesn't really matter at the end of the day.

PinkFridge

Wed, May 11 2016, 7:50 pm

amother wrote:

I have always said I want a silver shaitel one day (I'm 22 now)

Yeah, I know I'm going to reach a point where I may go lighter (I had very dark brown hair once upon a time) but I'm not going to go so light that the next step is blond, I'm just going to go silver. But I don't know at one point that's acceptable. So many women are wearing dark sheitels well into their 70s and beyond and many carry it off well. I guess because a number of women who don't cover their hair are coloring too so it doesn't seem so odd.

PinkFridge

Wed, May 11 2016, 7:53 pm

amother wrote:

What's flattering on you really depends on your face, imo, as at any age. Google recent photos of Meryl Streep and check out her hairstyles. She's 67.

No time to check now. Are the photographs airbrushed at all? Has she had any work? I don't mean to say that you have to be as lined as Robert Redford (whose lines might be due to lack of sunscreen as much as age) but there is a difference between some celebs and the rest of us.

PassionFruit

Wed, May 11 2016, 8:02 pm

I suggest this [blond highlights over dark hair] instead of grey [color, not style]: https://www.google.com/search?.....lM%3A

These are a few great styles for older people. They key is to pick a lengh that brings you features up, instead of dragging you down. Generally, it needs to be a between chin-shoulder length [but as short as you can handle], with a lot of fullness and height. Here are a few cuts I love for older people:
1. https://www.google.com/url?sa=.....43406
2. https://www.google.com/url?sa=.....91718
3. https://www.google.com/url?sa=.....22660
4. https://www.google.com/url?sa=.....22660

agreer

Wed, May 11 2016, 8:49 pm

My grandmothers wore dark shaitels till they passed and looked great. Yes, not "natural" but fabulous.

No gray shaitel for me, thank you very much.

However, I will IYH go shorter as I age.

amother

Magenta

Wed, May 11 2016, 8:58 pm

Anon because of the story, etc.

I remember years ago, walking down a street where there was this very striking woman in front of me. LONG, bright blond sheital down to the bottom of her back, very thin, short skirt, HIGH HIGH heeled boots, really totally 'done,' then she turned around and she must have been at least 65. From the back, she looked 20, from the front, despite all the makeup, etc., with her wrinkles, she looked at least 65 or older.

I think we should look "refined" for our age. I usually hate that word, but here I think it's justified. Now, I'm almost 40, but I only have one or two gray hairs at the moment, I'm totally not going gray. My mother started to go gray in high school, and has never dyed it (she doesn't wear a sheital), but I'm not about to put gray in my sheital. At the same time, most women my age wear mid length or even longer, sheitals. I don't wear very long, but I guess I hope that I'm not at the age yet, where I can't wear what I want.

Iymnok

Thu, May 12 2016, 2:40 am

Most older women look good in a short darker sheitel. Light brown for a blond etc.
I don't like the highlighted look, too unnatural IMO. A natural color a shade or two darker than yours as a young woman would be complementary.
Don't go lighter, you'll just look old.

chavamom

Thu, May 12 2016, 4:54 am

Struggling with this myself. I'm 48 and my natural hair only has a very small amount of grey - yet I think most sheitels make me look like I'm putting a 25 year-old's hair on my head.

amother

Seashell

Thu, May 12 2016, 5:36 am

I happen to hate the look of very long sheitels.
I think for anyone at any age, short is much more stylish and sophisticated.
You're hair should bring out your face, not be a feature in and of itself. Its there to frame your features.
I'm 22 and all my friends have long heavy wigs that I think are unflattering and mine is about 3 inches below my shoulder- neat, flattering and elegant.

Right I'll get off my soapbox now.

OP- I think you should do what you feel comfortable with. There are some longer styles that suit more mature women but on the whole I would suggest staying within the shoulder region or above. And face framing layers/bangs might be a good idea too depending on your face

Shuly

Thu, May 12 2016, 6:01 am

Iymnok wrote:

This

A big sheitel macher told me that the trick is to go darker as you age, not lighter.
It keeps you young looking.

PinkFridge

Thu, May 12 2016, 8:40 am

chavamom wrote:

Struggling with this myself. I'm 48 and my natural hair only has a very small amount of grey - yet I think most sheitels make me look like I'm putting a 25 year-old's hair on my head.

Nice new avatar! (Not that the old one wasn't.)

causemommysaid

Thu, May 12 2016, 8:48 am

older women who dont cover dye their hair also.

you don't need to go grey.

I think a shoulder length style with a good cut in your natural color before you went grey should be fine.