Short Hair Styling Guide for Mature Women

By Amy Finley

Every woman wants to have a great hairstyle, no matter what her age. Short styles for mature women range from simple and elegant to fun and sassy, and can be easy to create.

Seven Short Hairstyles for Mature Women

A few simple steps and the right styling products can help you create a great style that fits you perfectly. LoveToKnow sought advice on short hair styling for mature ladies from experts Edmondo Blando, owner of Salon Vanity and an internationally-trained stylist, and Sanda Petrut, a top stylist of the renowned Maxine Salon in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. The following styles are not only flattering for mature women, but are easy to create as well.

Short, Straight, and Sassy
 

Although many mature women add curls to their hairstyles, there are plenty of straight styles they can wear, too. A short straight look, like Annette Benning wears, with relaxed choppy pieces is a confident style with a little attitude. It works best for mature women who want a chic yet modern style. It is also a great look for women with thinning hair because it helps give the illusion of thicker hair and can be styled to minimize thin areas. Sanda Petrut gave LoveToKnow the steps on how to achieve this style:

1. First, Sanda suggests applying mousse to damp hair, and recommends Kerastase Mousse Substantif.
2. Next, blow dry using a vent brush while drying to create lift at the root.
3. Finish the look with a small round brush to round the ends to obtain maximum volume.
4. If you're styling a look like this with dry hair, Sanda suggests applying a product that will create texture, such as Shu Uemura Cotton Uzu.

Short Windblown Style
 

A feminine yet polished look, short hair in a windblown style can look fabulous on mature women. The slight flips help draw the eye upward, which helps detract from fine lines on the face and give a more youthful look. Sanda shares how to achieve this elegantly modern look:

1. Apply mousse, such as the aforementioned Kerastase Mousse Substantif to damp hair.
2. Next, Sanda says to blow dry the hair by flipping the back nape and the first inch on the sides directing back the hair. When styling, Sanda says, you'll want to think of hair being blown by the wind.
3. Style using a small round-brush on the top to smooth the hair and add volume.
4. Finish with a light hold hairspray -- Sanda suggests Kerastase Double Force.

Casual Short Curls
 

A short curly style can be very versatile. It can be worn with bangs, bangs curled and slightly to the side, or without bangs. This is also a good one for thinning hair because the curls add volume and the soft lines of the hairstyle are very flattering to mature faces. To achieve a soft, curly hairstyle, Sanda says to once again begin with mousse to add volume and hold. Then:

1. Use a medium large round brush while drying to add additional volume and smooth the hair.
2. Use a 1" curling iron to create the curls and add texture to the hair. (Turn the ends of the curls facing outward or inward toward your face, depending on how you want the style to look).
3. Complete you look with a light-hold hairspray once you have the curls in place.