Going Short After 50: How to Take the Step

This post is about the step itself: how to get from long hair to short, what changes when you do, and what to do about gray along the way. If you're still deciding on a shape, start with short haircuts for women over 60, which walks through the options.

Should you go all at once or in stages?

Going in one visit is simple, and you get to the result straight away. Going in stages costs more visits, but you can stop at any point if you like where you've landed.

Stages make sense if you've had long hair for years, because you may not know how it behaves at a shorter length. The weight of long hair can hide wave and cowlicks that show up once it's gone.

What are the stages?

Stay at each stage for at least one trim, so you can see how it wears on a normal week. If you get to a bob and stop there, that's a good result too. The comparison of the bixie, pixie and bob can help with the last step.

What changes in your routine?

Three things tend to change. You'll have less hair to dry. You'll lose the ponytail, which matters if you rely on it for golf, the gym or hot days. And you'll see your stylist more often, because a short shape shows growth quickly.

That last one affects the cost. With Karen, a long cut starts at $87 and a short cut at $76, but a cut every 5 weeks means twice as many visits as a cut every 10.

What should you do about gray at the same time?

Going short can help here. A medical reference on the NCBI Bookshelf puts scalp hair growth at about 1 cm a month. At that rate, replacing 12 inches of colored hair takes about 30 months. Replacing 4 inches takes about 10. So a short cut can bring your natural color through sooner, because there's less old color left to grow out.

You have a few choices, and all of them are fine. The American Academy of Dermatology says there's nothing wrong with having gray hair, and that you can cover it with dye if it bothers you.

• Keep your color. A short cut leaves less hair to color, and full color with Karen starts at $94 for short hair.
• Soften it. Gray blending softens gray into your natural color, and it starts at $47.
• Let it grow in. Use your cuts to remove the old color a little at a time.

One thing to plan for is that gray hair is coarser, stiffer and harder to manage, and less likely to hold artificial color, according to a medical review. A cut that suits your hair today may need adjusting as more gray comes in.

You don't have to decide this on one day. It can be easier to get the cut first, then look at what color is left.

How do you start?

Mention the change when you book, because it may need more time than a regular visit. The guide on how to tell your stylist you want a change has words you can use.

You can see Karen Shardlow's short haircuts and her starting prices. Your final price depends on your hair, so ask about it at your consultation. If you haven't been before, read the new client guide.