I really wish more people could understand the happiness I so often get from styling hair, especially for women in their 70s and 80s. To me, this topic is extremely meaningful, and I wish more people understood what I feel every time I create a beautiful look. I empathize with a lot of older clients because so many women in their 70s and 80s who sit in my chair can’t see themselves as anything other than “grandma.” They think they are too old to get creative and have fun with their hair. One client especially comes to mind. I still remember her from a few years ago. She was 74, and I just knew that she would feel so joyful, and I could see that joy so vividly. For years, she had the same long, layered cut that she had since 2003. She could hardly contain her excitement as we were about to give her a pixie and when we finally did, she gasped. I could hear and feel that same pixie gasp from so many other older women. It was a gasp of relief. Gone was the layered grandma cut, and in its place was a look full of spirit and movement. It was as though she had stepped into a whole new life.
Short haircuts for women over 70 are about rising to a challenge and reflecting your personality. The right cut can boost your confidence and upgrade your whole look. I have compiled 25 of my favorite hairstyles from soft and pretty bobs to sassy attitude crops. If clients were to walk in, I would do most of these styles without a second thought. Most of the styles, I would have to talk the client through it first, as I would need to evaluate the texture and density for the cut to work in the intended way. Each style has some unique feature that I believe is worth to be appreciated.
#1: Chic Silver Blunt Bob with Textured Ends
When thinking about a blunt bob on silver hair, it’s easy to see how this could be questionable. However, chin level gives a more polished and cleaner approach and leaves a softer effect on the face. Textured ends add a lot to the style, and I’m glad they are included because without texture, it would fall into a really stiff bob, maybe even like “I’d like to speak to the manager.” The hair really follows the trend of the chopped ends movement. For anyone with finer hair, a texturizing spray is always a great option to keep your ends looking separated between hair appointments.
#2 Chic Blunt Bob with Soft Bangs
People might think this haircut was done on a whim, but I can tell that there’s more to it than that. The bangs are great. The perfect weight and solid center to draw focus to the eyes. I love the length, it’s at collarbone level. It gives variety to styling. You can tuck one side behind your ear, a quick curl goes a long way, you can let it dry any way and you’ll look great. The face framing layers are so very, which is what keeps this from being a single solid line. It looks like one of those styles that takes no effort at all to maintain, but actually takes a lot of work to keep looking like that.
#3 Textured Pixie Cut with Wispy Bangs
I’m really passionate about how challenging it is to achieve and execute a pixie haircut with wispy bangs, and then how rewarding it is when everything comes together to create an incredible result. Pixie bangs look amazing when they are light and intentionally short and they make a great frame for the face. When the hair is fine, this will be one of the best options because it will provide the needed shape and volume. With that said, you will be in my chair for this cut every five to six weeks!
#4 Textured Short Pixie Cut with Subtle Highlights
It was the color that caught my attention. The bright platinum with just enough tonal variation to keep it from looking flat. That is hard to achieve and adds so much to the overall look. The Haircut is uncomplicated; it is a textured pixie that is super easy to keep up with no fuss at all. The highlights create the illusion of more density and more movement. If you are silver or white and want to add a little life without going too far, just a few strategically placed lowlights can create that depth.
#5 Softly Curled Silver Bob with Subtle Layers
I love a soft curl on a bob, it adds so much character to a style that could otherwise feel so plain. Here, I feel like the layers are doing what they are supposed to, but it seems like they get sort of unnoticed until the hair moves and you see how it reflects light. For people over 70, chin length is one of my favourite places for a bob as it helps to draw focus to the smile and the eyes. If you have fairly straight hair that doesn’t tend to curl on its own, try using a lighter mousse before blow drying your hair and using a round brush for a few minutes. This will help you achieve the desired volume without that stiff, crunchy feeling.
#6 Textured Soft Bob with Subtle Layers
I love the really easy going “I just don’t want to fuss about it too much” type of haircut. The subtle layers are nice and they help the shape hold in between her appointments. It’s great, especially for those of us who hate to go to the salon every month. The softer jawlines are framed well and it works with what they are going for and what structure they have. The touch is nice. If you are fine textured with the hair a volumizing powder root would be worth a shot. Really not much and helps to keep things from going too flat by midday.
#7 Textured Soft Wavy Bob with Subtle Layers
Waves feel more authentic than straight hair. I prefer a look that is less “salon fresh.” Instead of saying “I just walked out of the salon” I would say “my hair decided to cooperate today”. I love the relaxed and effortless vibe. I love how this cut is jaw-length. The waves can spring up without being weighed down, and the layers keep it nice and light. My favorite part about this cut is that it looks like there was no effort put in at all. There’s a ease to it that looks really confident. If you want to be the most confident you can be in your natural waves, then this is the cut to get.
#8 Softly Textured Short Cut with Gentle Layers
I can’t help but think about the small prominence at the top of the head. It is just a little detail, but with or without it changes the whole feel of the style. Without it, you would just have a clean, decent short haircut. With that detail, the style is fresh and a little more playful. The brightened strands are also working quite well here and are not done in a stripy way. They just reflect light so it looks multidimensional and not dull. This is the style I would suggest for someone who has had the same look for years and just wants something that is more up to date.
#9 Modern Textured Bob with Soft Fringes
It is nice to see a modern touch with the soft movement of the fringe which paired with a bob, gives a nice silhouette which I honestly feel I don’t see enough on women over 70. The cool tone is a smart choice as it reads very deliberate and polished but stops it from feeling too severe. A fringe like this will need some upkeep, if you allow it to grow out a couple weeks past where it should be, it starts to lose that intentional look. If you don’t mind a bang trim in between cuts, this look is honestly so worth it.
#10 Textured Short Crop with Soft Layers
I love the way this cut looks warm and inviting. It’s just above the ears with soft warmth of color. It’s not being edgy or cool, just honest and flattering. That’s enough. The soft layers give the fine hair some movement without the need to blow-dry it for twenty minutes every morning. I find that this cut only asks for a small amount of cream which you warm up in your palms and work through while it’s still damp.
#11 Softly Textured Short Crop with Gentle Highlights
The short hair with highlights is brightening the face without pulling attention to the highlights. You look at this and think, “she looks great,” and it is a sign of well executed color as you can’t discern why. The layers keep the shape fresh and the whole thing has an appealing effortlessness to it. It is detailed with personality and a no fuss cut.
#12 Chic Softly Textured Bob with Face-Framing Layers
Face framing layers may sound easy, but there’s a right way and a wrong way for each technique that can create completely different outcomes. When done wrong, they look dated, but this technique softly opens the area around the cheekbones and eyes so everything looks softer. This silver tone is bright and looks intentional instead of a result of my hair going gray. The volume with this cut comes from the layers, so it’s genuinely low maintenance in a way other cuts that claim to be low maintenance just aren’t.
#13 Elegant Silver Pixie Cut with Textured Layers
This is a beautiful pixie cut, and I think what makes it work is the layered texture. The layers aren’t cut in a chop style but instead layered softly and smoothly to create separation for volume and fullness. The silver color is incredible and I must say, for fine hair, this is a very flattering haircut because the shorter lengths allow the hair to stand up and have movement. I would suggest a shine spray for this style because the reflective silver color is gorgeous.
#14 Chic Textured Pixie with Subtle Highlights
I like the subtlety. The highlights are understated but just enough variation to make the gray dimensional rather than flat and one color. This is a pixie for someone who wants to look engaged without looking like she’s done anything. The texture keeps it from being too prim and proper. It’s cut closely enough to bone structure accentuate so if you have good cheekbones, this is the cut that’s gonna do the heavy lifting to make sure everybody knows it.
#15 Textured Silver Pixie Cut with Soft Volume
I think this is very cute, and I like the playful nature of it. The slight tousle is a bit modern, which is not really seen with shorter styles for women this age is probably why I like it. The volume at the crown comes from actual layering and not teasing or product, so it should keep its volume all day and not deflate before lunch. The above the ear length makes the whole look feel really light, especially at the crown. You’d want to work some texturizing paste through the top to get that tousled look but that would be a very quick thirty second job.
#16 Chic Soft Silver Bob with Subtle Textured Layers
I appreciate that length. Just above the shoulders is that sweet spot where you still get some swing and movement to it, but it also doesn’t weigh down the way longer bobs can on fine hair. The soft texture in the layers is just the right balance to read elegant and not messy, which can be a tricky place to hit. This is the kind of bob I would suggest to someone who has worn a pixie for years and wants to grow out a little without going through an awkward stage. The length is manageable, the layers keep it shapely, and the silver looks stunning at this length.
#17 Charming Curly Silver Crop with Soft Volume
If you have any natural wave or curl, how could you not love this? The cut has so much volume and interest. The short length means curls won’t get weighed down or stretched out. I think the curls are what makes this look work. It’s great that they look defined but not stiff and have a natural bounce. I would definitely advise a curl cream for that definition without the crunch, and of course, let it air dry or use a diffuser. Day two will be even better, and that’s a huge bonus.
#18 Stylish Short Silver Pixie with Soft Texture
The height at the crown is quite clever as it elongates the face without being too on the nose about it. You don’t look at this and think ‘oh she’s trying to add height’, it’s more of like she looks good. The longer fringe is a nice touch as well as it breaks up the shortness and gives you something to play with and sweep it to the side, push it forward, whatever feels right. I think this is a pixie for someone who likes a bit of versatility in their short hair and not just one way to wear it.
#19 Softly Textured Silver Bob with Gentle Waves
Validating how good this cut is one of those features that is hard to find. This is most likely because that trait makes your cut look really good, even if you spend little to no time styling it. I expect your soft waves to sparkle. Pairing this with some sea salt spray will look great. Just scrunch and go. I can see how the gentle chin length is great because it is one of the few lengths that tend to look good on everybody. Your silver waves will most likely flow. These soft waves will look great.
#20 Chic Textured Silver Pixie with Volume
This one has nape feathering, which I love! I really wish more pixie cuts would do this. It softens the short-to-skin transition, and adds movement at the back which is usually only found at the top of the cut. The layers that are cut at various lengths create a lot of volume on top and give the whole shape great proportion. This is a pixie from every angle, which is something I always think about when cutting short hair because you don’t always face forward.
#21 Modern Textured Silver Pixie with Soft Volume
If you like to wash your hair and let it dry naturally, you will love this cut. The layers help create volume at the top and movement at the sides with minimal product. The tousled finish is great because it makes the cut feel more effortless and modern. This shape is best suited for fine to medium density hair as it is designed to give maximum elevation without the assumption that there is lots of hair. If you want to have more control on the texture, a dry texture spray is the only product that I suggest you keep for that.
#22 Textured Short Crop with Subtle Highlights
The subtlety of this crop is stunning. The highlights are minimal, but just enough to keep it warm around the face, add a bit of colour and say the right things. The cut is smooth and close with the soft layering which looks great because it prevents it from being too flat or too plain. Ideally, I think this would be amazing on someone with a longer face because it gives shape and dimension without adding too much height.
#23 Modern Short Silver Haircut with Soft Textured Layers
The brightness of this hair is stunning! You can tell that it is healthy and well-maintained, and with silver short hair this is especially important because with short hair there is no place to hide damage or dryness. The cut is so intentional and every piece is where it needs to be, nothing feels forced. The layered texture is beautifully dynamic as well. If you want your silver hair to look this shiny, it’s recommended to get a glossing treatment every few weeks to maintain the look in between salon visits!
#24 Softly Textured Silver Bob with Subtle Volume
I absolutely love the bob’s weight! It’s great — not too heavy to give enough to a good amt. It also chin grazing length gives off a really nice feel. The layers are really nice soft and not distracting, and create the right amount of movement to keep a round or boxy feel to the shape. I even like how this could be an extension of the owner. It feels like not a haircut imposed, but a haircut that came out of her. And that is the aim, and you really are able to see it here.
#25 Chic Textured Crop with Soft Volume
I really like these side-swept bangs! They take the haircut from “Nice Short Hair” to something way more fun and interesting! The highlights also look great, and with the layered cut, I the brightness of the overall look is high! If anyone is wanting to have a neat look, but not super formal, this is the style for you! The volume on top is just the right amount so that even if you just rolled out of bed, it will still look like you put effort into it.
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