Curls often turn finer at the crown and drier at the ends after 50, so the cut does more work than any product. Nearly every look here is cut dry, one curl at a time, and most hold their shape for 6 to 10 weeks between trims. These curly hairstyles for older women are built around that.
1. Chin-Length Short Curly Bob for Older Women
The base of this short curly bob sits at the chin, cut dry with rounded layers so the curls stack rather than spreading into a triangle. Each curl gets cut where it lives. Medium to thick 3A to 3C curls and oval or long faces take it well. Diffuse with curl cream and clip at the roots for lift. No other curly hairstyles for older women leave my chair as often as this one. Trim every 10 weeks.
2. Dry-Cut Curly Pixie for Women Over 50
The curly pixie for women over 50 is cut on dry hair, one curl at a time, with the top left longer and the sides close. Point cutting the top brings lift. Any density of 3A to 3C curls and oval or heart faces suit it. Curl cream and a light gel, air-dried, then fluff the crown with your fingers. Trim every 8 weeks, and deep condition every two weeks.
3. Shoulder-Length Layered Curls
The base of these shoulder-length curls stays at the shoulder, with layers starting at the chin so the curls move without the ends going thin. The cut is dry, and the layers are point cut. Medium density 2C to 3B curls and oval, round or square faces suit it. Diffuse with a leave-in and mousse. Trim every 10 weeks, and gloss every 8 weeks if the hair is colored.
4. Scissor-Cut Gray Curly Bob
The gray curly bob is cut dry with scissors and never a razor, because gray curls frizz. The base sits at the jaw with rounded layers, and a clear gloss stops the gray from yellowing. Fine to medium 3A to 3C curls and oval or round faces suit it. Diffuse with curl cream and a shine serum. Trim every 10 weeks and gloss every 8 weeks.
5. Clipper-Shaped Natural Curly Crop for Women Over 50
The natural curly crop for women over 50 keeps about two inches of curl all over, with clippers shaping the perimeter. I cut it on dry, picked-out hair. 3C to 4C hair and oval, round or heart faces suit it. Leave-in and curl cream go in, then pick the roots. Among older women curly hairstyles, this one asks for no heat at all. Trim every 6 weeks.
6. Long Curly Hair With Long Layers for Older Women
The length of this long curly hair stays below the shoulder, with long layers only, starting at the collarbone, so the ends hold their fullness. The cut is dry and I point cut three layers. Medium to thick 2C to 3B curls and oval or long faces suit it. Diffuse with a leave-in and a gel cast, then scrunch the cast out. Trim every 12 weeks.
7. Crown-Stacked Curly Shag for Women Over 50
The curly shag for women over 50 is cut dry with short layers at the crown and longer pieces at the sides, so the curls pile high and fall soft. Every layer gets point cut. Medium to thick 2C to 3C curls and oval or long faces suit it. Diffuse with mousse and shake out the roots. Trim every 8 weeks, as a grown-out shag loses its crown lift.
8. Collarbone Curly Lob for Older Women
The base of this curly lob lands at the collarbone, with a few rounded layers so the curls do not form a block. The cut is dry. Medium density 2C to 3B curls and oval, round or square faces suit it. Air-dry with curl cream and a scrunch, or diffuse. Curly hairstyles older women can skip the dryer on buy back morning time. Trim every 10 weeks.
9. Curly Chin-Length Bob With a Side Part
The curly bob with a side part is cut to the chin with the part two inches off center, so the heavy side drops over the forehead. The cut is dry with rounded layers. Medium density 3A to 3C curls and round or square faces suit it. Diffuse with mousse and clip the heavy side at the root for lift. Trim every 10 weeks.
10. Longer-Top Curly Pixie
The top of this curly pixie stays four inches long while scissor-over-comb takes the sides close. The curls on top sweep back or to one side. The cut is dry. Medium to thick 3A to 3C curls and oval, round or heart faces suit it. Air-dry with curl cream and a light gel. Trim every 6 weeks.
11. Shower-to-Door Wash-and-Go Curls for Older Women
Wash-and-go curls for older women are cut dry so the shape falls into place straight from the shower. The layers stay rounded, with point cutting throughout. Fine to medium 3A to 4A curls and oval or round faces suit it. Work a leave-in and a gel into soaking-wet hair, scrunch, and let it dry. Trim every 10 weeks.
12. Curly Curtain Bangs for Women Over 50
The bangs on this cut spring up to the brow and split at the center. I cut them dry to the cheekbone, allowing for shrinkage, on curly hair for women over 50. The length rests at the shoulder with rounded layers. 3A to 3C curls and oval or long faces suit it. Diffuse with the bangs clipped apart while they dry. Trim the bangs every 6 weeks.
13. Side-Swept Bangs on Curly Hair
The fringe on this curly cut is long and swept across the forehead, with the rest at the chin in rounded layers. I cut the fringe dry so it ends at the brow once it shrinks. Fine to medium 2C to 3B curls and round or square faces suit it. Diffuse, twisting the fringe to one side while damp. Trim every 8 weeks.
14. Pinned Curly Updo for Older Women
The curly updo for older women takes shoulder-length or longer curls into a loose pinned knot at the back of the crown, with a few curls left out at the face. Medium to thick 3A to 4A curls and any face shape suit it. Wet the curls down with water and a light cream before pinning. It lasts through a wedding. Trim every 10 weeks.
15. Satin-Scrunchie Curly Pineapple for Older Women
The curly pineapple for older women gathers the curls loosely on top of the head with a satin scrunchie and lets them tip forward. It protects the curls overnight and works through the day too. 3A to 4A curls at least shoulder length and oval or round faces suit it. Leave two curls out at the temples. Trim every 10 weeks.
16. Barrette Half-Up Curly Style for Women Over 50
The curly half-up style for women over 50 clips the top section at the back of the crown with a barrette and lets the rest of the curls hang. The face lifts with no tight pull. Medium density 3A to 3C curls and oval or round faces suit it. Diffuse before clipping. As curly hairstyles for women over 50 go, this one passes at the office.
17. Tapered Silver Curly Pixie
The silver curly pixie keeps two inches of curl on top and tapers the sides and nape with scissors. Violet shampoo once a week stops the silver from yellowing. The cut is dry. Fine to medium 3A to 3C curls and oval or heart faces suit it. Air-dry with curl cream and fluff the top. Trim every 6 weeks.
18. Crown-Height Curly Bob for Round Faces Over 50
The base of this curly bob for round faces over 50 stays at the jaw, with shorter rounded layers adding height at the crown so the face reads longer. The sides stay tighter. Medium density 3A to 3C curls suit it. Diffuse with mousse and clip the crown for lift. Trim every 10 weeks and, if colored, cover the roots every 5 weeks.
19. Soft-Front Curly Cut for Square Faces Over 50
The curly cut for square faces over 50 falls just below the jaw with softer layers at the front, so curls cover the corners of the jaw. The cut is dry and the front pieces are rounded. Medium density 2C to 3C curls suit it. Diffuse with curl cream and scrunch the front pieces toward the face. Trim every 10 weeks.
20. No-Layer Curly Cut for Thin Hair Over 50
The curly cut for thin hair over 50 holds the base at the chin with no layers, so each curl adds to the ends. The cut is dry with scissors, point cutting the baseline only. Fine 2C to 3B curls and oval or heart faces suit it. Light mousse on wet hair, then diffuse with the head down. Trim every 8 weeks.
21. Internal-Layer Curly Cut for Thick Hair Over 50
The curly cut for thick hair over 50 takes out bulk with internal layers, cut dry from the inside, so the outside stays full. The base sits at the shoulder. Thick 3B to 4A curls and oval, round or square faces suit it. Diffuse with a leave-in and gel, then scrunch out the cast. Trim every 10 weeks and have the inside thinned each visit.
22. Two-Strand Twist-Out for Older Women
The twist-out for older women sets damp hair in two-strand twists with a cream, dries overnight and unravels into stretched, defined curls. The cut stays rounded so the twist-out falls evenly. Medium to thick 3C to 4C hair and any face shape suit it. Fluff the roots with a pick. It wears for four to five days. Trim every 10 weeks.
23. Clipper-Tapered Curly Cut for Older Women
The curly taper cut for older women keeps three inches of curl on top and tapers the sides and back with clippers. The top is shaped dry. Medium to thick 3C to 4B hair and oval, round or heart faces suit it. Leave-in and curl cream, then pick the top. Trim every 5 weeks to keep the taper clean.
24. Gray-Blended Curls
The length of this gray-blended curly hair stays at the shoulder with rounded layers, while the colorist paints fine highlights and lowlights so the gray grows in with no line. The cut comes after the color, on dry hair. Medium density 2C to 3C curls and most face shapes suit it. Diffuse with curl cream. Trim every 10 weeks and refresh the blending every 12 weeks.
25. Beige Blonde Curly Bob for Women Over 50
The blonde curly bob for women over 50 pairs a chin-length cut with a soft beige blonde that blends into gray roots. Blonde curls are fragile, so the cut is dry and after the color. Fine to medium 3A to 3B curls and fair to medium skin suit it. Diffuse with a leave-in and heat protectant. Trim every 10 weeks and tone every 6 weeks.
See also sassy hair older women hairstyles and hairstyles over 60 older women new looks.
Curly hairstyles for older women need a cut that does the work, because curls turn finer at the crown and drier at the ends after 50. FYI, a chin-length blonde bob with a soft beige tone melts into the gray roots cleanly. I point-cut the ends so the curl stays bouncy.
