12 Easy Hairstyles for Women Over 60, Sorted by Time
Most lists of hairstyles for women over 60 are really lists of haircuts. A good cut matters, but it doesn’t help much on a Tuesday morning when you have five minutes, your shoulders are stiff, and your hair still needs to go somewhere.
“Easy” also means different things to different people. For one person it means fast. For another it means not holding your arms above your head, skipping tiny bobby pins, or covering a crown that has thinned. The 12 styles below are sorted by how long they take, and the table first points you to the ones that fit what matters most to you. If you are still choosing a cut, our guides to bob haircuts for women over 50 and pixie cuts for women over 50 cover the shapes; this guide is about what to do with the hair you have.
Pick by What Matters Most
| If this matters most | Start with |
|---|---|
| The least time | Claw clip twist, wide headband, side part with one pin |
| Not raising your arms for long | Low ponytail with a scarf, half-up barrette, velcro rollers set in sections |
| No small pins | Claw clip twist, low chignon with spin pins, headband |
| Wearing glasses | Half-up barrette, low chignon, tousled crown lift |
| A thinning crown | Tousled crown lift, velcro rollers, half-done blowout |
| Short hair | Side part with one pin, tousled crown lift, headband |
2-Minute Styles
1. Claw Clip Twist
Gather your hair at the back of the neck, twist it upward into a rope, fold the end over, and close a medium claw clip across the twist. It works on hair from collarbone length down, needs no pins, and holds through a full day if the clip is big enough for your hair’s thickness. Your arms stay low for most of it, because the twist starts at the nape. For more ways to wear a clip, see our claw clip styles by hair length.
Shortcut: Keep two clip sizes. A small one slips on fine hair; a large one leaves thick hair hanging out of the sides.
2. Deep Side Part With One Pin
Moving your part an inch or two to one side lifts hair at the roots where it has been lying flat, which adds height without any product. Sweep the heavier side back behind your ear and hold it with one decorative pin. On short hair, this single change makes a cut look freshly styled.
Shortcut: Make the new part while hair is damp and let it dry in place. Roots set where they dry.
3. Wide Headband Push-Back
A wide, padded or fabric headband pushes hair off your face in one motion and covers the hairline and front crown. It suits every length, including pixies, and it hides second-day roots or a part that has widened. Choose a band at least an inch wide; thin plastic bands press on the head behind the ears, especially with glasses.
Shortcut: Slide the headband on from the back of the head toward the front, so the hair underneath lifts rather than flattens.
4. Low Ponytail Wrapped in a Silk Scarf
Tie a low ponytail at the nape, then wrap a small silk scarf around the elastic and knot it. The scarf hides the elastic, adds color near your face, and is easier on fine hair than a tight band. Because the tie sits low, your arms stay at shoulder height or below.
Shortcut: Use a fabric-covered elastic, not a rubber one. It grips without snagging and comes out without pulling hair.
5-Minute Styles
5. Half-Up With a Barrette
Take the top section from temple to temple, smooth it back, and close it with a barrette at the crown. The lifted top adds height over a flat crown, the loose length softens the face, and nothing sits behind your ears to fight with glasses arms. For more variations, from twisted to braided, see our half up half down hairstyles.
Shortcut: Before clipping, push the section forward half an inch. That small bump gives lift that lasts all day.
6. Tousled Crown Lift for Short Hair
Work a golf-ball amount of mousse into damp roots, rough-dry with your fingers, then lift the crown with your fingertips as it finishes drying. On pixies and short bobs, the extra height at the top balances the face and covers a thinning crown better than smoothing hair flat. Gray hair often feels coarser than it used to, so a light hold product keeps it soft.
Shortcut: Dry the crown first and the sides last. The top sets before the sides weigh it down.
7. Loose Side Braid
Gather your hair over one shoulder and braid it loosely, keeping your hands in front of you the whole time. Pull the outer loops gently to make the braid look fuller. It works on shoulder-length hair and longer, and it is one of the easiest styles to do when reaching behind your head is uncomfortable.
Shortcut: Spray a little texturizing spray on the length first. Smooth, clean gray hair slides apart without some grip.
8. Low Chignon With Two Spin Pins
Twist your hair into a low bun at the nape and secure it with two spiral spin pins, screwed in from opposite sides. Spin pins hold as much hair as a handful of bobby pins and are much easier to grip. The low placement keeps the bun clear of glasses and of the headrest when you drive. Our guide to bun hairstyles explains other ways to build the bun.
Shortcut: Twist the pin in the direction of the bun’s coil. Against the coil, it unwinds.
10 to 15 Minutes (For Going Out)
9. Velcro Roller Volume
Set four to six large velcro rollers on the crown and top of dry hair, mist with a little hairspray, and leave them in while you dress or do your makeup. They add lift with no heat, so they are gentle on fine and dry gray hair. Because they stay in without clips, you can set them one at a time and rest your arms between sections.
Shortcut: Warm the rollers for ten seconds with a blow-dryer before you take them out. Lift sets better and lasts longer.
10. Hot-Roller Soft Waves
Hot rollers give a polished, bouncy finish for events, and they are often easier to handle than a curling iron because you place each one and let it work. Use large rollers for soft waves rather than tight curls, leave them in for about ten minutes, then brush through gently with your fingers. Apply heat protectant first; our heat damage guide explains why fine and gray hair need lower heat.
Shortcut: Set the rollers away from your face on both sides. Waves that open outward lift the cheekbones.
11. Half-Done Blowout
A full blowout tires the arms quickly. Instead, rough-dry most of your hair, then use a medium round brush only on the front and crown, the parts people see first. You get most of the polish of a salon blowout in about a third of the time.
Shortcut: Use a lightweight dryer with a concentrator nozzle. A heavy dryer is the main reason blowouts feel tiring.
12. Low Twisted Bun With Face-Framing Pieces
Leave two thin pieces out at the front, then twist the rest into a low bun and secure it with spin pins or a claw clip. The loose pieces soften the face and the bun stays neat for dinners, weddings and church. On short or bob-length hair, our updos for short hair show how to get a similar shape with less length.
Shortcut: Curl the face-framing pieces away from your face with a round brush or one hot roller. Straight pieces can look accidental.
Tools That Do the Work for You
| Tool | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Medium and large claw clips | Hold a twist or half-up in one motion | No pins, quick updos |
| Spiral spin pins | Replace several bobby pins in a bun | Stiff fingers, thick or long hair |
| Wide fabric headband | Lifts hair off the face and hides the hairline | Short hair, second-day roots |
| Large velcro rollers | Crown volume without heat | Fine, thinning or dry gray hair |
| Hot rollers | Soft waves in about 10 minutes | Events; easier than a curling iron for many people |
| Lightweight dryer with nozzle | Faster, less tiring drying | Blowouts, crown lift |
Finishing Gray Hair
Gray and white hair can look dull or yellow even when it is well styled. A shine spray or a few drops of light oil on the ends makes any of these styles look finished, and a purple or blue toning shampoo once a week keeps yellow tones away. Use toning shampoo only once a week: more often can leave white hair with a lilac tint. Our guide to gray hair cuts and care covers the full routine.
FAQ
What hairstyle looks youngest after 60?
Styles with lift at the crown and softness around the face usually look the freshest: a half-up with a lifted top, a tousled short cut, or soft waves. Very slicked-back or tightly set styles tend to look more severe.
How can I style my hair if my arms get tired?
Choose styles that start low, such as a low ponytail, a side braid or a claw clip twist at the nape, and work in short sections. Velcro rollers can go in one at a time with rests in between, and a lightweight dryer makes a big difference.
Should women over 60 wear their hair up or down?
Either works. Up styles show the neck and cheekbones and are practical for busy days. Down or half-up styles soften the face and cover thinning at the sides. Many people switch depending on the day.
What’s the easiest way to hide a thinning crown?
Add lift at the roots and break up a fixed part. Velcro rollers, a lifted half-up, or a tousled crown with mousse all cover the scalp better than hair combed flat. A wide headband also hides the front crown. For cuts that help, see our haircuts for thin hair.
Can you use hot rollers on gray or fine hair?
Yes, with heat protectant and a lower heat setting if your rollers have one. Large rollers and shorter setting times are gentler. If your hair is very dry, alternate hot rollers with velcro rollers.
Bottom Line
Choose a style by what your morning allows: two minutes, five, or a little longer for going out. A claw clip, spin pins, a wide headband and a few velcro rollers cover most days, and lift at the crown is the one detail that makes every style look finished.
