Over 40 - Total Beauty

Worst <b>Hairstyles for Women</b> Over 40 - Total Beauty

Posted: 17 Feb 2013 12:00 AM PST

Remember when you were in your 20s and could (and did) wear any hairstyle you wanted? Bleached white-blonde, side ponytails, and maybe even The Rachel? That doesn't really fly in your 40s, does it?

Hairstyles for women over 40 are a little more limited. If you stretch outside those boundaries you could wind up looking like an old maid -- or someone desperately clinging to her teen years.

Click here for the worst hairstyles for women over 40.

But that doesn't mean your only options are a mom bob or cropped, Kate Gosselin cut. There are plenty of hairstyles for mature women that are short, long, and everything in between. You just have to know how to follow some rules.

That's why we talked to several pro hairstylists, who filled us in on all the dos and don'ts for older women. Follow their guidelines and you'll end up with a haircut, color and style that scream "sexy 40-something." Ignore their advice and you'll wind up with a look that's shouting either "I wish I was still 16" or "Heading back to the retirement home." Probably not what you're going for ...

Click here to see hairstyle dos and don'ts for women over 40.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Hair Don't: Ashy color