Marta Pontnou (@thepontnouagency) is an image consultant, writer and media contributor on topics related to aesthetic print.
Nowadays, many people spend half their lives searching for their own style, thinking that it’s just about clothes, expensive handbags or drinking matcha tea with heart-shaped foam at a brunch place.
For me, style is in the head and in the feet. The shoes and the way we dress give us a lot of information about the person, but also about how we wear our hair and the hairstyles we choose.
The style is in the head and in the feet
There was a misconception that women should cut their hair at a certain age, that grey hair should not be shown and that men should hide their baldness… But today there are countless styles and the freedom to wear hairstyles, regardless of whether you are 60, 70 or 80 years old.
Imagine a 68-year-old man or woman wearing a grey tracksuit and white sneakers. What does it say if they have a hairstyle with blonde highlights and an updo? And what if they have long hair tied in a ponytail? Or a freshly trimmed beard? And what if it’s a tousled hairstyle like Trump’s? The perception we have of that person with the same outfit changes depending on the hairstyle. Hair says more than clothes, so it’s important to know what hairstyle we want and how we’re going to wear it.
In all cultures and throughout history, hair has been a means of communication, a way of conveying social status, power, beliefs and ways of thinking. Braids, curls, ornaments and jewelry in ancient Greece, the short hair and beards of the Romans, veils and short hair of nuns in the Middle Ages, the long waves of the Renaissance, wigs at the French court of the 18th century, the “bob” of the 1920s, the punk style of the 80s…
And aesthetic pressure has made us believe that the only standard of beauty that exists is lush hair, thick beards and wavy locks, but only in youth. And that after those years we have to fight against the tide to get or keep the same head of hair that we had when we were younger.
Through hair styling we can express our identity, regardless of our hair type.
Our mission is to find beauty in all hair types, or in its absence
There is hair diversity, just like there is body diversity, and as time goes on, our appearance and the way we wear our hair changes. It is our job to find beauty in every type of hair, or lack thereof.
8 tips to show off your head, regardless of your age
1
Cherries in autumn?
White, red, pink, blonde, black… Anything is possible as long as you wear it with confidence. You can follow the trends if you feel like it and this fall brings the usual colors: chocolate, honey, toast… And the novelty: the cherry! They call it “cherry coke hair”, it is very inspired by the 2000s and has a punk and futuristic touch. Ideal for white or gray hair, the red looks more vibrant.
2
What happens if I let my hair go white?
Of course you can! If you get tired of dyeing your hair every two or three weeks, it can turn white. If you do it gradually, it is very tiring and looks bad during the transition period. I recommend making a radical change from one day to the next: a professional, a good cut, bleaching and tinting.
Remember that white hair also needs care to avoid yellow tones. Use products to neutralize the yellowish or orange tones that appear on platinum blonde or white hair, with shampoos, conditioners and masks based on blue and violet pigments.
Ideas:
@ageismismisneverinstyle
@thesilverlining_1970
3
Hairlessness is not a shame
We are tired of being inundated with articles about hair and hair creams. Hair loss is something that cannot be stopped; for our mental health, it is better to accept the passage of time and look for a hairstyle that makes us feel comfortable without having to hide anything. And when there is no hair, there is also a lot of style! Here are some references:
@_dashlopez
@apeloalopecia
4
Better shorter than simple
My haters on the networks always attack me because of my hairstyle. Some people think that just because I have half of my head shaved and the other half with a mohawk, I don’t have the right to talk about fashion or aesthetic pressure. My personal brand and my way of communicating is not to go unnoticed. If you are looking for ideas for original and daring haircuts, age is never a disadvantage:
@barberiasdelmundo
@nothingbutpixies
@short_hair_ideas
@irosebyrosaliesliedrecht
@philipwolffhair
5
Men: Stop fading hair!
No more of the cut that all teenagers wear, slimmed down and longer in the front. If you don’t want to look like a clone, another option is better: Curtain hair, buzz hair, French crop? And if you have little hair, it’s best to shave your head! Grow a nice beard and you’re good to go.
6
Always a good professional
Never try anything at home, it always goes wrong. There are a thousand ways to cut your hair. It depends on your hair type or the hair root, so it is always better to hire a professional to evaluate and suggest the cut.
7
Curly hair
Aesthetic pressure and fashion have led a large part of the 20th and 21st century generation to experience a childhood with the trauma of having curly, voluminous or frizzy hair. Today, thanks to networks, references and the increasing number of people with afro hair, we are inundated with products and methods to care for curly hair and learn how to style, treat and show it off.
Some references that will help us:
@adrianaboho
@afropoderossa
@dayennebekker
@talakupeloafro
8
And which hairstyle suits my face shape?
Any hairstyle! We must not persist in the false belief that long hair is better for round faces, that short hair is for beautiful women, that long hair can only be worn by young men… All these clichés come from imposed ideals of beauty, where youth and slimness are always the only positive values sought. Round faces are criminalized and stylized aesthetics are always sought as the only valid form of beauty.
Throughout history, aesthetic references have shaped hair trends up to the present day, which fortunately allows us to express ourselves more freely thanks to diversity. The countless references on social media (TikTok, Instagram) to people with all kinds of hair types or no hair, the presence of white or bald people in the media, advertising and policies promoting equality and non-discrimination based on physical appearance also contribute to our hair freedom.
Let us strive to express our individuality and personality and abandon false ideas about aesthetics at any age, even in old age.
