How to Cut and Style Your Hair If You’re in Your 60s and Plus Size

Okay so the color here is what’s really getting me, that cool lavender silver that looks like it was done by someone who knows what they’re doing with toner. It’s not a costume, it’s subtle enough that you’d almost think it was just a really beautiful natural gray until the light catches it. The cut itself is a classic chin-length bob with a soft fringe, rounded through the sides, and it’s doing a nice job of framing her face without adding width. I will say this shade takes commitment, you’ll need a good purple shampoo to maintain the tone between salon visits, and it can go brassy or muddy if you’re not careful. But when it’s fresh like this? It’s gorgeous.

This before and after really tells the whole story doesn’t it. On the left, the hair is long and thin and dragging everything down, and on the right, that same person looks completely different with a short layered bob that has some warm brown color and a lot of movement. The lift through the top, the way the layers frame her face, the color that warms up her skin… it’s such a good example of what the right cut and color can do. Sometimes letting go of the length you’ve been holding onto for years is the hardest part, but when it’s the right call, you know immediately.

We’re ending on a bold one and I think that’s the right way to go out. This icy platinum lob with full bangs is not for everyone and I want to be upfront about that, because maintaining platinum at any age takes dedication and the right hair to start with. But if you have the texture and the willingness to keep up with the toning and the conditioning treatments, this is such a striking look. The bangs are thick and straight across which makes a real statement, and the length is right at the collarbone with very subtle layers at the ends. It’s sleek, it’s confident, and the platinum shade against her warm skin is creating a really lovely contrast. Just be prepared to become very good friends with your colorist.

I really love what’s happening here, the way the layers are cut so they encourage the natural curl pattern rather than fighting it. The bangs are wispy and not too heavy, which is important because on a fuller face you don’t want a thick curtain of fringe closing everything down. The whole thing has so much movement and life to it, and the length is sitting right around the shoulders which is a really nice spot for a plus size frame because it draws the eye up and gives you that sense of proportion without being too short. The warm brown with a little bit of lighter pieces through the top keeps it interesting without looking overdone. If your hair has any natural wave or curl at all, a cut like this practically styles itself with a little curl defining cream scrunched in.

The curls on this are so full and bouncy and they have that spiral quality that you just can’t fake. The warm caramel and copper highlights woven through the dark brown base are catching the light in such a beautiful way, and the cut is shaped so the curls fall in a nice rounded silhouette from the crown down to just below the chin. This is the kind of hair that people want to reach out and touch, which I realize is an odd thing to say but it really does look that good. If your hair naturally curls like this, lean into it all the way, because this is the kind of volume and shape that straight-haired people spend hours trying to create.

Another pixie but this one has more of a wavy texture to it, with the layers arranged so they create these soft peaks across the top of the head. The silver is bright and has a lot of variation between the lighter and darker strands, which makes it look full even though the cut is quite short. She’s wearing it swept forward and to the side, which is a nice way to soften the overall look. I think this cut would be easy to manage day to day, just a little styling product worked through with your fingers and you’re done.

The color on this is gorgeous, a rich honey caramel that looks natural and warm. It’s a shoulder-length layered cut with the ends flipped outward slightly, which gives the whole shape a nice lift at the bottom instead of everything just hanging straight down. The layers start around the chin and work their way down, and there’s a side-swept section in the front that falls across the forehead just enough to break up the face shape. With hair this length and this color, a little color-protecting conditioner will go a long way toward keeping it looking rich and not fading out.

A chin-length bob with some lighter pieces through it doesn’t sound like anything special when you describe it, but when it’s cut this well and the highlights are placed this thoughtfully, it just comes together. The lighter strands are concentrated right around the face and through the fringe area, and the rest stays darker which gives it a lot of depth. The layers are subtle, they’re not shaggy or choppy, just gently graduated so the hair falls into place on its own. This feels like a very “I take care of myself but I don’t stress about it” kind of haircut.

This bob has such a pretty shape to it, the way it swoops across the forehead and curves under at the chin. The silver gray is thick and healthy looking, with a lot of body through the crown that keeps it from falling flat. There’s a nice rounded silhouette happening that’s really complementary on her, and the slight asymmetry in the fringe adds a touch of interest. I think what makes this work so well is that the volume is happening in all the right places, at the crown and through the back, rather than at the sides where it would add width.

The contrast in this salt and pepper color is really beautiful, with the darker pieces at the root and the silvery white ends creating this natural ombre effect that no colorist could replicate as well as nature did it. The cut is short and feathered, swept back from the face with layers that stack up nicely for volume. The feathering is softer than a pixie but shorter than a bob, landing in that sweet spot that’s easy to manage and still has some style to it. The whole thing looks fresh and modern, and the way it opens up her face and neck is really nice.

Oh I really like this one. It’s that messy, undone, I-woke-up-like-this texture that’s actually quite hard to get right but when it works it looks incredible. The layers are choppy and varied, there’s volume at the crown and the ends are flipped in different directions which gives it all that movement. The blonde has some darker roots coming through which adds to the whole lived-in vibe. This kind of cut works well on hair that has a little natural wave to it because you can just spray in some texturizing spray, scrunch it, and go.

Sometimes you just want your hair to look polished and out of the way, and this delivers exactly that. It’s a shoulder-grazing lob with a deep side part and very minimal layering, just enough to keep the ends from looking too blunt and boxy. The dark brunette color is rich and glossy, which usually means she’s using a good smoothing serum or gloss treatment to get that shine. The side part is doing good things for the proportions of her face, adding a little asymmetry that keeps a round face from looking wider. Very clean, very sophisticated.

I just love how carefree this looks. Her natural gray curls are cut close on the sides and left a bit fuller on top, and the whole thing has a very wash-and-go feeling that I know a lot of women are looking for. The curls have a nice spring to them and the gray has some beautiful variation, darker at the roots and lighter through the ends, which gives it dimension without any color processing at all. This is the lowest maintenance option you’re going to find on this list, and it still looks intentional and stylish.

This silver pixie is one of those cuts where the right color and the right cut come together and everything just clicks. The layers are textured and choppy on top which gives it volume and movement, and the fringe sweeps across the forehead at an angle that draws attention to her eyes. On a fuller face and frame, a pixie can sometimes look a little too small for the body, but this one has enough volume on top and enough length through the front that it feels proportional. The silver white is all natural and it’s honestly stunning.

This is a nice, easy, medium-length layered cut in a warm auburn shade, and it’s the kind of thing that works for a lot of people without being boring. The side bangs sweep across the forehead and blend into the longer layers, and there’s a little bit of a flip at the ends that gives it some personality. The color is a rich reddish brown that looks really good with her complexion. Nothing here is trying to be dramatic or trendy, it’s just a solid, well-done haircut that she probably doesn’t have to think about too much in the morning.

The curls on this are giving such a happy energy, I can’t help but smile looking at it. It’s a chin-length curly bob with bangs that are curly too, which is something a lot of people are afraid to try but when it works, it really works. The golden blonde with a slightly darker root has a really warm, sun-kissed feel. The volume is naturally all around the head rather than being concentrated at the sides, which is ideal for keeping the proportions balanced on a larger frame. I’d recommend sleeping on a satin pillowcase with a cut like this to keep the curls from getting frizzy and flat overnight.

If you’re someone who just feels more like yourself with longer hair, this is a really good example of how to do it well past 60. The length is below the shoulders but not past the bust, and the layers through the front and sides give it enough shape that it doesn’t drag down. The curtain bangs are doing a lot of heavy lifting here, they frame her face and break up the length so it doesn’t look like one solid sheet of hair. The color is a mix of her natural gray coming through with blonde highlights over it, and the blend is really seamless. This takes some upkeep, probably every six to eight weeks for the color, but if you love your length, it’s worth it.

Another lavender-toned gray and I’m not even sorry because this one is beautiful too, just in a completely different way. Where the earlier one was more rounded and soft, this is more structured, almost a blunt bob that’s been softened just a little with some subtle layering through the interior. The fringe is thin and wispy which keeps it modern. I love how it pairs with that satin gray top, the whole thing looks very put together without trying too hard. The length right at the chin is where I’d say this works best, because going any shorter might widen a round face.

This is the kind of hair that just does what it wants and the cut is smart enough to let it. The curls are natural and full, and the stylist has cut them in a way that gives them room to spring up without getting pyramid-shaped, which is the biggest challenge with curly short cuts. The caramel highlights woven through the dark brown base catch the light and add a lot of dimension. If you have naturally curly hair like this, finding a stylist who cuts curls dry is really important because wet cutting can lead to some unpleasant surprises once everything shrinks up.

This is short but not too short, and that’s an important distinction. It’s a layered bob that hits right around the ears with some longer pieces sweeping across the forehead, and the honey blonde color is warm without being yellow. The texture through the top gives it height and a little bit of that tousled quality that keeps short hair from looking severe. On a fuller frame, I think this length can be really flattering as long as there’s some softness to it, which there definitely is here. The slightly longer pieces in front help connect the hair to the rest of her, if that makes sense, rather than just stopping abruptly.

The layers on this are really well done, they’re stacked through the crown for height and then they cascade down through the sides with a nice flip at the ends. It reminds me of a more modern take on the classic ’80s layered look, but updated with softer transitions and those pretty caramel pieces through the front. The bangs are feathery and sit right above the eyebrows, which opens up the whole face. This is the kind of cut that looks best when you give it a quick blowout with a round brush, but honestly even air-dried with a little product it still has a nice shape to it.

Now this is someone who is having fun with her hair and I am here for it. That plum base with cherry-red highlights running through it is bold, it’s intentional, and it looks fantastic against her skin tone. The cut is a slightly angled bob, shorter in the back and longer in the front, which gives a really clean line along the jaw. I think deeper jewel tones like this work incredibly well on women with warmer and deeper complexions, and the fact that it’s a rich dark shade means the grow-out is pretty forgiving. If you’ve been thinking about going darker and more vibrant, this is your sign.

There’s something so calming about this one. The silver is completely natural looking, and the layers are soft and face-framing in a way that doesn’t look fussy at all. It’s sitting at about collarbone length with a curtain fringe that opens up around the center of her forehead, and that little bit of parting is key because it keeps the bangs from making her face look shorter. The whole silhouette has a gentle curve to it that follows the shape of her jaw and then flips out just slightly at the ends. Really pretty, really wearable.

What I appreciate about this one is that she’s letting the gray come in naturally and it’s blending really well with the darker brown. Those lighter pieces around her face almost look like intentional highlights, and the whole thing has a really relaxed, lived-in quality to it. The length is just past the shoulders with some shaggy texture through the ends, and the side-swept fringe keeps it from looking too plain. This is a great option if you’re in that in-between stage where you’re growing out color and want it to look intentional rather than neglected.

This is one of those cuts that’s been around forever for a reason, and I mean that in the best way. The layers start around the chin and feather out through the ends, which gives the whole shape a really pretty sweep away from the face. The caramel highlights are concentrated right where they should be, around the face and through the top, and they warm up her skin tone beautifully against that dark navy top. It’s the kind of cut that a good stylist can refresh every eight weeks or so without it ever feeling like a big production. You just… maintain it, and it keeps looking good.