35 Latest Curly Haircuts for Women Over 40 That Are Full of Style
Mriganka Sheker Mukhopadhyay
Updated At 11 Nov 26
A great curl picture is useful to show the stylist what you would like to have done. For example, maybe you want to see how your curls will look over your glasses; how much volume you will have in the crown area; or how short the hair around your face should be. There are many different styles of curly hair shown here that would work well on women who are in their 40s. These include short crops, shoulder-length bobs, and long ringlets. In addition, there are some great ways to make your natural curls pop (like adding a little bit of color), and some easy ways to style second-day curls. When you scroll through these photos, pay attention to where each style has its volume. This information will help you choose a cut that suits you.
1. Golden Ringlets Swept Off the Face
Sweeping the front back opens up the forehead, while golden ringlets still fall around the shoulders. You can get a similar shape with two small pins at the crown. Leave some slack at the roots so the front keeps its lift.
2. Swept-Back Dark Curls
The hair sweeps away from the temples, leaving the earrings visible and keeping most of the curl at shoulder level. Ouidad senior stylist Jason Hallman recommends gel for a more defined finish. Try working it through the lengths before gently guiding the front pieces back.
3. Rounded Corkscrew Cut With a Fringe
Short corkscrews sit just above the brows, and longer coils fill out the sides. For a fringe like this, hairstylist and salon owner Jamilla Powell recommends having it cut dry so your stylist can see where the curls settle after shrinkage.
4. Silver-Threaded Shag With a Curly Fringe
Silver threads catch the light along the curves of these dark ringlets, from the full fringe to the shoulder-skimming ends. There’s enough height at the crown to balance the width at the sides, a detail worth pointing out if you bring this photo to the salon.
5. Side-Parted Blonde Spirals
Pale blonde ribbons bring out the shape of the individual curls, especially on the fuller side of the parting. When a few front spirals lose their shape overnight, dampen and twist those pieces around a finger to refresh them.
6. Auburn Bob With Copper Ribbons
Coppery pieces catch the light on the outer bends of this auburn bob. The front curls reach the jaw, with a shorter piece looping across the forehead. Ask your stylist to keep that front section long enough to sweep aside on days you wear glasses.
7. Jaw-Length Salt-and-Pepper Ringlets
Tightly wound ringlets sit around the jaw, with a bright silver curl falling beside the burgundy frames. The slightly off-centre parting leaves space above the glasses. For a similar finish, arrange the front curls with your fingers while they’re damp.
8. Airy Blonde Curls With a Deep Sweep
Most of the blonde curls fall towards one side, and the ends spread loosely across the shoulders. The shape works even when the curls vary in size. Flip your usual parting once the hair is dry to see how much lift you can get from the roots.
9. Rounded Silver-Blonde Bob
Broad bends and softly curled ends give this silver-blonde bob a round outline that finishes near the jaw. The hair has lift right around the parting. To preserve that shape as it dries, clip a few sections upright at the roots and take the clips out once dry.
10. Glossy Black Spirals With a Deep Side Parting
The deep parting lets a thick section of black curls sweep across one eye, while the opposite side leaves a hoop earring in view. A little gel on the damp mid-lengths and ends can help hold those shiny, well-defined spirals.
11. Strawberry-Copper Curls With Glasses
Pale golden strands wind through strawberry-copper curls, with a few pieces draped over the top corner of the black frames. The hair stays full past the shoulders. For everyday wear, a small pin at the temple can keep the front curl clear of your lenses.
12. Dark Curls With a Silver Sweep
A broad silver section arcs back from the forehead and fans into darker, shoulder-length curls. It’s the sweep that makes the contrast so visible. Give the silver pieces a little lift at the roots as they dry so they stay in view.
13. Tousled Beige-Blonde Wavy Bob
Darker roots show through the beige-blonde waves, and loose bends around the cheeks give the cut its soft outline. The ends skim the shoulders. A light mousse scrunched into damp hair can give the waves some grip while keeping the ends airy.
14. Short Brunette Shag With a Loopy Fringe
Big loops sit across the forehead, with shorter layers around the ears and little curls kicking out at the nape. It’s a useful reference for a crop with some length at the back. Shape the fringe with your fingertips while it’s damp.
15. Long White-Silver Ringlets
White-silver curls tumble well past the shoulders, with shorter spirals around the cheeks and finer ends farther down. The mix of lengths keeps the shape full near the face. Detangle in sections with conditioner, starting at the ends, to make wash day easier.
16. Silver Shag With a Sweeping Fringe
Grey strands hang down the front of the face, with the curls turning outward near the bottom of each cheekbone. This shag has a relaxed and ruffled appearance due to the lifted top of the head. Apply some mousse to your roots before allowing the ends of your hair to drop into place, as they will naturally curl.
17. Long Espresso Curls With Face-Framing Layers
Glossy espresso spirals fall well past the shoulders, while shorter curls break up the length around the cheek and chin. When you show your stylist this photo, point to where those pieces land. That’s the detail that keeps the long shape open around the face.
18. Long Black Curly Shag With a Short Fringe
A short, piecey fringe sits above long spirals that narrow towards the ends. The contrast gives the cut a shaggy outline while keeping plenty of length. Refresh the fringe separately with a light mist when the rest of the hair still has its shape.
19. Blonde Beach Curls Swept to One Side
The short, curled blonde hair is gathered up to one side of her face. There are also a couple of short strands of hair that have fallen forward to either side of the glasses she is wearing. To keep the swept-back portion of her hair from falling down into her eyes when she goes outside, she uses a small hair clip located on the other side of her head. This leaves the remaining portions of her hair free to blow about in the wind.
20. Long Honey-Brown Curls With a Blonde Ribbon
A bright blonde ribbon follows the side parting into long, closely rippled honey-brown curls. The lighter piece is most visible where the hair falls forward. If you want similar contrast, show your colourist where you usually part your hair.
21. Loose Brown Curls With Crown Lift
The front is pushed up and away from the cat-eye frames, and the brown lengths fall in loose, uneven waves. Try setting a small clip at the crown while the roots dry if the front tends to drop back towards your glasses.
22. Shoulder-Length Black Curls With a White Streak
A bold, white stripe begins at the crown of the head and extends down to the shoulder-length hair. There is a small area of lighter hair that appears at the bottom. Brush the most vibrant area of white hair away from the face as it is being dried so that the location of the colour is highlighted.
23. Raspberry Curly Bob With a Full Fringe
The crown is topped with deep pink ringlets that create a full fringe across the forehead. The curls on either side of the jaw maintain the round shape of the overall silhouette. If you are looking for a similar silhouette, instruct your stylist on where you would like the fringe to be placed when it is dry.
24. Blonde Bob With Outward-Swept Ringlets
The front curls roll away from a near-centre parting, opening up the face before the ends spiral back towards the neck. The outward sweep gives the blonde bob its shape. Twirl the damp front sections away from your face and let them set.
25. Salt-and-Pepper Lob With a Piecey Fringe
Short, separated spirals skim the top of the glasses, and longer ringlets follow the neckline. The gaps between the fringe curls keep it airy. Wear your usual frames to the salon so you can judge where the shortest pieces will sit.
26. Highlighted Curly Pixie With a Long Top
Caramel ribbons follow the tousled curls across the top, while the shorter sides leave the ear exposed. The length in front gives you room to wear it forward or sweep it back. Use your fingertips to place individual curls while the hair is damp.
27. Ginger Curls With a Centre Parting
The hair is parted down the middle so that the large, red-haired curls are sent away from the face (forehead) and then move inward toward the face (cheeks). The result is a full-shaped hairstyle with plenty of space around the eye area. If you want to create more defined curls, you can use your fingers to coil each of the two front sections in opposing directions.
28. Short Copper Bob With a Tapered Nape
The profile shows how the copper curls stack above a short neckline, with longer loops left in front of the ear. If you like a bob that clears your collar, bring a side-view photo so your stylist can see where you want the weight to sit.
29. Chocolate Ringlets With a Short Curly Fringe
Glossy chocolate ringlets spread out at the sides, with a few smaller loops sitting just above the brows. Look closely and you’ll see warmer brown along some of the bends. Let the curls dry fully before separating a few of the larger clumps.
30. Jaw-Length Black Coils With a Soft Fringe
Small, dark coils create a rounded shape from the crown to the jaw. The shorter fringe gives the black frames some room at the brow. For more lift, gently raise the roots with a pick and leave the coiled ends intact.
31. Short Silver Crop With a Split Fringe
Two broad silver curls divide near the middle of the forehead and curve outwards into the sides. The shape is compact around the neck, with more texture on top. To revive the split fringe, mist the front and coax each side into place with your fingers.
32. Side-Swept Silver Lob With a Face-Framing Spiral
The left side of her hair has a long, silver spiral that curls forward toward her face. On the right side, she has darker, tighter curls that are tucked behind her ear. Her side part allows you to see this difference clearly. Allow the front spiral to dry slightly longer than the rest of her hair prior to touching it.
33. Full Brunette Curls With Silver at the Crown
Silver strands fan out from the parting and weave into a wide shape of dark, shoulder-length curls. The colour is brightest near the crown, with deeper brown through the ends. Fluff the roots with your fingertips once dry to lift that silver section into view.
34. Grey-Flecked Curls With an Open Forehead
Shorter curls turn back from the hairline, clearing the forehead and leaving space above the blue frames. The darker, grey-flecked lengths settle near the shoulders. Clip the front back loosely while it dries if those pieces usually fall into your eyes.
35. Long Burgundy Curls With a Side Sweep
Wine red curly hair falls past the shoulder. An off-centre sweep exposes one hoop earring. The texture of the hair is soft and thick throughout the length of the hair. On the second day, to maintain this shape, lightly mist the ends of the hair and scrunch upward using your hands.
Save the photos that share your curl pattern and show where you’d like the hair to sit when dry. At the salon, point out the detail you want to keep, whether it’s a fringe that clears your frames or layers that let you wear your curls long.
