Does jet black hair make you look older? Does blonde or red make you look older? And if so what hair colors do you choose to look younger. Check out in the article below.
Did you know that hair colors can have an overall effect on how you look? Yup, the hair color you choose can help bring out your eye color, neutralize undertones in your skin and even make you look younger or older.
This might look like a tall claim but it’s totally scientifically valid.
Hair colors can make your face look thinner, elongate your face shape (especially if your hair is cut in a certain way), and some hues can also make your strands look flat and less voluminous.
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So in this way hair dyes can make you look older as your face tends to get longer and thinner when you get older and your hair gets thin too.
But which colors make you look older? And do the same hair colors make every skin tone look older or does it depend?
Well, I’ve answered these questions in the article below.
But let’s first start with one of the most infamous hair color for making you look older – jet black dye!
Does Jet Black Hair Make You Look Older
The simple answer to this is that, yes. Jet black hair does make you older. This is especially true if you have white fair skin and have jet black hair. This is because of the following reasons:
Firstly, jet black hair can make your hair strands look flat. It removes all kinds of highlight and lowlight tones from your hair and gives it a very equal, dark black look. This can give the illusion of less voluminous and thin hair. And as thinning hair is a sign of getting older, jet black hair can add to this illusion.
Another way jet black hair dye makes your hair look thin is to bring out the lightness of your scalp. The contrast between the light color of your scalp and the darkness of black hair can make your hair look thinner.
If you have gray hair, then they will stand out more when you have jet black hair dye, especially at the roots. So jet black can make you seem older due to grey visibility than a hair color like platinum or honey blonde or even red which will blend in grey better.
Next, jet black hair can cast shadows on your face, especially if you have very light, pale skin with neutral or yellow skin undertones. These shadows can make your features look sharper and stand out from your face. In certain lights, this can give your face a gaunt look, making you look older.
Also, due to color theory, the appearance of paleness can reinforce the wrinkles, fine lines, and any other pigmentation in your skin.
Jet black is a very dark color with blue undertones to it. These blue undertones can neutralize all the red undertones on your skin making you look paler. So getting jet black hair dye can remove the “rosy, peachy glow” on your skin and make you look more sallow and older.
Does Jet Black Hair Make You Look Paler?
Yes, jet black hair and dark hair colors in general make you look much paler than you actually are. This is because of color theory and how colors appear relative to one another. If you have a lighter hair shade than the red, yellow, or blue undertones to your skin are much more clearly visible.
But if you have a very dark hair color the undertones aren’t very clearly visible and your skin just looks washed out.
Also black hair absorbs more light than lighter hair shades (that reflect back the light). So when you have jet black hair color, it absorbs a lot more light than your face which reflects back this light. So there is a significant difference between the brightness of the two.
Does Dark Brown Hair Make You Look Older
Yes, even dark brown hair can make you look older for the same reasons that jet black hair can make you look older. It can wash out complexion, making you look gaunt, give the appearance of finer hair and less hair density.
It doesn’t however, make you look as older as jet black hair does. Also there are several ways you can use dark brown hair without making yourself look older. These include:
- Use a mix of brown highlights and lowlights that can give the appearance of thicker, fuller and more voluminous hair.
- Don’t go for a completely flat dark brown color instead choose an ombre with a lighter shade of brown at the roots and darker towards the tips.
- The lighter shade of brown towards the roots can help blend in grey hair easily and also will not stand out a lot against a light skinned scalp. So your hair won’t look greying or thin at the roots.
- Also choose the shade of dark brown that can bring out your complexion and brighten your eye color. For example, a darker burgundy-brown shade can suit women with blue or neutral undertones in skin while a rich chocolate shade is better suited for those with a ruddy complexion.
Does Red Hair Make You Look Older or Younger?
This one’s a bit tricky. If you get natural red tones like ginger and strawberry blonde that have some depth to them it won’t make your hair look thinner or finer unlike getting a solid crimson color.
However, for some people, getting red hair color can make them look older as they bring out the redness in your skin tone. This can give your face a sort of sunburnt look making you seem older than you are.
In my opinion, if you’re going for red hair color tones take some time to choose that suit your skin color and skin undertones.
If you have darker skin and neutral or blue undertones than dark red hair, crimson, burgundy, magenta, etc. can look great and give you a more youthful appearance.
However, if you already have pink undertones to skin, I’d suggest going for something softer like a warm ginger color, strawberry blonde, auburn color, etc.
Does Blonde Hair Make You Look Older
The effects of hair color on age are highly individual and depend on things like skin tone, undertone, etc. However, from general observations, lighter hair does tend to indicate a younger appearance, while darker hair can often indicate a more mature appearance.
Additionally, some people may believe that blonde hair is associated with being more energetic and youthful.
So, overall, it’s difficult to say whether or not blonde hair makes you look older – it largely depends on the individual’s own perception and preferences.
However, if you’re talking in comparison to jet black hair color or darker hair colors than no blonde doesn’t make you look as old as having jet black hair does.
Blonde hair doesn’t make your hair appear thinner as it generally has a lot of undertones to it and gives the appearance of thickness. It also blends gray hair at the roots very well, hiding them and preventing you from looking older.
So What Hair Color Does Make You Look Younger?
There isn’t one magical hair color that can make you look younger. However, generally speaking you’d be better off avoiding jet black hair and darker hair tones.
Instead you can go for a balayage or ombre with both lighter and darker shades. Also remember not to make your hair too light either. Do not choose a hair color that is three shades lighter than your natural hair as this too can make you look older.
You also need to maintain a bit of contrast between the hair dye shade you choose and the undertones on your skin so go for a shade that complements your undertone instead of the same one.
For example, do not choose an auburn (reddish brown) hair color if you have skin with red/pink undertones instead go for an ash brown or chocolate brown color.
Conclusion
To sum up this article, yes, jet black hair does make you look older. It can give the illusion of very fine thin hair and also make it seem like the hair density is less by contrasting starkly against the scalp.
Jet black hair color also washes out red tones from your skin and gives you a pale, washed out look. The shadows that black hair puts on your face can also make any wrinkles and fine lines stand out.
So due to all these reasons, jet black hair should be avoided if you want to look younger.
Instead choose tones that neutralize the undertones in your skin and complement your eye color. Also pick hair colors that will give your hair an illusion of thickness. This means adding highlights and lowlights to hair instead of having a solid flat color.
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To Summarize