Thanksgiving, Christmas time, New Year’s – another holiday season is coming up, and many of us will be either hosting or attending a get-together of some sort. An easy way to get a few compliments and keep yourself in good cheer is to do something different with your hair.

Since I write for the hair industry, I asked one of my favorite sources, Sherri Jessee, for some ideas about changing up hair for the holidays when you’re in your 60s and older.

Sherri is an award-winning hair and makeup artist who owns
Sherri’s Hair Salon in Bristol, Virginia. She’s still solidly in her 50s and
looks very youthful, but she has older clients and always offers good ideas for
every client demographic.

Up-styles

I asked Sherri first about up-styles, because sometimes you just
want your hair safely pinned up. Updos allow you to cook and discourage
grandbabies from the grab-and-pull technique they’re so good at. Also, up-styles
show off your earrings.

With the approach that “less is best” for most holiday
get-togethers, Sherri says even a simple, low ponytail can look dressy if it’s
done well. For something a little more dramatic, she recommends twisting the
hair up and back or over to one side, leaving out loose tendrils for softness
around the face.

According to Sherri, looseness throughout the style will flatter
us more than hair severely pulled back off the face. Although we can do a
simple up-twist on our own, I’d head to the salon!

Here’s Sherri wearing her own cute up-style.

The Blowout

Remember your mother’s weekly “wash-and-set” that kept her hair looking good for days? As soon as the blow dryer was invented, our generation shut that down, preferring to wash our hair daily and blow it dry ourselves.

Our children’s generation bridges those opposing habits by going
to the salon for a professional blowout. Then, like their grandmothers, they
can get through the better part of a week without washing their hair. We can
join them!

Using a professional tool and having the strength to hold the hair
with a lot of tension, my hairdresser achieves a level of smoothness that I
can’t do on my own. Even short hair benefits from a great blowout.

“Your stylist will use a round brush and build body and movement
into your hair,” Sherri says.

But if you want to do your own blowout, she advises you to “divide
and conquer.” Taking small sections, start from the bottom and work your way
up. Make sure you get every strand completely dry, leaving no dampness that
might turn into frizz when you walk outside.

Dry Shampoo

What our moms didn’t have was today’s dry shampoo. A few days
after your blowout, Sherri suggests applying dry shampoo to absorb the oils
from your scalp and extend your blowout yet another couple of days. The product
also adds texture.

“It’s almost like a volumizer,” Sherri says. “Some people use dry
shampoo the first day for style support.”

Curl

If you wear your hair straight and sleek all the time, switch it
up for the holidays by going curly. Again, you can go to the salon or just use
your own curling iron or hot rollers.

If you have super curly hair and want to keep the curl, Sherri
lists two options for putting in a little extra holiday effort:

1) Smooth it out first, and then put the curl back in, or

2) After shampooing, apply a product designed for naturally curly
hair, and dry the hair with a diffuser to maintain and define the curl rather
than blowing it out.

Hair Accessories

Dress up your look with sparkly rhinestones, shiny metallics, chic
pearls, velvet or satin textures, or festive bows.

“There are so many pretty clips and combs,” Sherri notes. “Are you
thinking, ‘Am I too old for this?’ I don’t go by those rules. If you like a
certain hair clip and it makes you happy, I say go ahead and use it to pull the
hair back or to one side.”

Hair Extensions

Take it up a notch by adding hair! We think of hair extensions as
a way to add length – you can
have long hair for a day or a month without actually growing it – but extensions also add volume without necessarily adding any
length at all. Your hairdresser can discuss that option with you.

“Recently for a client, I put in just five pieces,” Sherri shares.
“That can get you through the holiday season, and afterward you can have them
taken out.”

Extensions are a good solution if you like fashion shades just for
one night. Clip in some pink, lavender, or bright holiday red, and that pop of
color will get you noticed.

Sherri also mentions the scrunchies made of human or synthetic
hair that you can find reasonably priced on Amazon. They come in lots of shades
so you can get close to your own. They can act as extensions if your hair is
just barely long enough to pull back.

“These are kind of crazy, but I like them!” Sherri says. “You can
create a ‘messy bun’ or make your own up-style. They’re so easy to use – just pull back your hair as if you’re using a scrunchie, wrap the
band around your hair, and you have an updo!”

Shiny Hair

At this time of year, when we see lots of people and take lots of
photos, simply having healthy-looking hair helps us to present our best selves.

Sherri suggests asking your stylist to apply a gloss for high
shine and to give you a deep-conditioning treatment to replace the moisture
lost to dryness in the air both indoors and outdoors.

If you color your hair, schedule your appointment as close as
possible to any special event you’ll be attending. Treat yourself to highlights
or lowlights if you want to splurge a little to have the dimension that
enhances hair color and brightens the area around your face.

Your Gift List

If your family is looking for a gift you’ll appreciate, make sure
they know the name of your salon. Then you’ll have a gift certificate to
continue looking great in the New Year.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is
your favorite hair style for the holidays? Do you manage it yourself or do you
prefer getting it done professionally? What other tips can you add to the list
above? Please share in the comments below.