How to look younger: The big hair 'mistakes' women make that 'enhance signs of ageing'

Hairstylist and salon owner Dawna Jarvis warns against unflattering hair colour for women over 50

GB News
Lewis Henderson

By Lewis Henderson


Published: 16/04/2025

- 21:25

Updated: 17/04/2025

- 08:11

Having very dark hair might not suit everyone

While ageing is nothing to be ashamed of, many people desire a youthful appearance.

How you colour and care for your hair can influence how old you look, and experts advise not falling into traps that can age you.


Content creator Shea Whitney spoke on her YouTube channel (@SheaWhitney) about the "hair mistakes you could be making".

She said: "A hair mistake [I see] is having super, dark hair. As we get older, it is harder to have darker hair because it starts to wash the person out, makes you look more pale, and enhances the signs of ageing on your face. It enhances those fine lines and wrinkles."

Woman with dark brown hairMature women run the risk of looking 'pale' if their hair is too dark

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The YouTuber advised colouring your hair with a "little bit more warmth", particularly if you have brown hair, "to look more youthful".

Alongside having too dark hair, Shea encouraged people to dye their roots if they start to go grey.

She recommended: "Use a magic root to spray and counter your roots. You can get it in so many colours. In seconds flat, it completely covers up my greys."

For treating your hair correctly, the content creator recommends a test to determine whether your hair "is low or high porosity".

She said: "Low porosity is when the hair cuticles on the hair shaft are super tight and flat. This means it will be very hard for moisture to penetrate your hair.

"High porosity is when the cuticles on the hair shaft are raised, meaning moisture absorbs quickly into your hair. Knowing the difference could change your hair forever."

One way to see if you have low or high porosity is to take a strand of hair and place it in a glass of water.

Shea explained: "If it is low porosity, the hair strand will float on the top. If you have medium porosity, it will float but then sink. That is what you want; that's the ideal result. If you have high porosity, it will immediately sink."

Women washing her hair

The YouTuber advised not using mousses and thick creams if you have low porosity hair

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If you have low porosity hair, "stop using mousses and thick creams because they are not absorbing into your hair".

The YouTuber added: "It is not treating your hair like how you think it is. Instead, use more water-based products. Once I made that change, my hair looked and felt much better.

"If you have high porosity hair, you do not want to use thicker creams to treat it. No matter what side of porosity you are on, if you are not nourishing your hair the proper way, it can lead to dull and faded hair."

In other hair news, a woman shared how she reversed her hair loss by changing her shampoo.