As we age, there’s a whole lot going downhill: Our skin sags, our face wrinkles, and our hair grays and loses its vibrancy.

But what we may not realize is it’s far easier than we think to reverse the process. In fact, the right cut and color can take years off our perceived age!

It’s a timeless truth that the right cut will help to draw attention to your face and highlight your best features—whether that’s your eyes, skin, lips, or anything else. —And it can also mask or even hide entirely any flaws you may be insecure about. You know how our favorite Hollywood ingénue, Reese Witherspoon, has a strong jaw? Her long layers and side swept bags are a brilliant maneuver to soften her look!

But if your “flaw” is aging – and honestly, my friends, imagine the alternative – as we start to see those gray hairs peek out, we should counteract by choosing bold, dramatic colors that can actually accentuate aging not mask it. Yvonne Neihule, owner of Neihule salon says, “Dark colors work against the skin to highlight lines and wrinkles, in many cases taking the hair lighter, or adding highlights versus low lights can soften the face and diminish the look of pronounced lines around the eyes.”

Just as cut is important, as is color. A short cut opens up the face, and brightens the skin – which can help to hide wrinkles and lines.  It’s almost like getting a facelift! Feathering also is a great softening style that can hide lines…softer is often better in these cases. Going softer compliments the face and does not focus or highlight harsh lines or shades in the face.

Remember, the ideal style is one that makes you still look like YOU, but younger. Don’t go mid-life crisis and dye your hair purple or get wild extensions…this may make you feel childish, but you’ll probably still look your age!

By Aly Walansky