How should a professional woman do her hair? There is no single precise answer to this question. Beyond individual preferences, the appropriate hairstyle depends on many factors, the most important being the nature of her work. The job description of her chosen profession has a great influence on the way a woman should style her hair. But other factors also come into play, such as her other social roles and her personal goals. Sometimes these factors have conflicting demands on it. For example, a woman may be an event planner who may need a glamorous long hairstyle, but she is also a new mom whose baby likes to grab her hair. Choosing the right hairstyle is about achieving a compromise for all the conflicting factors and still having a confidence-boosting outward appearance. The following tips will be helpful in helping you choose the right professional hairstyle.

Tip #1: Redefine your job description

To be successful in her career and remain fashion savvy, a woman must examine her job description from a hairdresser’s point of view. Regardless of a woman’s profession, her hairstyle should help her appear more attractive. Unfortunately, some women may not see the need to style their hair or that their job forces them to get stuck in an unattractive hairstyle.

For example, a woman working in a laboratory will wear a bulky lab coat, along with protective gloves and goggles, and sometimes ear muffs and a gas mask. Her job description requires her to keep her hair out of the way. She therefore has her hair pulled back in a severe bun. What if her lab investigation finally yields results that deserve media attention? She couldn’t walk out of her lab looking like an overworked scientist talking to beakers. Instead, her hairdresser would suggest a short, sleek hairstyle, perhaps a sleek cut. Her hair will still be out of the way as she pours slimy slime into a flask, but when she takes off her coat, goggles, and mask, she’ll look like a confident celebrity walking out of a fashion magazine. Simply put, she may think like Einstein, but she doesn’t have to look like him.

Tip #2: Don’t forget the basics

Now that you know that you don’t have to let yourself be trapped by the stereotypes and prejudices that are linked to your profession, you will find a wide variety of hairstyles that you will be tempted to try. This is when your Einstein-like thinking is needed. Not all of these hairstyles will suit you. You need to remember all the laws, both scientific and aesthetic.

When it comes to hairstyles, the ones that will show off your best features will be those that are appropriate for your face shape. For example, an oblong-shaped face could not get away with extremely long hair, and a square-shaped face could not benefit from a cropped mane. The aesthetic law that hairdressers faithfully adhere to is to have hairstyles that create illusion. For example, a medium length layered hairstyle will create an illusion of length and narrowness for women who have round face shapes.

Tip #3: Strive for a timeless style

Another factor to take into account when choosing hairstyles is age. This does not mean that you need a hairstyle that reflects the fashion of the year you were born. It means that your hairstyle must, to some extent, access the social expectations of your age. For example, when you’re in your forties, don’t be tempted to have green highlights or asymmetrical cuts. If you really wanted highlights, go for the more subtle colors. And if you really want to copy Victoria Beckham’s chic bob, commit to a longer length or a less radical angle.

Does this mean that older women have a more limited selection of hairstyles? On the contrary, older women have more freedom with hairstyles. When you’re in your forties, you can get away with a lot of things. But you must remember to appear more elegant than stylish, and to appear cunning rather than obtuse.

If you’re in your twenties, you can still copy many of the trendiest hairstyles, even those that are considered extreme. But you still need to consider the nature of your job. For example, if you are in the insurance business, you want your hairstyle to encourage your clients to have confidence in your professional abilities. In other words, you don’t want your clients to think you’re too young for your job.