7 Celebs Over 40 Who Can Make Both Long & Short Hair Work For Them

There are some schools of thought that long hair is only for younger women; however, there are definitely long hairstyles that work for older women. And if you're lucky, you're able to go either short or long with your hair and still look good; at least, that's the case with a number of celebrities. 

Some caveats: What's considered long or short hair can be subjective, but in this case, long hair is going to be anything that reaches past the shoulders or below (whether natural, a wig, or extensions — all is fair in love and hair). Short hair is anything at the chin level or up. These are all stars who have had both long and short hair from their 40s onward. Whether it was a wig for a role, or a personal style, these celebs over 40 have shown us that they can rock both long and short hair.

Charlize Theron hasn't been one to shy away from transforming her hair for roles over the years. She shaved her head to play Furiosa in "Mad Max: Fury Road," and rocked a mullet for "The Old Guard 2." Along with the short locks that she's been wearing, she's shown off some longer styles. At Paris Fashion Week in 2025, she had her blond and wavy hair down past her shoulders. This comes not long after she was seen with a short bob.

For the cover of Elle in summer 2026, she was styled with long blond curls. She looks stunning, and with that style, you can see why she was chosen to play Calypso in Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey." For those not up on their Greek mythology, Calypso is the sea nymph best-known for her beauty and keeping Odysseus captive.

Natalie Portman is another star who has shaved her head for a role; in her case, she did it on camera for "V for Vendetta," when she was 24. Fast forward to her 40s, and while Portman hasn't cut her hair that short again, she has frequently styled her hair into a chic, chin-length bob.

But she's also gone for longer locks. You can see her with long blond hair when she played the Mighty Thor in "Thor: Love and Thunder" in 2022. She had her brown hair long during the 2024 awards season. Then, in her promo pics on Instagram announcing her role as the new House Ambassador for Tiffany & Co. in March 2026, she seemed to be sticking to that longer brown hair style. We can't pick our favorite style on her because they all look so good.

Meryl Streep is one of those celebrities who looks stunning with gray hair. She's also able to pull off both short and long cuts. One of Streep's most well-known characters is Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada" films, whose hair was styled in an impeccable, side-swept, silver bob. Even though Anne Hathaway spilled the beans that the iconic hairstyle was a wig, Streep wore it so well, some fans couldn't believe that it wasn't her real hair.

For her role in the Hulu show, "Only Murders in the Building," her character had hair long enough to style in braids, which felt almost like a throwback to the loose and long blond beachy waves that she had for "Mamma Mia."

The length looks natural on her, and close to her "real" hair: At the Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony for Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt in April 2026, Streep had her hair pulled back in a ponytail that extended past her shoulders. It goes to show that Streep's reputation as the GOAT (the "greatest of all time") extends to her hair, as well.

Selma Blair has worn her hair in a variety of colors and lengths, some of which were for roles, while others which were because of her health. Blair's health issues included a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2018. One of her treatments for MS was chemotherapy, which is known for causing hair loss. Blair shared a photo on Instagram of her nearly entirely shaved head in 2019, and revealed that her hair fell out due to the chemo. 

It made for quite the change. In the months before she made her MS diagnosis public, Blair had long brown hair. As of 2026, she's grown her hair out into a chin length blond bob. But from basically bald, to flowing locks, and everything in between, she's looked great.

Long, short, braided, curly: Queen Bey has proven that she can do just about anything and look good — just see Beyoncé's incredible hair journey over the years for proof. All you have to do is look at her social media to find countless different looks, all of which are great.

In February 2026, she shared a series of photos on Instagram with a chin-length blond bob. Then, in April 2026, she posted a promo for her haircare brand Cécred, where her hair was cascading far below her shoulders. Both beautiful.

It feels like you never quite know what you're going to get when it comes to Kim Kardashian's hair. Since turning 40 in 2020, Kardashian has kept fans guessing at her next look. One of her most extreme styles came in October 2025. She attended Paris Fashion Week with dark hair styled in a pixie cut. Celebrity hair stylist, Chris Appleton, shared a pic of Kardashian's hair on Instagram, asking if she should really make the cut. While some think that the short hair made her look older, one fan on Instagram commented that the short hair was, "Just the opposite. Makes her look younger and enhances her beauty."

She didn't keep the short hair very long, and has sported a variety of lengths and colors since. Kardashian went with shoulder-length blond hair for the 2026 Met Gala, where she also ended up on our worst-dressed list. Then, on a visit to Monaco in 2026, Kardashian had dark hair down to her waist in her Instagram reel. Clearly, she's happy to go long and short, and both look good on her.

Pamela Anderson has been known for her long blond hair since her days on "Baywatch," but as she's gotten older, she seems to be changing things up. In 2025, she showed up to red carpet events with her hair in old Hollywood-glam length; a short, curly bob; and a red shag.

Whether long or short — and even without the signature blond — Anderson is able to make any style work. Her current look could be tied to Anderson's decision to largely go without makeup; she may very well be feeling freer to experiment and be playful as the years go by, no longer feeling as scrutinized, or caring as much, about what people think of her.