New year, new you, new ‘do! When heading to the salon for a fresh new haircut for the new year, it’s great to bring a reference photo to show your stylist. If your goal is to rock a youthful style that highlights your best features (and doesn’t inadvertently age you), it’s also important to know what best suits your face shape and hair texture. What looks good on someone with a heart-shaped face and curly hair, may not be flattering on a rectangular face with straight hair. It’s also important to get regular trims to ensure your haircut is looking its best. Without considering these factors, you may be left with a haircut that doesn’t suit you or, worse, ages you 10 years!

With that said, we reached out to celebrity hairstylist Gina Rivera to learn more about three unflattering hairstyles that might add years to your look, what to ask your stylist for instead, and styling tips for women over 40. Find out more below!

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Common mistakes

Getting the right haircut that complements your features and hair texture can instantly elevate your look. However, if you head into the salon without knowing what to ask for, you run the risk of ending up with a hairstyle, like a mullet, a mega-short pixie, or a bowl-cut bob, which may do more harm than good. This is especially true for women over 40. One wrong haircut can age you 10 years. But what haircuts should women over 40 avoid?

“The most common…