The Best Low-Maintenance Hair Choices for This Season of Your Life
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There comes a point where the question isn’t “What’s trending?” It’s “What actually supports my life right now?” For many women, that shift definitely shows up in their hair. Not because they don’t care anymore—but because they care differently or its lower on the priority list. Low-maintenance hair isn’t about giving up on beauty. It’s about choosing hair that works with you, not against you, in the season you’re in.
What “Low-Maintenance” Actually Means (And What It Doesn’t)
Low-maintenance hair doesn’t mean:
Boring
Sloppy
Unstyled
“I don’t try”
It means:
Your hair grows out gracefully
Your routine feels supportive, not demanding
You can show up looking put together without effort running your life
True low-maintenance hair supports your nervous system as much as your appearance.
Why So Many Women Are Choosing Simpler Hair Right Now
I see this shift constantly. Women aren’t asking for less beautiful hair. They’re asking for hair that meets them for the season of life that they are in because they dont have an hour and a half to spend on their hair like they used to. (Not me, I have five natural hairs and not once in my life has it taken an hour and a half…. but I digress.)
Life seasons that often spark this change:
• Motherhood or caregiving
• Burnout or emotional healing
• Career shifts
• Moving or identity shifts
• Simply knowing yourself better than you used to
Hair becomes less about performance—and more about alignment.
Low-Maintenance Hair Choices That Actually Work
1. Cuts That Grow Out Well
The best low-maintenance cuts don’t rely on frequent reshaping.
Think:
• Soft layers instead of sharp lines
• Shapes that still look intentional at 10–14 weeks
• Lengths that don’t demand daily styling to behave
If a haircut only looks good when it’s freshly cut or styled, it isn’t low-maintenance.
2. Color That Lives in the “Blend Zone”
Low-maintenance color doesn’t mean no color—it means strategic color.
That often looks like:
Lived-in highlights or teasy lights
Soft dimension near the root
Colors that fade gently instead of abruptly
Blending natural grey so it is less noticeable
If your regrowth causes stress, your color plan is working against you.
3. Styling Expectations That Match Real Life
This part matters more than most people admit. As a hairstylist, I BEG YOU… be honest about what you are actually willing to do style-wise in the mornings. If you’re not honest in your consultation you’re going to end up with hair that might be beautiful when you leave the salon but in a week you’re going to despise it because you dont have the skills to style it or you dont actually have the time to style the your new hair and make it look the way its supposed to.
Low-maintenance hair:
• Can air-dry and still look acceptable
• Doesn’t require heat every single day
• Looks good imperfect
If your routine requires perfection to feel confident, it’s not sustainable. And can I be really honest here for a minute? As women we are our own worst enemy. We can nitpick our hair to no end and really it has nothing to do with the hair itself, its more of a confidence issue. (I talk more about that here) When people are trying a new hairstyle I always encourage them to wear it out even if they dont feel like it’s perfect because they’ll most likely get compliments on it… especially if its not how they typically wear their hair. Those compliments are fuel that you can actually style your hair and it gets easier to do when you take some of the pressure off.
What to Stop Chasing
Low-maintenance hair often begins with letting go of:
• Constant trend cycles
• Comparison to women with very different lifestyles
• Hair goals that belong to a past version of you
You’re allowed to outgrow certain looks.
You’re allowed to want ease.
How to Choose Hair for Your Current Season
Instead of asking, “What looks best?” try asking:
• How often do I realistically want to style my hair?
• How often do I want to be in the salon?
• How do I want my hair to make me feel day to day?
• Does this choice support my energy—or drain it?
These are all questions I ask in the salon during consultation. If you ask these questions typically you can narrow down the BEST new hairstyle for you by process of elimination. The right hair choice feels calm when you imagine living with it.
At-Home Care I Recommend
This post contains affiliate links.These are my go-to things at home that I recommend to all my clients to make at home care easier.
First and foremost would be a silk pillowcase! I LOVE this one from Kitsch. I have used it for years and honestly I think I recommend it to everyone in my chair, not just low maintenance girlies.
If a silk pillowcase isn’t your thing, next recommend a silk bonnet. I think this is a better option if you move around a ton in your sleep. You aren’t limited to staying on the pillow to keep your hair in place.
Last, Silk/Satin Scrunchies paired with a braid are a great option for ladies with hair extensions or really long har that they need to contain. These satin scrunchies from Kitsch are great for thick hair and these Skinnies Scrunchies are great for finer, thinner hair!
I am also a huge advocate for not washing your hair every day! I remember when I first started skipping wash days and I felt this URGE to let people know that I was in fact still showering, just not washing my hair. The lovely shower cap came in handy then. It’s non slip, quick dry and adjustable which is huge. This streamlines your morning without having to spend the time washing and drying your hair. Its win-win because your hair gets a break from the blowdryer (additional heat) and most likely needs just a touch up.
If your hair gets really oily like my fine, thin hair does I also recommend dry shampoo. My two favorites are the Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo or Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. They both smell amazing and absorb oil SO WELL. Let me tell you the secret to dry shampoo though, it’s not putting it in after you’ve showered with your shower cap. Its spraying it in the night before so its working to absorb the oil before it gets out of control. This was a game changer for me because I wasn’t working backwards anymore trying to get the oil out of my hair the next morning.
Hair doesn’t need to prove anything. It doesn’t need to keep up, compete, or perform. It’s allowed to support you quietly, consistently, and beautifully—right where you are. Low-maintenance hair isn’t about doing less. It’s about choosing what fits this season of your life.