Have women quit cutting their hair short when they get older?

Rebecca Wadey can’t imagine ever cutting her hair.

The Auckland-based writer and former editor of online magazine Ensemble will turn 50 this year. Her hair, which she describes as “big, curly and coarse”, reaches well below her shoulders “to my elbows if I straighten it”.

When she surfs, it blinds her; if it gets wet after in the late afternoon, it won’t dry overnight. “It’s a pain in the arse,” she admits.