MANY woman switch up their hairstyle as they age, opting for something different to flatter their changing look.
The 'Karen haircut' refers to a choppy, inverted bob with a side swept fringe and chunky highlights.
But the style took an a life of it's own after it became synonymous with grouchy middle aged and older women who complain a lot.
Nicole Petty from Milk + Blush told Express.co.uk not only is the style "famous for all the wrong reasons" but it can make you appear "disjointed" and "unbalanced" too.
In fact, negative connotations aside, the cut is also "incredibly ageing" so is rarely a good choice for anyone.
Although it's short the dramatic style has a lot going on for one look, which can look overwhelimg.
You don't have to ditch short styles altogether though and similar cuts can still look chic and effortless if you know how to do it right.
Nicole explained: "Instead, get a pixie cut to accentuate facial features, remove weightiness from thick hair and add texture and fullness to fine or thinning hair."
The exact type of pixie cut will depend on your face shape, since you'll want to draw attention to some features and distract from others.
If you're not sure which face shape you have you can double check with your own hairdresser.
A blunt bob is also a good choice for women who want to go shorter but don't want to appear decades older than they really are, the pro added.
"While it may be daunting to make the chop, opting for a cut that falls at the same level as your cheek or jawbones gives you extra definition and will smooth out any harsh angles or lines that can make you look older," Nicole said.
Just steer clear of a fringe with these looks since they can add "extra emphasis on creases around the eyes and jaw," according to the hair whizz.
If your face is longer or oval-shaped though, a full fringe can be just the ticket and will help conceal wrinkles and fine lines.
