From finding the perfect shade of blonde (not too brassy, not too dull) to covering greys and battling frizz, there’s no doubt that midlife brings with it a myriad of hair woes and challenges.It is also a time when women often feel pressured into lopping off their long locks.However, it’s perfectly possible to dramatically improve the look and condition of your hair without resorting to anything too drastic – as our four brave volunteers prove after putting their hair into the hands of some of the country’s leading stylists.From an ingenious way of disguising the greys to a royal-inspired colour change, here’s how our guinea pigs anti-aged and upgraded their hairstyles to look the best they have in years...My blocky blonde was unflatteringJulia Lawrence, 58, a freelance writer, lives in north London with her husband and daughter.Before, Julia had been dyeing her hair various shades of blonde for 38 years. After, she achieved a more natural blonde look. She also had her parting repositionedThere’s a lot to be said for being blonde. Fair hair is associated with youth, vibrancy and approachability – a phenomenon that psychologists call the ‘halo effect’, whereby our golden locks bathe us in a welcoming, sexy aura.While I am, hand-on-heart, a natural blonde, there was another stowaway in my DNA no one warned me about – premature greying.I found my first grey aged 20 and have been dyeing it ever since. I’ve been many blondes over the years, including a couple of forays into platinum, which did me no favours (think more Mary Beard than Marilyn Monroe).I’ve spent the past three years making £200-plus bi-monthly trips to the hairdresser, interspersed with some £10 home-tint jobs when time and money were short.I’ve noticed this flat, all-over paint job is making me look old. So I put myself into the experienced hands of the team at Nicola Clarke at John Frieda, whose high-profile client list includes Madonna, Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, and Sienna Miller.Senior colourist Jessie tells me that my all-over block tint approach is not an effective strategy for achieving a natural blonde look.She explains that on a natural head of blonde hair, there will be many different shades, as the melanocytes (the pigment producing cells in the hair follicles) distribute a myriad of slightly different hues, from the same palette, down the hair shafts until the day when the tap gradually starts to be turned off.Her plan for me was to mix things up, just as nature would. There would be three steps: a ‘halo’ of ‘creamy clay lightener’ at the front to light up and frame my face, blended with a slightly richer contrasting tint throughout the rest of the head.Then there’s a ‘shadow root’ – a low-maintenance colouring technique where a subtly darker, natural-toned shade is applied to the roots and blended into the blonde, creating a soft, seamless gradient (disguising that blunt finish at the parting).Senior stylist Mark Smith meanwhile, was keen for me to lose a good 10cm off the length and to reposition my parting which was straying so far to the left it was entering combover territory. Post-menopause, my hair has been thinning, particularly around my hairline, and I’ve kept it long believing that more hair would equal more volume.‘There is absolutely nothing wrong with long hair over 50,’ assures Mark. ‘But it has to have a plan, a purpose.’Mine, he very politely told me, did not. Cutting it would make it appear plumper. He also suggested that moving the parting a few centimetres to the centre would help mask much of the thinning.The overall effect? I admit I was stunned. My husband, not a man noted for his observation, said I looked ‘cute’, and someone I hadn’t spoken to for a while remarked how ‘well’ I was looking (shorthand for young). I even dug out an old school photo for cross-reference and can confirm that they’d managed to achieve what I hadn’t in more than 30 years. The golden hair of my youth is back.Find out more at nicolaclarke.com.A big chop doesn't have to mean a bob Catharina Eden, 44, a fashion editor and stylist, lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and two children.Long hair has always been part of Catharina's identity, but at 44, she wanted something quite a bit shorter. Her new hairdo (R) requires even less maintenance than beforeLong hair has always been part of my identity. As a busy working mum of two my hair needs to be low-maintenance, and long hair can be easily twirled into a bun.I’ve always chosen to ignore people who say long hair is ageing, or shouldn’t be over a certain length past a certain age, but at 44, perhaps I could do with a refresh.I booked myself an appointment with Simon at Two by Simon Smith in Chipping Norton, the go-to hairstylist for Cotswolds grandees and celebrities, including Jemima Goldsmith, Elle Macpherson and Natalie Imbruglia.As I walked into the salon, I felt apprehensive but excited – this wasn’t just a haircut but a chance to boldly leave my twenty and thirtysomething self behind.My usual instruction is a few inches off with soft layers; or, if I was feeling daring, a few Jennifer Aniston wisps in the front.But this time I wanted something quite a bit shorter – just below the shoulders but short enough to make me feel and look lighter.Simon suggested a more mature take on a wolf cut, a combo of a 1970s shag and a 1980s mullet, with lots of choppy layers creating movement.As the new style started to emerge, it felt strangely liberating. The results astonished me. The heaviness around my face has been lifted away and I look and feel younger. My hair even requires less maintenance than before.The multitude of layers mean that it bends naturally without needing curlers. I look like the best, most current version of me, with added whoosh.I now realise how ageing my long hair was and that ‘the chop’ doesn’t have to mean anything as drastic as a bob. Sometimes, as in my case, a big trim is more than enough for more youthful hair.I’m hoping it’ll have the same long-lasting effect as a hard prune does to my beloved wisteria.Find out more at twobysimonsmith.co.uk. Kate's gorgeous bronde took the years offMaria Coole, 56, Inspire’s deputy editor, is a mum of two living in south London with her partner.At 56, Maria had become increasingly unhappy with her usual hairstyle. Now, her hair is full of colourful nuance, soft dimensions and brightness, like a built-in sunlit glowAs a royalist, I’m especially obsessed with one detail behind the Palace walls: Kate’s crowning glory, her fabulous, glossy, bronde hair.With these face-flattering bronzed hues, she is ageing beautifully and, as a fellow brunette, I’ve been taking notes.I was born with naturally dark brown-to-almost-black hair, with frizzy curls. But at 56, I’ve become increasingly unhappy with my usual hairstyle. The bog-standard root tint I have every few months to hide the greys looks flat, one-dimensional and ageing, plus my curls are a bit dated.I can see all too clearly where I’ve been going wrong, but how do I get it right? When in doubt, emulate Kate. It was time to brave the bronde.There was only one place to go – the award-winning Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in Chelsea, renowned for its long-standing role as Kate’s hairdresser.I put myself into the extremely experienced hands of Denise Grey, creative director and premier technician, who knows exactly what to do with me.‘Dark hair is the hardest to keep looking natural. You need a colour that suits your skin tone, but you also want it soft and subtle,’ she says.She plans to take me three shades lighter with a dark caramel balayage. This new look will be created via a root tint in a soft cool brown three shades lighter than my original colour, with freehand balayage through the mid-lengths inside and foilyage to ensure the lift to a caramel.Then she adds ‘baby lights’ in a lighter shade through my hairline, a flattering effect to help lift my face and create more nuance. She applies Memory Forme treatment, to eliminate frizz and keep my style looking sleek for up to eight weeks. Yes voluminous hair is youthful but texture (read: wiry, frizzy hair) is often the biggest age giveaway.Before the blow-dry, Denise trims my hair into a graduated bob. I love it.The following morning I look in the mirror and my hair is full of colourful nuance, soft dimensions and brightness. Like a built-in sunlit glow. Sorry Kate, I have a new obsession. My own hair!Find out more at richardward.com. A genius trick to hide my greys with highlightsKatherine Spenley, 49, editor of Inspire, lives in London with her husband.Katherine has been using highlights since her late 30s and has been going blonder ever since. She loves her new look, especially the highlights at the front and the smooth locksA natural brunette, I didn’t have highlights until my late 30s, and I’ve been lightening up ever since. Why? Well, I‘m not sure about the ‘more fun’ bit, but I know blondes do have fewer greys.There are highlights, however, and then there are haute highlights. Enter Tom Smith, a genius with foils.When I meet him at Aevum, his swanky London salon, I say I want the most natural anti-ageing look possible, without going for the chop. Tom explains that for hair to look youthful it has to be healthy, and I quietly thank my lazy approach to styling at home – after all, less time with the tongs equals healthier hair.It turns out that, at 49, mine is in pretty good condition. But I need help in other areas. Tom explains that rather than get slap happy with broad brush strokes of bleach, he’ll follow the natural pattern of my greys and scatter fine highlights only where I need them.The idea is that he won’t fully cover my greys with blocky colour, but will blend highlights around them instead. ‘An optical illusion,’ he explains. ‘Making them part of the highlight design means they don’t stand out.’This super-natural technique has another benefit – it means that my ‘do’ should last 12-14 weeks.I also loathe the texture of my greys which corkscrew out at the most eye-catching places. I have 50 shades of salt and pepper pointing skywards from my parting and tufts above my ears that I’ve been known to call my ‘Denis Healeys’.As my hair is fine, I’ve always run a mile from keratin treatments – friends with thick hair swear by so-called Brazilian blow-drys, but I’ve always been afraid they’d leave me looking like I’d superglued my locks to my scalp. But Tom has a trick up his sleeve – a modern keratin formula by a brand called Cezanne, which he explains will ‘make the hair look and feel healthier, smoothing the fluff without damage. The key here is to only spot-treat the “problem” areas rather than the entire head,’ he says.Next is a three-step ‘hair health’ protocol at the shampoo station. This is usually my least favourite part of a salon trip – the cricked neck, the cold water dripping down your back – but this is not your average salon.Happily settled on a lie-flat bed with a glass of champagne and I’d have thought I was in business class (this is an option by the way – there are fancy wines on the menu). There’s even a Current Body red light eye mask to anti-age your face too.My hair was given a deep cleanse with a chelating shampoo by K18 which removes build-up to leave the hair softer and shiny, then a repair treatment, and a hydrating gloss called evo Top Drop (think of this as the top coat your manicurist uses).And the cut? No need to lose the length – but the lack of layers matters. As Tom says: ‘The haircut is kept blunt and one length throughout the back to retain the look of bulk and thickness, and is gently shaped around the face where the hair is finer and more prone to being naturally shorter. This helps to lift and contour the face and encourage the hair to fall into soft waves rather than hang flat.’The final fix – we flip my parting, taking it from the middle to the side to add an extra lift to my face.The end result – I love it! Especially the highlights at the front and the smooth locks replacing the witchy frizz at the side. Like I said, genius.Find out more at aevumsalon.com.