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They say the right hairstyle and cut can take as many as ten years off you.

And yet still so many middle-aged women feel as though they're stuck in a hair rut.

FEMAIL caught up with international hair stylist and founder of RAW SALON in Sydney, Anthony Nader, to find out the most common hair mistakes middle-aged women make.

Anyone ready to book a trip to the salon?

Youth: Countless experts say that the right haircut and style can take years off women - however, many middle-aged women find themselves stuck in a hair rut (stock photo)

Advice: FEMAIL caught up with international hair stylist, Anthony Nader (pictured), to find out the most common hair mistakes middle-aged women make

WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN IT COMES TO CUT? 

According to Mr Nader - who has cut the locks of Cate Blanchett and Miranda Kerr in the past - the biggest mistake middle-aged women make is 'growing their hair longer and keeping it at that length'.

He said there's no point having long hair if you're going to spend most of your time 'pulling it all back into a ponytail or knotty ball'.

Mr Nader advocates going into the salon with some form of pictorial reference, and - as you get older - asking for some 'lightly scattered layers around the face'.

'As you get older your face appears less plump and more angular,' he said.

'If you're used to brushing your hair back away from your face, try directing it a little bit more towards the face so you have some framing and your bone structure softens.

'You can even try a sweeping fringe that curtains just below your eyebrows if you have deep-set forehead wrinkles.'

A-listers: Mr Nader said as you get older your face can appear less plump; for this reason it's a good idea to have layers around the face (pictured: Elle Macpherson and Jennifer Aniston)

WHAT ABOUT COLOUR? 

With regard to colour, Mr Nader admits its easy to fall into the 'blondeitis' trap of beginning with a few highlights and ending up full-on brassy blonde.

'Blonde will always be huge business, and as a salon owner I'd say more than 70 per cent of our clients are looking to venture over to the light, bright side,' he said.

'But, one of my golden rules when colouring hair is to never have just one block colour, as this not only looks harsh, but it also doesn't define texture and movement.

'Ask which complimentary tones would suit the colour you've chosen and you'll notice that your complexion doesn't appear as harsh.'

If you want to go grey, Mr Nader said by all means do, but he said 'keep it looking chic ladies as there's a fine line here'.

The hair stylist recommends using a cosmetic silver shampoo once a week to ensure your greys are silvery and stylish.

Sunshine: With regard to colour, Mr Nader admits its easy to fall into the 'blondeitis' trap of beginning with a few highlights and ending up full-on brassy - you can avoid this (stock photo)

Big mistake: 'Countless women overload their strands with unnecessary products which weigh the hair down,' Mr Nader said (pictured: Jennifer Lopez and Julianne Moore)

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET HOME? 

The attention to your hair shouldn't stop when you leave the salon, Mr Nader said. 

You need to be caring for your hair at home, too.

'One of the biggest mistakes I see with middle-aged women is that they overload their strands with unnecessary products which weigh the hair down and give the illusion of looking dull and lacklustre,' he said. 

Instead, make sure you're using the right amount of shampoo, conditioner and product for your hair length to keep it light and bouncy.

Mr Nader also recommends approaching your hair as you do your make-up application when you get home:

'With a thinning, ageing face, your hair needs to "fill in the gaps,"' he said. 

'For instance, if your jawline is appearing to be more slender, you might want to have more hair floating around this area.'

Anthony Nader is an international hair stylist and founder of RAW SALON in Sydney.