Type iii - how thick is yours?

[darl_in1]

I've been wondering for a while what the average thickness is for those with type iii hair........

So for those who fall into this category - how thick is your hair and what do you feel are the pros and cons of having thick hair?

At what point would you consider hair to be super-thick?

I'll kick off:

Mine is about 5.5 inches.

Pros - it's got volume and body etc

Cons - finding hairtoys; hot weather; when it's shorter it tends to look like a wig!!

[florenonite]

I've got between 4 1/4-4 1/2 inches circumference, plus the vestiges of a fringe from last summer. I like the fact that I don't need to worry about shedding as I have plenty of hair to spare. I don't like that at shorter lengths I feel the need for layers (which I am now growing out) or that I can't do updos that many people can do at shorter lengths.

[Tabitha]

Interesting question! Mine is just on 4" when superclean and at its most voluminous - I had a medication-related shed after first joining here and hairtyping myself.

Pros:
- plenty of body and volume
- when I did shed, I still didn't have thin hair by normal standards
- doesn't look lank so quickly when not super-clean, nor does it need daily washing (I think this is relevant as there is more hair to soak up my scalp's oil)
- nice thick-looking braid (not that there's anything wrong with thinner ones ... frantically back-pedalling here) which reflects the light
- allows me to have layers without the bottom looking too thin
- I get compliments from hairdressers

Cons:
- hairwashing seems to take ages (mainly the rinsing)
- ditto getting salon lowlights done, so much so that I'm thinking of stopping them as I don't enjoy being fussed over
- getting even scalp coverage with CO is very tedious - I have to make multiple partings
- hot in the summer, especially at night, as I haven't found a night-time updo/braid that's comfortable
- long drying time:when I had a bob, my hairdryer arm would ache; now I airdry, in winter it makes me feel cold hanging there.

ETA: Thank you Euphony! it was our very own Darl_in1 who took it for me on Saturday

[Euphony]

I voted 4.5 - 5, mine hangs out closer to the 4.5 end (4.5 - 4.75 depending).

Pros~
-Lately I've gotten compliments from people and they say something like I have beautiful hair and point toward the bottom of my hair. It took me a while to figure it out - actually my husband figured it out when he saw it happen one time. He said he's sure that people are complimenting the thickness of the hemline.
-Too many shed hairs make me upset, but I also realize I do technically have more I can lose than most people.
-Lots of volume
-I feel more confident that I can grow my hair to longer lengths without it bothering me with being to thin on the ends
-I had a major shed once (pre LHC) and at one point was able to see my ears through my hair. I thought that was very strange and even then made me nervous, but I did realize that my hair was probably about 'normal' thickness at that point.
-Now that my hair is finally long enough to do many updos, my updos are huge.

Cons~
-I can no longer wear a ponytail any higher than the nape of my neck, the weight of that swing pulls too much.
-Until I found LHC I didn't think anyone made hair toys that would accomidate my thickness.
-Combs with fine teeth have serious issues with getting through my hair (that's after a good detangling).
-Short hair is really weird on me, it's this huge nearly stand on it's end puff ball (part of that is wave too), even running my hand on my scalp would be difficult since there is so much hair there my hand would get caught.
-My hair can suffocate me.
-It takes 8 hours to dry when down, if I braid it, it'll still be pretty damp 24 hours later, if I bun it my husband worries it'll mold - the wetness doesn't seem to dissapate at all.

My idea of super thick is anything thicker than mine, since I already know mine is a bit on the 'weird thick' side comparitavely.

ETA: Tabitha what a gorgeous new siggy pic!

[justgreen]

Mine's a bit over 5"....

Pros: It's all good.

Cons: I really can't think of anything. I put it up in a bun if it begins to bother me, or the weather is warm.

Tabitha: You are looking really slim in that siggy of yours!

[spidermom]

The last time I measured, I had 4.2 inches on top of my head, all fringe included. I had 3.8 or 3.9 inches at the nape of my neck.

PROS: Since I have a lot of hair to start with, as it grows and tapers, I still haven't reached see-through ends at hip length. My hair has a lot of body; it has to be very oily to look limp.

CONS: Some days it's like having a blanket over my neck and back, which could actually be a pro on some days.

[Phalaenopsis]

4"-4.5"

I have really fine hair, so with this thickness I have lots and lots of it.

Cons:
-fine and a lot of it= tangles everywhere
-ponytails give me headaches
-my hair isn't that long yet, so toys still can handle my hair, but I doubt it will stay that way
-others at this length can already do different kinds of updos, the thickness eats up the length, so no updos for me yet...

Pros:
-it's so nice to feel it, grab it, touch it and feel the amount of hair
-I'll be able to have a braid like Lara Croft (I think it is quite thick)
- even with a big shed, I still have a lot of hair, while others would practically have no hair anymore

[Tabitha]

Tabitha: You are looking really slim in that siggy of yours!

Thank you, Justy! (what with you and Euphony, this thread risks making my head swell)

I think my biggest bugbear with my thickness is what Curlsgirl just said about not being able to do certain styles. There are so many pretty styles tantalising me on here! Even at "waist-if-stretched", the KarenLynn knot still evades me and my ends won't stay in an infinity/figure 8 bun.

I'm not sure how much extra I would have if I didn't have a fringe but I'm in the process of growing out half of it (hairdresser changed his mind, and told me to grow some so fringe was less thick and blocky).

[Loviatar]

Dead on 4.0 here, although I have bangs yet to grow out and I keep using henna, so hopefully my broken pieces and short bangs will add to the thickness.

Super-thick for me counts as anything over 5" I think. I was told by hairdressers for years that I had thin hair; now I know they meant fine hair. So it's weird to think I could be a iii. I count myself as ii/iii but that's only because of the bangs issue.

Pros: makes great braids. It's too fine to have much volume and body though. No see-through ends either, even as I grow out my last layer.

Cons: It doesnt look thick! It eats conditioner. And my scalp gets very hot in summer (hence a lot of pixies in the past.)

[buttons]

Ah the poll says "Type ii" so I voted under 4 without looking! I would think iii would be at least 4, though.