Measuring the length of curly hair

[sadia]

How do you guys determine the length of curly hair? When I comb my hair out which loosens and removes the curl pattern, my hair measures out to be 30 inches long. When it is actually curly, it is around bra length; sometime shorter and sometimes longer based on how curly my hair happens to be on any given day so it doesnt actually look like 30 inches.

[Tabihito]

Most people measure it both ways if they have a lot of shrinkage: stretched out, and the average of where it is curly.

[PinkyCat]

When I measure my hair in inches, I stretch it out to get the true length. When I'm using my body as a length marker, I go by curly length. So right now my hair is 37" total and hip length curly.

[CurlyMopTop]

I measure the same way as PinkyCat.

[melusine963]

I measure my hair both ways, as Tabihito says, but I consider my 'true' length to be where my hair naturally falls to, like PinkyCat says.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

To clarify , are you measuring from front hair line or actual length of hair from scalp. I measure from hair line with it stretched. The longer I get my shrinkage has increased. I set my goals on both stretched and where my hair falls dry coming out of a braid. That is sort of a happy medium for me. Other wise I would never really be able to call a goal achieved. I believe I will have to be below knee to call waist full curly.

[torrilin]

Speaking as a straightie, I'd far rather curlies use a wet or stretched measure. I get that curl shrinkage is a real thing, and your hair may not feel terribly long when curly, but when your hair goes from shoulder length curly to well past your bra strap wet... you're just not looking at the same kinds of hair care problems I am when I'm shoulder length. Better for both of us if you hang out in the BSL/midback thread and I hang out in the shoulder length thread.

I actually find the suggestions from curlies and super curlies a lot more helpful in handling my own hair, since it's fine and very dry. Since curly hair often tends to be fine and dry as well, we're often trying to deal with the same sorts of problems.

[PinkyCat]

To clarify , are you measuring from front hair line or actual length of hair from scalp.

Yup - from the front of the hairline, over the top and down the back. :)

[chen bao jun]

To clarify , are you measuring from front hair line or actual length of hair from scalp. I measure from hair line with it stretched. The longer I get my shrinkage has increased. I set my goals on both stretched and where my hair falls dry coming out of a braid. That is sort of a happy medium for me. Other wise I would never really be able to call a goal achieved. I believe I will have to be below knee to call waist full curly.
Can't resist saying, what pretty hair you have.
I've decided not to think of my shrinkage as shrinkage anymore but as 'spring'. I think its what make my hair pretty, the way it behaves like a slinky and if I had no shrinkage, I wouldn't have that and I'd miss it. As for measuring, I am right now just measuring on the fourth day after washing my hair consistently every time, with the same shirt on. I am assuming my hair is longer than it looks, because it is, but what's important to me is what the length appears to be when curly. I'm aiming right now for armpit curly and I can tell its not there (though I'm sure I'm past armpit when straightened, I'm not counting that). I believe I'll see when I get that and that's more important than knowing the inches.
Does that make sense?
My eventual goal is waist-length curly and it seems very very far away, so I just think about armpit, which is near. I think waist length is a good goal for me since it will actually probably be something like hip or tailbone (if it ever gets there). I assume I will probably never reach what the really long lengths are considered to be on here (if I genetically COULD get to my knees, I'd really be at my feet, for example) but since, as I've said, I'm unwilling to give up the prettiness of the coily springiness in return to more length...
It is what it is.
this a long way of saying that I don't stress about the numbers of measurements for me, since it is always going to be inaccurate, but just concentrate on the visual.

[sadia]

I measured my hair from my hairline all the way to the end while I pulled my hair ends straight and then it was 30 inches.

[sadia]

Removed my pictures.

[spirals]

Am I the only one who doesn't measure inches? I say it's almost waist because when I stretch it , it is about an inch away (guesstimating). I do know I have 3 inches shrinkage because I did measure that.

My hair is darn-near straight when sopping wet, but ends up a bit looser than yours. I'd say you are a 3b if the strands spiral, but it they are like waves, it's a very tight 2c. It's hard to tell on dark hair in that lighting. My spirals are loose (1-inch diameter), but they are spirals, so I consider it curly rather than wavy.

[ravenheather]

I'd say you are definitely a 3. I am not a curly expert, but I'd guess 3b. Whatever it is, is gorgeous.