Wet vs Dry length measurements

[lunalocks]

I measured my length wet for the first time ever and was happily surprised to find that the wet length is a full 2 inches longer than dry. So what is legal? How long it "can" stretch to wet? Or what it is when it is dry?

I know curlies face this issue every day.

So, what is YOUR wet length vs dry? I'll go first: dry 37 inches, wet 39 inches.

[Marbid]

hm..... Dry 27 inches. Wet 31 inches..

It shrinks a lot when dry. But all I really care about is how long it looks when it is dry. so I don't really consider my actual hair length to be how long my hair as a whole is.

[jacqueline101]

I know it shrinks when it's dry but I'm counting dry hair as my goal.

[wildkratt]

My hair's 34 inches when when and around 31 inches when dry. That's why I like my hair to be straight sometimes since it looks a lot longer.

[Sharysa]

I measure my hair dry. Even with the minor fluctuations (my hair is 1c/2a), I go by the logic of "I'm not going to be soaking wet most of the time, so why would I cut or measure my hair when it's wet?"

[khan]

Yeah; I got excited last night when I measured it after washing. 40 INCHES!!! I remeasured it after it was completely dry; opsie - 39". Ahhhh - it was a brief transcendental moment though. Glorious.

[cheetahfast]

I never measure my hair wet. My hair is probably about 4-6 inches longer when wet. I'd be really dissappointing measuring that way.

It's like measuring bodymarkers with straightend hair to me. I mean it will take a few more months or even a half year to make it to the marker for real for me so it'd be dumb to mark it sooner.
I do have fun taking pictures of my combed out/dirty hair since it is much straighter---I think I'm at tailbone straight. I know I'm past it when my hair is wet, but to me that counts for nothing.

[Leeloo]

I've never measured my hair wet. I'd be afraid to pull on it too much. I think most people here measure hair dry.

[trolleypup]

As long as you are consistent, it doesn't much matter what method you use.

I get an inch or two more, and it is easier to measure wet, but I measure dry...and save the body markers for wet hair.

[CurlyCap]

I measure my growth when my hair is wet, preferably when I'm in the shower. It's the easiest way to stretch my hair without resorting to heat. I think of my hair two ways: 1) How much hair did I have to grow to reach a certain body marker (for example, I'm now at waist but it curls to between APL and BSL) and 2) Non-LHC. "Hi. I'm CurlyCap. You'll know it's me because I'll be in the purple shirt and my hair is curly just past my shoulders."

Wet, I'm a bit past waist. Dry and stretched, I'm about 1" short of waist. Curly, between APL and BSL.

I'm totally not conflicted about having different measuring systems. As a curly, I need to know how much length converts into how much curl. So I keep track of length stretched and curly.

[SoftCurlyHair]

Ah the joys of being curly. :flower:

[Allychan]

I don't measure by length, just by body markers. Currently measuring when wet (I am waist-when-wet) but lose loads of length when dry because of my waves. I will start measuring when dry when I reach waist-when-dry. Measuring when wet is more of an incentive for me, when dry it always feels the same length as when I started.

Just to clarify, for photos I comb my hair when it is semi dry that way it sits straighter and gives a clearer picture of overall growth.

[Anje]

Eh, I go with dry, but measurements are for you. If you like or get more consistent measurements wet, go for it. I go by body parts, which also means I don't have any good data on how fast my hair grows. :P