Discovering your terminal length

[LauraLongLocks]

At what point do you realize that your hair is nearing terminal? What is a false terminal? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you have no taper in your thickness, then you aren't near terminal yet, right?

Looking at my braid taper, it's actually not too bad, except for where my layers cause me to tie it off a little prematurely. I don't think I'm anywhere near terminal right now, but I'm wondering how one knows when they reach it. I hope mine isn't above knee!

[melusine963]

As I understand it, false terminal is when your length stops increasing because your ends are breaking off due to damage as fast or faster than your hair is growing at the root. This is why many people with over processed hair think 'Oh, my hair never grows past my shoulders'.

This isn't the same as hitting a temporary stall, where your growth slows down or even pauses for a few months. This can be due to illness/lack of proper nutrition, or it can happen for no discernable reason whatsoever, and be followed by a growth spurt. Many LHCers have experienced this.

[GreaseMonkey]

Interesting explanation melusine963. I am also very curious as I just started my journey to growing my hair freely for the first time in my life. I'll admit, in the past I have not been to kind to my locks but LHC has been a real eye opener for me in hair care. I am currently at MBL and want to grow to my terminal length, where ever that may be.

[lapushka]

If your hemline (loose hair) is still pretty even and thick, I wouldn't worry about it. Braid taper is just that, braid taper. Doesn't say anything about terminal length.

[trolleypup]

If your hemline (loose hair) is still pretty even and thick, I wouldn't worry about it. Braid taper is just that, braid taper. Doesn't say anything about terminal length.
Yes, but.

If you have been maintaining your hair consistently and haven't had major sheds, layers, or other shortening damage...braid/ponytail taper IS one of the markers indicating terminal length.

Say, you have a blunt cut at shoulder...you ponytail (nape) and it is 3" diameter. A year later, nape is still 3", nape + 6" has a diameter of 2.5". Another year and nape + 12" is 2". 3 Years after, nape is 3", nape+6 is 2.5, nape +12 is 2", and nape+18 is 1.5". You see where this is going...if your taper is continuous, then it will make a general indication of roughly where terminal will be. However...this braid taper may not point to your Best Of All Possible Worlds terminal length, just the length you can reach with your current routine, etc.

[lapushka]

Yes, but.

If you have been maintaining your hair consistently and haven't had major sheds, layers, or other shortening damage...braid/ponytail taper IS one of the markers indicating terminal length.

Say, you have a blunt cut at shoulder...you ponytail (nape) and it is 3" diameter. A year later, nape is still 3", nape + 6" has a diameter of 2.5". Another year and nape + 12" is 2". 3 Years after, nape is 3", nape+6 is 2.5, nape +12 is 2", and nape+18 is 1.5". You see where this is going...if your taper is continuous, then it will make a general indication of roughly where terminal will be. However...this braid taper may not point to your Best Of All Possible Worlds terminal length, just the length you can reach with your current routine, etc.

Oh, I see, that way! The gradual thinning of the taper. Yes, that would definitely be an indicator, but you'd definitely notice that at the hem as well, right?

[Madora]

At what point do you realize that your hair is nearing terminal? What is a false terminal? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you have no taper in your thickness, then you aren't near terminal yet, right?

Looking at my braid taper, it's actually not too bad, except for where my layers cause me to tie it off a little prematurely. I don't think I'm anywhere near terminal right now, but I'm wondering how one knows when they reach it. I hope mine isn't above knee!

Goodness knows I have taper in my braid, but my hair is still growing, just a hair past knee (some strands), so I'm not at terminal yet. I'll never know since I'm not going to let it grow longer than it is now. I'd say terminal is when you notice (after at least 3 to 4 years) that your hair isn't getting longer. The time period is moderately long because hair may stall at a certain length and nothing happens for quite a time. If you have several years to evaluate, you'll have a better perspective on whether it isn't going to grow longer.

[spidermom]

It's highly individual. I had a roommate who didn't cut her hair, didn't do much to damage it, wore it braided most days, and it never grew longer than upper BSL in the several years I knew her. The ends weren't thin, either.

[Eve 322]

This is very interesting! I'm subscribing to this thread. :)

[Panth]

You might find this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G4RyJMKtTc&list=SP6763115ECB8074E3) informative.

[Lostsoule77]

I always thought that terminal was pretty much if you have healthy hair and no growth for a year. I have major braid taper, but it's from pre-LHC that it's really bad. I don't have much taper in the length that I've grown since joining LHC. So I sure hope I'm not anywhere near terminal.

[FallingDarkness]

So what's the average terminal length? I want to make sure I can reach my hair goal... :)

[LauraLongLocks]

Here is a blog post that I found interesting, and there's a calculator at the end where you can input your stats and come up with a potential terminal length.

http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/p/estimating-your-terminal-length.html

[Madora]

So what's the average terminal length? I want to make sure I can reach my hair goal... :)

That is pretty much determined by genetics. I don't think there's any "average".

[RedRavenCurls58]

Recently, I thought I hit my terminal length. In reality, I wasn't taking good care of my hair, and the ends were splitting/breaking off. Now that I've implemented a healthy diet and a good regimen, my hair is prospering. :)