How thick is 'thick'?

[Angellen]

Hello, beloved LHCers! Hair circumference/density has been something I've been curious about for awhile, and I'd like to know your opinions. :eek:

How thick does one's hair have to be in order to be considered thick? Do you go by LHC's guidelines for i, ii, and iii or do you have your own? Is a ii/iii one who has exactly 4" or is it a range such as 3.75-4.25"?

Does one's thickness vary on an individual basis ('thick for a redhead' for example) or is it a universal thing?

Where do you measure your thickness from? The top of the head, crown, or nape? Somewhere else?

How tightly do you measure? Rather loosely? As tight as you can? Snugly? Somewhere inbetween?

[Snowblood]

I measure thickness from the nape. I think it also depends on the hair structure, whether one has fine or coarse hair. Fine heads need to have much more hair to achieve an iii volume. Curlies seem to have thicker hair than straighties (like mine :(), but by measuring the ponytail there is sometimes no big difference. The categories i/ii/iii are good indicates but the appearance does matter.

[Pixel Gypsy]

I kind of tend to judge thickness by feel. I have friends who have coarser hair and have a pretty good sized pony circ, but when you get your hands in their hair you can just feel their isn't as much. My hair is the opposite. Most people consider my hair to be of average thickness...until they get "in there" with their hands. A cut can take an hour to 2, depending on the intricacy of the style being cut in. Stylists always say...."wow, you've got a ton of hair, but it doesn't look that thick." I have a very fine, fairly straight texture though. If I didn't have a bazillion and a half hairs on my head it would probably look like I had barely any hair! My mom, on the other hand has hair that I would type at 2a/2b and definitely iii thickness. She keeps it fairly short and her stylist thins it in order to be able to achieve any style because she just has so much hair and because of the texture. She likes straight, smooth styles and without getting rid of some of that thickness it wouldn't happen.

I measure my pony at the nape because it's the only spot I can get all the layers into a pony right now.

[Curlsgirl]

Your overall volume of hair

Put your hair in a ponytail with as much hair as possible in it. Don't bother with the way it looks - the goal is to have most/all of your hair in there. If it means it sits smack dab on top of your head, put it there.

Measure the circumference of the ponytail. If you have bangs and/or you can't get all of your hair in there adjust according to how much of your hair you have measured.

To measure the circumference - take a piece of string, or a soft tape measure (the kind used by dressmakers). Wrap the string or tape measure <i>around</i> your ponytail - just below the elastic you have in to hold the ponytail together. Read the corresponding number from the tape measure, or hold the string at the length you've measured and use a ruler to determine how much it is. The number given is the circumference of your ponytail.

i - thin (less than 2 inches/5 centimeters)
ii - normal (between 2-4 inches or 5-10 centimeters)
iii - thick (more than 4 inches/10 centimeters)

[vindo]

I general I consider thick to be 4" + = a lot of hair

But I think someone with an 8cm Ponytail (My sister) can also be considered thick or a lot of hair since her hair is F. It just looks and feels like a lot even though the ponytail might measure 8cm.

I use the term very thick for hair like my cousins hair btw..;)

And I refer to my thickness as medium (ii) even though my nape is close to thick my length just is not so I think people would look at me funny if I say my hair is close to thick :lol:

I measure at the nape and twist my hair a little so its a tight and accurate measurement every time I remeasure.

[Ursula]

When measuring hair, I tend to do several measurments in a row, and see what works out as either the most common measurment to get, or the average. I'd put someone in a boarderline catagory (e.g., ii/iii) if you did a bunch of measurments, and kept getting measures slightly above and slightly below the line.

Say:

3 3/4, 3 7/8, 3 7/8, 4, 4 1/8, 4 1/8 - you're somewhere around the 4" mark, but not quite sure if it is above or below.

[Alley Cat]

The thickness of my hair has dropped considerably since I first measured here in fact I have had to go from iii to iii one thing I haven't thought about is the fact that when I first joined I didn't have all the layers I have now- face framing and layers at the back can that make a difference in the thickness of your ponytail?? :ponder:

[sapphire-o]

Thick to me is what I can't possibly reach now. :D My pony is 3 3/4". Used to be around 4.5" in my 20s. I sometimes miss my "steel cable" but it really is much easier to manage now. Drying naturally doesn't take all day, and hairtoys are more likely to fit...etc.

[tiny_teesha]

anyone with hair thicker then me has thick hair, and anyone with hair tinner has thin hair :)
That's the way i see it. It also helps when i am in ii group so i'm pretty much in the middle!

[AnneAdeline]

anyone with hair thicker then me has thick hair, and anyone with hair thinner has thin hair :)
That's the way i see it. It also helps when i am in ii group so i'm pretty much in the middle!
That's how I think too. :D I've got to measure again, but last time I think I was almost exactly in the middle of the ii range.

Edit: Just measured and my pony circumference is actually 3.5 - 3.75". Maybe someday it will be a ii/iii or even a iii. (A girl can hope)

[GlassEyes]

I go by ponytail thickness by most here.

I actually have an exactly 4 in ponytail, which means I should be a ii/iii. However, I have tons of layers and thinning done to my hair from my last haircut, so I put down iii.

Once the layers grow out and I can cut off damaged/thinned length, I'll probably well into the iii range.

[Red Jezebel]

How thick does one's hair have to be in order to be considered thick? Is a ii/iii one who has exactly 4" or is it a range such as 3.75-4.25"?Personally, if I were 4" I'd label myself as a ii/iii. I would say anything >4" is iii.


Does one's thickness vary on an individual basis ('thick for a redhead' for example) or is it a universal thing?Never having heard whatever this is about redheads I did a quick search and found this:
Redheads have thick hair but that's because redhair strands are thick yet they have the least amont of hair on their heads.I certainly think that this is a load of hooey (for example, my hair is F/M - nowhere near C - and circumfrance is an average 3.25"). I think that you can get all types, no matter what the colour. The measure used is fine as is and shouldn't be changed dependant on natural hair colour. Most people here can work out that someone who has a 4" circumfrance and has C hair will have less strands than someone who is 4" and has F hair. The real difference visually is that someone with 1a hair will look like they have less than 2c (for example). However it is still the same measure, and changing it for that would get awfully complicated.

(wow, that was a bit of a ramble!)

My husband thinks I have thick hair, but I just stare at him in a knowing way as if to say, "Are you crazy? This is so normal." :D


Where do you measure your thickness from? The top of the head, crown, or nape? Somewhere else?Wherever you can get the most of your hair in one ponytail and as close to your skull as possible.


How tightly do you measure? Rather loosely? As tight as you can? Snugly? Somewhere inbetween?Tight! I find it a bit of a cheat otherwise.

[WritingPrincess]

I usually judge by the way it feels and looks. I've always thought of myself as having thick hair, but with a 3" pony circumference, I'm well within the ii catagory.

[jojo]

I measured by placing my hair in a pony and measuring round,normally this is an ear level pony as to fit my fringe in.

I call myself a ii/iii as i measure 4", this is a change in thickness for me, i was just over 3" when i joined here last august.

[spidermom]

I feel that you can measure right around the pony-holder as long as it isn't a big fat scrunchie. I experimented and there was only about a 1/8" difference among the measurements
1) between scalp and ponyholder
2) around the ponyholder, or
3) between ponyholder and ends of hair.

I get a 4.2 on top of my head with all face-framing fringe included and 3.9 at the nape of my nape, which is minus face-framing fringe. Around here 4" = iii.

Hair color doesn't seem to matter that much as regards thickness. Supposedly blondes have the most hairs on their heads, but there are a lot of ii blondes around here, maybe even a i (but I can't think of anybody right now).

[doodlesmart]

I measure at my nape because I don't have any bangs or layers and it's just easiest there. I also sort of think that baby hairs don't count until they make it that far. I had a major shed several months back and went from about a 4.3 to about a 3.8 or so. So I changed my number to ii/iii since I know my head has more follicles on it, they are all just frizzy baby hairs at the moment. Though now I am back to right around 4," depending on how clean my hair is. Hopefully soon I will feel justified in going back to a iii. I tend to measure snugly, I don't try and pull to tight, for fear of damaging my hair, but I try to be honest about it, and don't just let it hang loosely.

[homeschoolmama]

I have "thick for a fair-haired blonde" hair with a 3.5" ponytail at the nape. Perhaps it's because there are so many Hispanic people with their pretty wide braids around here, but I tend to think of anyone with braids "thicker than a cucumber" as having thick hair... meaning mine would be on the narrower end of average.
love,
mom

[Meli]

I consider 4" or more as thick.

I measure at the nape, tight but not so tight that I might damage some hairs. I get measurements between 3.5 and 3.75 inches. However, I have a bunch of broken hairs that don't yet fit into the ponytail. I doubt that I'll make it into the ii/iii range, but never say never...

[Alaia]

I consider the range of 3 7/8 to 4 as ii/iii and any greater than 4" to be iii.

It depends on thickness of strands, so for example a person with F hair (like me) needs more hairs than someone with C hair. But it would be too complicated to work that into the classification system!

[Anje]

...I tend to think of anyone with braids "thicker than a cucumber" as having thick hair...

I love that description! I've just got a standard dill pickle size braid, though.

I don't remember my hair ever being much thicker than it is now, with a circumference of ~2.5", but I remember hairdressers always commenting about how much hair I had when I was growing up. I think it's got to do with having fine strands -- there's not a nice fat ponytail, but it's a lot of hair if you've got your hands in it. That said, it seems like it's thin for an auburn-haired girl. Most people I've come across with hair color similar to mine have ponytails you could barely get forefinger and thumb around.

[Feisty Redhead]

Never having heard whatever this is about redheads I did a quick search and found this:I certainly think that this is a load of hooey (for example, my hair is F/M - nowhere near C - and circumfrance is an average 3.25"). I think that you can get all types, no matter what the colour. The measure used is fine as is and shouldn't be changed dependant on natural hair colour. Most people here can work out that someone who has a 4" circumfrance and has C hair will have less strands than someone who is 4" and has F hair. The real difference visually is that someone with 1a hair will look like they have less than 2c (for example). However it is still the same measure, and changing it for that would get awfully complicated.

(wow, that was a bit of a ramble!)


Well said! *grin*

According to LHC hair typing my hair is coarse and thick; my pony tail is approximately 5 inches. It's slightly less at the moment because of some major shedding recently but it always thickens right back up again and it is usually 5.25 inches or so. So yeah, if that makes my hair "thick" then I'm happy to accept. I have always felt my hair's pretty thick, anyway.

I have had a couple people tell me that my hair is "fine" but looks thick because I "have a ton of it" (I agree with the having a ton of it part) - but then I've also had people comment on how thick my hair is, both in appearance and feel. My mother for one can't seem to get over how thick my hair is and swears I won't be able to go much longer because the weight of it is going to be too much to handle without some major headaches. So I dunno. I think everyone has their own definitions for this, there's not really much of a standard. But I think the LHC way of typing is a fairly good standard to go by. Or maybe I just feel that way because if I go by that my hair's nice and thick. :D

[birdiefu]

Well, being smack dab in the middle of the ii range (well, my diameter is 3 1/8", but I just go with 3"), I also think that anyone thicker than me is 'thick'. Maybe I just have hair anorexia, but even though I know my hair is 'average', it feels pretty thin to me- one of the reasons I don't like to wear it down in public.

One thing I do wonder though, is where we (LHC) got our standards from. Did someone measure a bunch of heads of hair and determine averages? Is there a poll on this here? It seems to me like there are more thickies than thinnies, so is 'average' really 2-4" or is it more than that?

ETA: My measuring technique is to use a small hair tie at the nape, pull it out just a tad and wrap a flexible tape measure between the hair tie and my scalp. I keep the tape measure as snug as I can without letting hairs pop out from the tip of the measurer, stick my thumbnail on the tape where I can feel the tip touches, gently remove and read my results.

[Urchin]

I have always gone by the book measuring thickness, but I may be cheating myself. I have bangs I'm growing out, which don't fit into my ponytail. Without the bangs I'm at 3.75 inches or so. Once my hair grows to a more measurable length, I may discover myself to be a iii. My texture is the F/M, but more F than M.

I'm really afraid that I'll grow my hair really long, and it will look thin and stringy in a braid. I would be so disappointed if that happened. I really want a long, thick braid. I just have to take care to avoid breakage and hope.

[nienna42]

Depends on where we're talking about. By LHC standards, I have a good amount of hair, but not what I'd call thick. Very rarely, my hair will measure over 4" circumference, but usually it's right at 4" or a little under.

In everyday life, I consider myself to have thick, possibly even very thick hair. If people say anything about my hair at all, they are likely to make some comment about how thick it is. And it seems like I have more hair than most people I see outside LHC.

[Nynaeve]

When I first measured for here, I was just at 4".
I've dropped a little bit since then due to sickness and stress and poor hair care (as of late.)
I consider anything much above 4" to be "really thick."

[Melein]

One thing I do wonder though, is where we (LHC) got our standards from. Did someone measure a bunch of heads of hair and determine averages? Is there a poll on this here? It seems to me like there are more thickies than thinnies, so is 'average' really 2-4" or is it more than that?


I'd noticed that too - my thoughts on it though would be maybe people with thicker hair are more likely to consider growing it long, and so the LHC community isn't exactly a representative sample of the general population? Just an idea.

I too would be interested to know the source for the classification system, though!

[UP Lisa]

At 3", according to LHC, I have a very Medium thickness of hair. However, to me and to people who have made comments about my hair, it is Thin. Not REALLY thin, as in scalp showing through, but thin.

[Herb]

I'm over 4 inches at the moment. In the summer it can be 4.5 if I'm healthy, and during most winters it dips below 4.
Measure at the nape, but sometimes for fun I measure with a top pony to see what my new topgrowth is worth. :)

My hair is quite straight and doesn't have a lot of volume, and I feel it looks thinner than a lot of longhairs with ii measurements. It's slightly discouraging. 5"+ seems more like thick to me when I'm considering my hair. :)

Then again, a lot of girls at school have slimmer ponytails than me, even though their hair doesn't look thinner than mine. Maybe I have a bit of hair anorexia! :p

That being said, I love my hair. I can't be ungrateful. <3

[MissManda]

My hair is a smidge over 4" (4.1-4.3 when compressed tightly) and I consider myself to be a iii because of the consistent measurement as well as my serious lack of taper. Also since I have a finer hair texture, I know that it takes a lot of those little F hairs to get to a iii ponytail. Overall, I think of myself as having a relatively thick ponytail size while my overall density is very thick; I don't even want to know how big my ponytail would be if I had a medium or coarse texture.

Since my hair is fine and straight, though, I do think that my hair looks thinner than it actually is when it's not fluffy and triangular from natural poof (only lasts for a day or two after washing), braid waves, or bun curls. I've been told my hair is thin, but what I think it boils down to is that the general public doesn't understand that voluminous =/= thick and sleek =/= thin plus they often confuse fine and thin. Most of the time they don't mean anything bad by it, they just don't know because they're not hair obsessed. :p

[Orangerthanred]

I'm strict about whether hair is considered thick or not. My hair is extremely thick- I've never met someone with thicker hair than myself. Even when it's pin straight, my hair is super voluminous.

Thick hair is hair that breaks ponytail holders, poofs up with even the slightest hair cut, turns into clown hair when touched by a blow dryer, and takes extremely long to flat iron or curl [2 hours or more].
I even consider Selena Gomez's hair thin. None of the celebrities have thick hair.

[colormeindie]

you ladies are so lucky. My curls make my hair look thicker, but in reality my circumference is about 1.5 or so inches :( ahhh don't you just love health problems :'(

[PixxieStix]

When I was younger and had a full head of hair, everyone was always so amazed at how thick it was, my mom (the braiding goddess) always commented on how unruly my thick hair could be when she was trying to work with it, and growing up, I only knew one person with hair thicker than me, and it was by A LOT! Seriously, my friend could barely get the regular no metal hair band around that sucker of a ponytail twice, and my mom dreaded when she wanted her hair done because things like french braids always stuck out of her head sooooo bad because it was so thick! Bobby pins said goodbyes to their friends when they saw whose head they would be used on, because they knew that one time would pretty much be it for their lifespan.

My pony measures in at 3.75, but I can't get all my hair in there yet, and the top hasn't finished growing in either. *pouts* So the crown of my head is still pretty thin, and I know my ponytails are thicker than most of the other girls I see, but I can't help but feel my hair isn't as thick as it "should" be, or could be. Yup, I most certainly have hair anorexia. :D I see hair much thinner than mine and think it looks great, but for some reason never think mine ever looks thick enough.

But yeah, I think hair any thicker than mine is thick, I really consider mine more average, yet also consider those with thinner hair than mine average too (somehow it works in my brain), and those with much thinner hair than mine to have thin hair. But, on other people, I've never seen a hair thickness that I thought looked bad on someone, super thin, super thick, if well cared for it all looks nice to me. :)

[sunshine-locks]

I just checked, and mine's exactly 3", pulled/compressed really tight/ done with high ponytail. When it's not compressed so tightly and done on the nape, it's 3 and 3/4". I don't have any layers anywhere, but I do have a fringe.
Me and many people consider my hair to be "really thin", but according to LHC, it's average?
Maybe all the people I know just have thick hair? :P

[UP Lisa]

Same thing I've wondered about.



I just checked, and mine's exactly 3", pulled/compressed really tight/ done with high ponytail. When it's not compressed so tightly and done on the nape, it's 3 and 3/4". I don't have any layers anywhere, but I do have a fringe.
Me and many people consider my hair to be "really thin", but according to LHC, it's average?
Maybe all the people I know just have thick hair? :P

[Amber_Maiden]

I judged my hair thickness by looking at other peoples hair, peoples comments on my hair, and LHC's guidelines... I have very thick hair 5in+ ponytail.

[beccababesx]

I take my ponytail up on the top of my head, so my fringe doesn't get in but the layers do, and squeeze the measuring tape as tight as I possibly can. I come out at a 3.2ish. And I think i = thin, ii = medium, iii = thick... But I feel like my hair is super thick so I consider a lot of iis to be thick as well.

[Helenae]

I'm a 3.75 and consider myself ii/iii - I'm hoping with my biotin supplements, I can bump up to a 4! :D

[HintOfMint]

My circumference, as compacted as it can go, is exactly 4 inches with almost no variation.

I still feel weird putting a iii in my profile and opt for a ii/iii because there are so many people here with 5+ inches of hair and I feel fraudulent for putting a iii.

I'd like to say iii, because my hair does go "poof" and breaks ponytail holders and is generally thick to the touch, but I don't know... Any encouragement? Should I leave it as ii/iii?

[lapushka]

My circumference, as compacted as it can go, is exactly 4 inches with almost no variation.

I still feel weird putting a iii in my profile and opt for a ii/iii because there are so many people here with 5+ inches of hair and I feel fraudulent for putting a iii.

I'd like to say iii, because my hair does go "poof" and breaks ponytail holders and is generally thick to the touch, but I don't know... Any encouragement? Should I leave it as ii/iii?

I think you should put iii. 4 inches exactly or over equals iii, nothing strange about it, IMO.

[Zesty]

I've been wondering about this. I pretty consistently get right at 4" (I make my ponytail right above my forehead to get all my fringe and layers in LOL) and Kimi from Grah-Toe Studio said that made me a iii. But I always felt that since I'm riiiiight on the cusp between ii and iii, I should put ii/iii. :shrug: If enough people tell me I should be a legitimate iii, though, I'll change it. :p

But people outside of LHC seem to have a weird perception of what thick is. My roommate has cat-fine hair -- really soft -- and she said the other night that her hair was "fine but thick." I would never have considered her hair thick, it's probably like 2.5" circumference, and she's always sort of shocked when she tries to put my hair up and realizes how thick it is. So... I dunno.

[Egana]

I'm strict about whether hair is considered thick or not. My hair is extremely thick- I've never met someone with thicker hair than myself. Even when it's pin straight, my hair is super voluminous.

Thick hair is hair that breaks ponytail holders, poofs up with even the slightest hair cut, turns into clown hair when touched by a blow dryer, and takes extremely long to flat iron or curl [2 hours or more].
I even consider Selena Gomez's hair thin. None of the celebrities have thick hair.

By these standards, I have thick hair. I break ponytail holders all the time. I am the queen of poof, my college roommates used to blow dry my hair for a laugh to watch it stick straight out from my head. But I've always considered that "body" not "thickness." I don't really consider myself to have thick hair, but its never been all one length before, either.

I measure a solid 4" from a pony at the top that includes all my layers except my curly bangs (which don't ever grow very long anyway, so I keep 'em short and cute.) And I looped the holder round it several times to make it nice and tight. I think when these layers grow out, it might be a bit scary. I've never had it all one length before, not sure what it will look like.

When I braid it from a ponytail the braid is very thick and stiff, but I have lots of layers, so it looks weird and doesn't braid well. Sort of looks like an upside down triangle, not very attractive. Need more length and grow out the layers. If the braid stays as thick all the way down as it is right now with all the hair in it before the layers start, then it will be a rope for sure.

[MissManda]

For those who aren't sure whether to put down ii/iii or iii, maybe you will find this post (http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1716499&postcount=20) to be helpful. :flower:

[patria]

Re: How thick is 'thick'?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those who aren't sure whether to put down ii/iii or iii, maybe you will find this post to be helpful.


Thanks for that........looks like i'm a iii then. Although people have made comments on my "thick hair" it never seemed that thick to me,,,, I do remember snapping the handles on hairbrushes quite frequently, my grandmother started buying me 2 at a time and we looked for ones with solid handles. I srarted using a comb a sew weeks ago - I wonder if that will make a big difference?

[UP Lisa]

I'm not sure why all of you who have 4" or more are wondering if your hair is thick. It's certainly a lot thicker than mine at 3" or less.

[princessp]

I didn't need to look at LHC's numbers to tell me my hair is thick, it has been annoyingly thick my whole life! So when I first measured my hair I wasn't surprised I ended up in the thick category (4.5"-4.75"). But as a "thicky", I don't think it is always the measurements that make hair seem thick. Some people with 1-3" ponytails may actually appear thicker than say a 4". My hair probably looks thicker than my actual numbers in real life because it is so unruly so as MissManda mentioned texture etc. definitely comes into play too.

Anyway, this is where numbers can be really deceiving. I think it is interesting to see the range in numbers here especially if I'm searching for someone with similar hair as me. But it is important to remember that the same numbers don't always translate the same in real life.

I also want to add just because hair is classified thick does not mean it is better or healthier or whatever. Sometimes I feel like people feel bad about the numbers here (length, thickness, etc.) so I just want to remind everyone health is more important than silly numbers.

ETA: So I was thinking how I might label my hair if my hair was not classified as thick by LHC standards (not way off but like right on the cusp). I think I would still call it thick because of my volume + texture. So I guess my feelings are that the numbers are a guide, it is really up to you how you classify. If you are a thickness "cuspy" then I think it is up to you to decide.

ETAII: Not too long ago I thought that my hair got a wee bit thinner (from peppermint tea). It is true that I had major shedding after using a peppermint tea/henna combo (okay admittedly I used this for months despite the shed...hehe), but still the numbers showed my thickness had not changed. I still don't have any ideas about the shed (change to autumn/winter?). But I did realized that I have much longer fairytale ends and I am not used to them. I am used to thickness all the way down to the end, because I usually maintain at waist (I have not been trimming). So anyway that's another thing that can come into play for those of you who are on the cusp and don't "feel" thick even though the numbers say you are. You may actually just have some hairs that haven't caught up yet.

[Becky9679]

It's funny, up until about the time I joined LHC I considered my hair thick because I had been told my whole life by my mum that it was thick (same thing about straightness, I considered my hair stick straight before though I know better now).

I do have a lot of hair but because it's fine I'll never be a iii. At the moment it wavers around 3-3.25 inches (I seem to get a different result every time I measure my ponytail circ. and it also varies depending on where I put the ponytail - thickest seems to be the middle of the back of my head). Sometimes I'd like it to be thicker but then when I hear about the problems you thicker haired girls have I think maybe I'm fortunate!

[Ligeia Noire]

Resurrecting threads... because we have been talking about ponytail circumferences and what's thin or thick. And I was curious to see old LHC members versus now opinions. Let's say if you want to be factually accurate ponytail circumference would do it but for me, when loose if it looks voluminous and full I consider it thick. Even if you gather it and you get a 2inch circumference. My hairs are fine and I topped seven inches when I was in my twenties because my hair was shorter therefore puffier as I have 2b/c You can see those photos on my album. And I do not have thick hair individually. The amount of it gives that volume therefore illusion of thickness. So I would say to balance volume and actual thickness that anything measuring 4 inches or beyond to be thick. So ladies and gentlemen don't be so strict and demanding with your manes because it is all a matter of perception.

[ravenskey]

Another thing to add about the appearance of thickness is someones body type eg. I am pretty tiny so my mane looks humungous on me - it is quite thick, I have a 5.5-6 inch circumference but it would be more in proportion on someone with a more average height.

[Rustam]

For LHC purposes I think measuring is ideal, but in general I think a lot of other factors go into it. In my personal experience when I get 'your hair is so thick' comments it is usually more based on volume than anything else. Voluminous hair often looks thick to me, even sometimes if it isn't that thick by measurement. That's probably why I often think folks with curly/wavy hair have thicker hair than their measurements on here. I also agree with ravenskey that how big you are relative to you hair matters in perception as well.

[enting]

Whenever I used to get my hair cut as a child hairdressers would always exclaim over how much hair I had. I have no idea if I've lost circumference or stayed the same but grew up (so it's now less thick in proportion to my body size) but I don't get those sorts of comments anymore. I have friends with much thicker hair than I do. Mine is 3 inches when heavily oiled or wet and compressed as much as possible. When it's dry and not treated well it can fluff up to much larger dimensions. I've never had trouble with hair elastics, I could always wrap them three times around my ponytail. Anyone who couldn't wrap an elastic three times I considered to have thick hair. There were always those who would keep trying and it would always snap on the third go-around, but they'd keep trying. That's what I call thick, and certainly anyone whose hair is thicker than that!

[lapushka]

Whenever I used to get my hair cut as a child hairdressers would always exclaim over how much hair I had. I have no idea if I've lost circumference or stayed the same but grew up (so it's now less thick in proportion to my body size) but I don't get those sorts of comments anymore. I have friends with much thicker hair than I do. Mine is 3 inches when heavily oiled or wet and compressed as much as possible. When it's dry and not treated well it can fluff up to much larger dimensions. I've never had trouble with hair elastics, I could always wrap them three times around my ponytail. Anyone who couldn't wrap an elastic three times I considered to have thick hair. There were always those who would keep trying and it would always snap on the third go-around, but they'd keep trying. That's what I call thick, and certainly anyone whose hair is thicker than that!

Same here except it didn't wane in thickness at all. Maybe the hairdressers are just used to it? You are ii, so average in size. I have problems with elastics, and can only wrap 2 times, I can't get it around a third time. Never could. My mom used to put my hair in pigtails due to it, because that wrapped better, when it was divided in half.

[enting]

It may also help that I rarely go to hairdressers anymore! The last couple of times I got exclamations over how healthy it was instead. I'm fine with that! I do not think my own hair is thick. I also don't think it's thin, which is good because it sounds like I might have a realistic view of my own thickness :). It may have thinned out a bit in adulthood due to hormones, medications, and bad habits. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were the case.

[ravenskey]

Whenever I used to get my hair cut as a child hairdressers would always exclaim over how much hair I had. I have no idea if I've lost circumference or stayed the same but grew up (so it's now less thick in proportion to my body size) but I don't get those sorts of comments anymore. I have friends with much thicker hair than I do. Mine is 3 inches when heavily oiled or wet and compressed as much as possible. When it's dry and not treated well it can fluff up to much larger dimensions. I've never had trouble with hair elastics, I could always wrap them three times around my ponytail. Anyone who couldn't wrap an elastic three times I considered to have thick hair. There were always those who would keep trying and it would always snap on the third go-around, but they'd keep trying. That's what I call thick, and certainly anyone whose hair is thicker than that!

I'm the opposite: when I was little people didn't really comment on my hair but when I hit puberty it became way thicker and wavier and now people exclaim over it - to be fair it helps that I'm only 5ft and proportionally petite so even in a ponytail my hair is wider than the rest of me :lol:

Normal hair elastics I can't even get around twice but I can get a scrunchie around twice but not 3 times.

[gin]

My aunt, who's a hairdresser, always told me my hair was thick, though when I look at my hair I was never convinced. I never really cared or thought about it much until recently when I started caring about long hair and reading LHC. After discovering the concept of ponytail circumference I measured a bit haphazardly at about 4", so right on the ii/iii mark. Well, I re-measured my ponytail today after reading about measuring techniques without anyone else to help (on LHC of course) and it's actually a little more, between 4.25-4.5". I was a little surprised because I always thought my hair looks thin, but I guess that's how it goes when your hair is really straight!

I guess it makes sense since even with past waist length, putting my hair up is a struggle. I want to do more buns but the only one I can somewhat reliably do is the nautilus (and still only about 50% of the time). I've managed the lazy wrap sometimes (on a really good day) and just learned the disc bun, which I will keep trying out. I don't even know how a cinnamon or other buns are possible. The youtube videos make them look so easy but I just don't have the length to wrap my hair around that many times. There've been so many days when I'm getting ready to go to the climbing gym and I literally spend 30min trying to get my hair in a secure bun, and then just having to give up and go with a braid instead (which I hate when climbing/working out because they make my neck and shoulders itch!).

[blackgothicdoll]

I don't measure, but thickness can be an illusion in some hair types. For example, many would say my hair is thick (and it sure god damn feels thick) but if I get it straightened at the salon it is rather thin - I don't think anyone would call it thick once they are done. Same hair, pressed straight. It looses the volume and the air pockets in between the curves in the hair.

There is also 'thick for' etc. My hair is not very thick for a type 4 head of hair, but next to any other head of hair it appears very thick. Of course this is part of illusion, the air between the strands and the many bends that make the hair stand out inside of hang down.

I've never measured ponytail circumference, but if I measured my hair when straightened vs my hair right after a wash, I'm sure it would vary by a full differentiation, thus I'm not sure which would truly be accurate. That's just from a curly standpoint.

[Cg]

I've never measured ponytail circumference, but if I measured my hair when straightened vs my hair right after a wash, I'm sure it would vary by a full differentiation, thus I'm not sure which would truly be accurate. That's just from a curly standpoint.

I have often suspected this is true for hair. Air pockets and hairs curling back on themselves surely consume more volume than hairs lying compressed perfectly flat together. And no, this isn't just to delude myself into thinking my hair is actually thick. It isn't. It just isn't the suicide-inducing catastrophe it would seem to be from my type profile.

[MusicalSpoons]

I call my hair 'thin for its length' because it's so compressible and needs wrapping around the base of buns so many times there's not enough hair to hide the wraps or hold the middle. It also starts tapering immediately so although my ponytail circumference is a little more than 3", the majority of the length acts like low ii, probably half of it is i. There are some styles that make me wish I had less taper, but overall I've accepted it - it's also useful that at knee+ length I can still use what seem on here to be average-sized hairtoys, which makes life easier and cheaper than needing extra-long custom lengths :)

To me, thick hair is 4"+, *or* upper ii (3.5"+) hair that doesn't taper or compress so much - I guess the latter I'd call 'relatively thick' and the former simply 'thick'.

[lapushka]

I'm a little past 4 inches, so I mark iii.

There are people on here who are 5 even 6 inches, and for a minute there was talk of making a IVth category.

[cheepcheep]

Seriously, is there a conspiracy among hairdressers to convince all children that they have super thick hair?? xD

I had the same when I was younger, and I kind of think it still looks thick now when it's down, but ponytail measurement at the knape comes in at high ii.

I guess we have a lot of epic hair at LHC, so the word "very" means something a little different here! :D

[cheepcheep]

Typo correction: * we have a lot of gals with epic hair at LHC

[Strwberryfields]

My head is weird and my stylist said the top of my hair is thicker than the bottom. So nape measuring is completely different than all my hair measuring. Some food for thought for those who measure at the nape.