How to measure very short hair?

[DizzyGinger]

I'm not sure how to chart my hair progress. I want to measure it as it grows but I'm growing out a pixie and there's all sorts of lengths...advice?

[Radiant]

Why not take a photo once a month for comparison?

[Nique1202]

It's up to you, whether you measure from the front hairline to the ends of the hairs at the front (to track your shortest pieces), or if you measure from your front hairline all the way to the back/nape hairline (to track your longest pieces) or both. Personally, I tracked to my longest pieces because it felt like I was making more progress that way, and when you have layers on long hair you still measure by the longest pieces anyway so it's not even cheating to do it on a pixie cut if you're just starting to grow.

[browneyedsusan]

You're my pixie-growing sister! :crush:

I took length shots every month, and used them for my siggy. (still do) It kept me motivated. At first, I angled them so I could use the side of my face for markers; once I got below shoulder or so, started measuring from the back. (I don't really "measure", because I'm could easily get compulsive about it and don't want to feed that monster. lol! Body markers are close enough for me. ) Feel free to look through my "growth" album for those shaggy, early days! Also, you can PM me any time. FWIW: I grew 8 or 10 months with no trims, and didn't frighten any small children. Wore it "up" every single day. Lots of twists, braids, and bobbypins. You can totally do this. :thumbsup:

[lapushka]

The LHC method of measuring is laying a tape-measure over your head, starting from the forehead and going over your head all the way to the back. This is so you'll have a consistent measure.

[Arctic]

The LHC method of measuring is laying a tape-measure over your head, starting from the forehead and going over your head all the way to the back. This is so you'll have a consistent measure.

It's not, IMHO, valid method for shorter than bob length hair. Especially if the person is growing out a pixie with trims. The number stays the same who knows how long dispite the growth of the upper layers.

I would take photos and/or choose an area from the upper layers to measure, say bangs (if your are growing them out too) or lock from the crown. Then always measure this same area. Ofcourse this is not compatible with the LHC style, but it would give you some sense of progress.

I would also break the growing out into mini mini goals, just like the long haired growers do. That makes the growing fun. (now my bangs reach my brows, now my topmost layers touch the top of my ear, now the lowest layer covers earlobes...)

[molljo]

I want to second the idea of choosing a lock of hair near your face and seeing which facial feature it hits, especially if you're trimming the mullet as you go along. This will help negate the feeling that you aren't making any progress. Take pictures on a schedule. If you have photo editing software, it really helps to compile the pics in a grid to easily track your growth.
Good luck on your journey!

[TheLuckyLurker]

Well, when my hair was still that short, I'd just pull a lock of hair straight out from my scalp and put a ruler against it. That's how I know for sure my hair grows at a steady half-inch per month, with no growth spurts or stalls.

[TaterTot]

I want to second the idea of choosing a lock of hair near your face and seeing which facial feature it hits, especially if you're trimming the mullet as you go along. This will help negate the feeling that you aren't making any progress. Take pictures on a schedule. If you have photo editing software, it really helps to compile the pics in a grid to easily track your growth.
Good luck on your journey!

If you don't trim the mullet, what happens?

[molljo]

If you don't trim the mullet, what happens?

I'm not sure what you mean by "what happens?". It's not like the hair police are going to arrest you. :)

If you choose not to, it's just a quicker timeline to reach longer milestones, like shoulder, in which case shorter body markers aren't really necessary.

[Arctic]

If you don't trim the mullet, what happens?

If you don't trim while growing out a pixie cut, your hair will look really messy and shaggy and out of shape as it grows. Some people think it's a good sacrifice for reaching longer hair sooner, but for others it's more important to reach longer lengths in trimmed, nice looking hair, which is ofcourse slower. If you don't trim the mullet, you are going to get a mullet. You might guess which group I belong to from my choise of words, lol. :) Nothing wrong with growing without trimming, I just couldn't ever do it. I would be unhappy with my hair all the time, and that a long time to be unhappy with my hair and how I look.

[hannabiss]

i had this problem after i shaved my head bald. honestly i would just grab a hair from my crown area put the measuring tape at the base of the hairs and measure to the tip. it was the conventional way but it worked for me. now i juat use body markers. im not too worked up by inches and tiny measurements monthly.

[hannabiss]

im someone who road the mullet train. not too bad honestly. i styled my hair and wore a bandana a lot (but im lucky in the way that i like bandanas ans wear them alot anyways) i trimmed my back hair up a bit but never more than 1/2 inch. ive had 3 trims since shaving my hair off. some ride the mullet and others grow it out more slowly. its all up to the person. i have pics durning my growing out process. not too scary if you ask me.

[browneyedsusan]

If you don't trim the mullet, what happens?

Some people make mullets, some don't as much. It depends on how your hair grows--some people have a faster growth rate near their nape = giant mullet of doom! lol! I had one trim right before I joined here--my "tail" trimmed up to the hairline in back, then grew from there. (My siggy show my hair right after the "tail-ectomy".) Just wing it. You can change your mind along the way. :)

[lapushka]

If you don't trim the mullet, what happens?

It grows uniformly in length, all over, this can tend to form a "mullet" as it grows past certain stages. That's why some may trim the back to get the hair to reach bob length first. Growing out from a bob then can seem less daunting of a task. And some like the hair to be uniformly "one length" at the bottom.

[MINAKO]

Just comb itall back and measure it the normal way. Of course that means in the beginning you are meinly measuring the length of your part from front to nape hairline, but as hair grows it will add to the number and result in seamless LHC style progress tracking.
Oh, well... personally i would rather just not measure it. I didnt measure my own fror a long time until i was way past my initial goal. It can be informative but also very frustrating to literally wait for hair to grow.

[TaterTot]

I'm not sure what you mean by "what happens?". It's not like the hair police are going to arrest you. :)

If you choose not to, it's just a quicker timeline to reach longer milestones, like shoulder, in which case shorter body markers aren't really necessary.

Haha XD
Fashion police might get me!

What I guess I mean is if I decide to not trim, even the mullet shaggy horrible phase, which is what I think my plan is... when it all grows out very long it will be like a v-taper with natural layers, right? It won't really be a mullet for the rest of eternity. Just for a year or three.

[molljo]

Haha XD
Fashion police might get me!

What I guess I mean is if I decide to not trim, even the mullet shaggy horrible phase, which is what I think my plan is... when it all grows out very long it will be like a v-taper with natural layers, right? It won't really be a mullet for the rest of eternity. Just for a year or three.

Exactly. Once the front layers reach jaw length (after about 18 months), you'll be in the clear, mullet-wise, and it'll just look like a very layered cut.

[TaterTot]

Exactly. Once the front layers reach jaw length (after about 18 months), you'll be in the clear, mullet-wise, and it'll just look like a very layered cut.

Wahoo! I can throw a mullet into some braids and rock it.

[DizzyGinger]

Good info...I like the idea of using facial markers. My longest bits in front are cheekbone length.

I did this a year ago, grew out my pixie to shoulder length then got frustrated (I have SUCH difficult hair - really thick and wavy) so I cut it back into a pixie...I could kill myself!! It would've been APL by now at least.

It gives me hope to see so many who started short as well :)