How do I measure the length of my hair?

[M.McDonough]

Hello, everyone

How exactly do I measure the length of the hair?
Usually I just measure the hairs that fall out after combing my hair. Is there another way?

[Jo Ann]

Yes. Place a tape measure at the center of your hairline on your forehead (about where a widow's peak would be) and measure over the top of your head to the end of your hair in the back.

Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH84uWZFxsM

[mwallingford]

Hello! The most accurate LHC way to measure your hair is to place your measuring tape on your hairline (where your hair starts on your forehead) and measure it straight down your back to the longest hairs on the ends. That way you always have a consistent starting point and there is less room for error. Unfortunately, there is a lot of variation in the hairs that you shed since each hair has an individual terminal length so that may not be the best way. Hope this helped! :flower:

ETA: Whoops, Jo Ann did a great job explaining already!

[flowerbabies]

Yes. Place a tape measure at the center of your hairline on your forehead (about where a widow's peak would be) and measure over the top of your head to the end of your hair in the back.

Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH84uWZFxsM

So instead of actually measuring the hair you are measuring how far it goes down your back+the size of your head+a hypothetical widows peak?

If you were to measure the actual length of the strand it would be 8-10 inches shorter! With this method my hair is 30 inches whereas the actual hair is about 22, and I do have a widows peak.

obviously I’m a newbie and have a lot to learn.

[akurah]

So instead of actually measuring the hair you are measuring how far it goes down your back+the size of your head+a hypothetical widows peak?

If you were to measure the actual length of the strand it would be 8-10 inches shorter! With this method my hair is 30 inches whereas the actual hair is about 22, and I do have a widows peak.

obviously I’m a newbie and have a lot to learn.

We measure this way because it’s the only way to get a consistent starting point. Otherwise your hair length will vary wildly. My ponytail, for example, is about 3 feet last time I measured it. But if I were to measure it again, depending on where i put that ponytail on my head, I could potentially get a shorter length than the initial measure because I cannot guarantee I could find the same spot.

Don’t go by measuring individual strands. It’ll be wildly inaccurate, worse than my ponytail example

[flowerbabies]

We measure this way because it’s the only way to get a consistent starting point. Otherwise your hair length will vary wildly. My ponytail, for example, is about 3 feet last time I measured it. But if I were to measure it again, depending on where i put that ponytail on my head, I could potentially get a shorter length than the initial measure because I cannot guarantee I could find the same spot.

Don’t go by measuring individual strands. It’ll be wildly inaccurate, worse than my ponytail example

Thank you for the information/advice! I had always had trouble measuring and this is a much easier method and seems to be the standard.

[Jo Ann]

So instead of actually measuring the hair you are measuring how far it goes down your back+the size of your head+a hypothetical widows peak?

If you were to measure the actual length of the strand it would be 8-10 inches shorter! With this method my hair is 30 inches whereas the actual hair is about 22, and I do have a widows peak.

obviously I’m a newbie and have a lot to learn.

Not a hypothetical widow's peak, but, yes, the center front of your hairline where your hair meets your forehead (which is about where a widow's peak would be--I used that as a location marker for you :) ). It is a consistent starting point.

You are also measuring the bulk of your hair length, rather than individual strands, which can vary in length. For example, my hair is almost TBL. If I measure a shed strand that is, say, 18 inches long, is that a true indicator of my hair length? No, because I have many strands from the top of my head that are much longer than that.

Think of it as measuring yourself to make a dress--you are using a measurement that is universal, and pretty much guaranteed to give an accurate measurement of your length.

[lapushka]

Thank you for the information/advice! I had always had trouble measuring and this is a much easier method and seems to be the standard.

Yes in stats that's most always what you see, from this type of measurement.

[M.McDonough]

So I've been doing it wrong? Great! I measured using this method and it's about 30-32 inches long, but when I measure strands, they're like 24-25 inches long

[Jo Ann]

Think of it as a "growth spurt" :p

:flower: