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CosmoCat
June 23rd, 2019, 10:13 PM
Is the average hair 50 microns?

I gave my husband a few random strands of my shed hair to measure at work....whenever he had a slow day. Well, he was finally able to do it today and my results are as follows: 39, 35 & 18

(It can be off, either way, by 2.9 micron accuracy wise.)

leayellena
June 24th, 2019, 12:51 AM
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/is-your-hair-fine-medium-or-coarse-how.html
In 1 mm I can "tuck" exactly 16 hairs. so I my hair is exactly at the limit f/m.

CosmoCat
June 24th, 2019, 01:30 AM
My husband used a CMM...touch probe.

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=37418&d=1561361203

CosmoCat
June 24th, 2019, 01:31 AM
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/is-your-hair-fine-medium-or-coarse-how.html
In 1 mm I can "tuck" exactly 16 hairs. so I my hair is exactly at the limit f/m.

I will try that method too! Thanks!!!

My son has a nice microscope, I have been able to take a close look at my ‘white dots’. Maybe it can help in other ways too.

Rowdy
June 24th, 2019, 02:26 AM
Is the average hair 50 microns?

I gave my husband a few random strands of my shed hair to measure at work....whenever he had a slow day. Well, he was finally able to do it today and my results are as follows: 39, 35 & 18

(It can be off, either way, by 2.9 micron accuracy wise.)

A quick google tells me that is the average. Those are some really tiny hairs!

It's 1000 microns per millimeter right? I can fit 4 - 8 hairs in 1 mm depending on where I take them from... my hairs must be gigantic D:

CosmoCat
June 24th, 2019, 03:08 AM
A quick google tells me that is the average. Those are some really tiny hairs!

It's 1000 microns per millimeter right? I can fit 4 - 8 hairs in 1 mm depending on where I take them from... my hairs must be gigantic D:

Yes; I can and did various searches online. I found both 40 and 50 given as average online. I even found a 75 given. I also found measurements of 17-181, 30-100, etc. You can find plenty of answers online, accuracy is the difficult part. I figured this group would have the best information.

Yes...correct on the question and my strands being really tiny! I will trade you. LOL

CosmoCat
June 24th, 2019, 03:31 AM
My husband was saying that a micrometer would work too. They look fairly inexpensive. Although, I’m glad that he measured it on the machine at work too.

Rowdy
June 24th, 2019, 06:32 AM
Yes; I can and did various searches online. I found both 40 and 50 given as average online. I even found a 75 given. I also found measurements of 17-181, 30-100, etc. You can find plenty of answers online, accuracy is the difficult part. I figured this group would have the best information.

Yes...correct on the question and my strands being really tiny! I will trade you. LOL

Oh yes that was just the sum of my knowledge on this, I hope it didn't come across as dismissive.

dancedance
June 24th, 2019, 12:31 PM
This made me curious, and the method of trying to tuck hairs together to measure 1mm seems finicky and like it would be prone to inaccuracies, so I went and found this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpsN78mQ6YY

All you need is a laser pointer and a little time on your hands. :)

CosmoCat
June 24th, 2019, 12:49 PM
Oh yes that was just the sum of my knowledge on this, I hope it didn't come across as dismissive.

Thank you...no worries.


This made me curious, and the method of trying to tuck hairs together to measure 1mm seems finicky and like it would be prone to inaccuracies, so I went and found this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpsN78mQ6YY

All you need is a laser pointer and a little time on your hands. :)

Very cool, I will try this too. Thanks!!

Brethil
June 24th, 2019, 02:19 PM
I tried measuring my hair two ways-the book and the laser pointer. The finest page book I could find is I think still thicker than my hair, but works out to about 18 microns per page, so mine are probably a bit less? Seems too tiny. I used to think my hairs were about average diameter. They aren't. Man, I can't quite believe people have strands 5 times thicker than mine. I'd love to feel hair like than and see how it behaves when you put it up. Must be quite different than mine.

The laser pointer method was... less successful. My last calculation put my hair at 1400 microns, which is utterly wrong. I'm usually great at following this kind of instructions, so I'm not sure what went wrong.

I did figure out a couple tricks in my attempts to make the laser pointer work- tape the button down so the pointer is held on, and prop it up on a small box on the floor so it's level with the ground.

CosmoCat
June 25th, 2019, 02:05 AM
I tried measuring my hair two ways-the book and the laser pointer. The finest page book I could find is I think still thicker than my hair, but works out to about 18 microns per page, so mine are probably a bit less? Seems too tiny. I used to think my hairs were about average diameter. They aren't. Man, I can't quite believe people have strands 5 times thicker than mine. I'd love to feel hair like than and see how it behaves when you put it up. Must be quite different than mine.

The laser pointer method was... less successful. My last calculation put my hair at 1400 microns, which is utterly wrong. I'm usually great at following this kind of instructions, so I'm not sure what went wrong.

I did figure out a couple tricks in my attempts to make the laser pointer work- tape the button down so the pointer is held on, and prop it up on a small box on the floor so it's level with the ground.

Well, you’re not alone with the delicate strands! Does your hair damage easily, mine doesn’t seem to take much of anything.

Brethil
June 25th, 2019, 05:43 AM
I guess it damages easily? I don't have a basis for comparison. I do have a lot of splits. Like, I find dozens every time I S&D for five minutes. And it tangles very easily.

CosmoCat
June 25th, 2019, 07:15 AM
I get splits, but you have to search hard for them. My problem is the ‘white dots’ and breakage.

AutobotsAttack
June 26th, 2019, 12:57 PM
I just do the regular scheme of fitting hair into 1mm. I don’t feel like doing all the sin, cosine, and theta calculations. (Im currently enjoying the rest of my summer, and don’t feel like thinking about school or classes lol).

I just run the strands under a bit of water, use a tweezer and I magnifying glass to place them as close as possible together, and then put some tape on the very ends of them and then use a measuring tape.

You guys must have some thick strands because I can fit roughly 20-24 strands of hair within 1mm. I have utterly fine hair lol