Proper measurement?

[longhairenvy]

Hi guys! I'm looking for some opinions. I see that it is suggested to measure your hair from front of hairline to ends but I thought that since my bangs are not as long as the rest of my hair, I should measure from top of the crown to ends. Obviously, this "robs" me of at least 4 inches which would be the measurement from the hairline to where the crown starts. Should I still measure as suggested here? I welcome any opinions; or am I just being silly?

Thanks a bunch
Cat

[Kerynna]

I have a similar question so I hope you don't mind if I add it here. I tried measuring from the front hairline back to the length, but I couldn't see what I was doing, had a hard time keeping the measuring tape centered over the top of my head, and couldn't reach the ends in back to mark the length.

I decided to measure by bending at the waist and starting the tape and my nape hairline and measuring forward to the length hanging in front of me. What are the flaws with this method, or is it just as good? I figure as long as I'm consistent, it doesn't really matter, but I was just curious.

[spidermom]

If you measure from the hairline, it gives you a good stable place to measure from that isn't going to vary. If you measure from your crown, you could be varying where you put the tape by as much as 1/4 to 1/2 inch, which is going to make your measurements unreliable.

[Anje]

I agree with Spidermom -- go with the front of your hairline. Just part your bangs or comb them back to find it.

Lots of members here have bangs or layers which aren't as long as the longest bits, and the measurement is almost always longer than the longest hairs on your head. The main reason we measure this way is just to provide a standard starting place.

[spidermom]

I figure as long as I'm consistent, it doesn't really matter, but I was just curious.

Nothing wrong with a little innovation. I just go by body parts now. I figure it's more meaningful to tell somebody my hair is tailbone length than to say 36 inches.

[Katze]

If you measure from the hairline, it gives you a good stable place to measure from that isn't going to vary. If you measure from your crown, you could be varying where you put the tape by as much as 1/4 to 1/2 inch, which is going to make your measurements unreliable.

What she said.

Also, you need to decide if you want to measure to the very ends of your hair or not. If your hemline is blunt, this doesn't make a difference, but if you have taper or fairytaling do you measure to the very tippy-tip of the longest hairs on your head, or not? I measure to just above this point, but am aware that this is inconsistent.

If I were the OP, I would also start from the hairline. Bangs, ultimately, don't matter in your length measurement. The only place where you SHOULD include them in what you are measuring is when you measure thickness!

[Buddaphlyy]

Nothing wrong with a little innovation. I just go by body parts now. I figure it's more meaningful to tell somebody my hair is tailbone length than to say 36 inches.


Me too. I never measure my hair using numbers, just stretching it down to various body parts.'

On the rare occasion I do measure though, I measure from scalp to ends though.

[longhairenvy]

Thanks for your opinions; I agree with the consistency issue; but I really feel almost like I'm "cheating" when starting at the front hairline since those hairs aren't the one's growing down the back. It's true, too, inches aren't as easy to visualize as using body parts. In which case, I'm about 2 inches from BSL which is pretty cool since my hair was a pixie when I started growing it in June of 2007. I'm beginning to re-think donating it which is why I started growing in the first place...........:confused:http://p1010085/

[spidermom]

I'm beginning to re-think donating it which is why I started growing in the first place...........:confused:http://p1010085/

It's yours to do with as you please; enjoy it.

[kwhitchurch]

I found that measuring the top of my hair doesnt work because most of the top layer is damaged and broken at the ends and not as long as the rest of my hair. As long as you measure in the same place each time, you should be able to get an accurate idea of how much growth you are getting

[jojo]

I always measure hair dry and from the front on the very tip of my widows peak, this way it near enough constistant for me.

[Lady Lilya]

I always measure wet, when I can comb my hair straight. My "length" gets about 10 inches shorter when it dries and curls up.

[Jeni]

I have a similar question so I hope you don't mind if I add it here. I tried measuring from the front hairline back to the length, but I couldn't see what I was doing, had a hard time keeping the measuring tape centered over the top of my head, and couldn't reach the ends in back to mark the length.

I decided to measure by bending at the waist and starting the tape and my nape hairline and measuring forward to the length hanging in front of me. What are the flaws with this method, or is it just as good? I figure as long as I'm consistent, it doesn't really matter, but I was just curious.

This is the way I do it, its not the best if you are trying to be very accuret (more then like 1/4") or if you ave bad eyesight.

I take a hand held mirror into the bath room, unroll the tape measure and put the edge of the tape at the middle hairline. Turning my back to the bathroom mirror I look through the hand held mirror at the bathroom mirror. Sometimes I can see the measurement just fine, sometimes I cant. If I cant read it because the tape measure has spun around (its kept rolled up so it wants to twirl) I pin the bottom of the tape measure between the sink and the back of my thigh. This helps keep it from swinging or twirling and makes it easier to read.

Obviously this wont work if you don't have a bathroom mirror/hand held mirror, your hair is too long to see the bottom of it in the mirror or its so long it gets pined by your thigh like the tape measure.

I really hope I made some sort of sense.

[Jeni]

I found that measuring the top of my hair doesnt work because most of the top layer is damaged and broken at the ends and not as long as the rest of my hair. As long as you measure in the same place each time, you should be able to get an accurate idea of how much growth you are getting

I'm confused why breakage on the top would mess up your measurement. I measure to the longest length of hair I have, I have some old layers which aren't as long as the rest of my hair but I ignore that part. Maybe I'm reading you wrong?

I think the problem with measuring from the back of your head is that even with being very careful you might not get the same exact spot every time. If your not real concerned about accuracy (I'm not, I only measure in 1/2") then this might not matter though. If you go from the front hairline the measuring line is pretty clear- forehead meets hair, that isn't going to move every few weeks. Plus since its on the front its easier to see.

All in all though you can do whatever you want, measure with guinea pigs if it makes you happy (and take pictures I want to see that)

[Kerynna]

This is the way I do it, its not the best if you are trying to be very accuret (more then like 1/4") or if you ave bad eyesight.

I take a hand held mirror into the bath room, unroll the tape measure and put the edge of the tape at the middle hairline. Turning my back to the bathroom mirror I look through the hand held mirror at the bathroom mirror. Sometimes I can see the measurement just fine, sometimes I cant. If I cant read it because the tape measure has spun around (its kept rolled up so it wants to twirl) I pin the bottom of the tape measure between the sink and the back of my thigh. This helps keep it from swinging or twirling and makes it easier to read.

Obviously this wont work if you don't have a bathroom mirror/hand held mirror, your hair is too long to see the bottom of it in the mirror or its so long it gets pined by your thigh like the tape measure.

I really hope I made some sort of sense.

Thanks, I will try that.

[Darkhorse1]

Hmm. This explains why my measurements are off. I always measured from the crown. Since I have bangs, it didn't seem to make sense to measure from the hairline in the front. Someone even said on my photos my hair looked longer than 31', so perhaps they are right--though I am very short torsoed, so my hair can look longer than it is due to it hitting my tailbone faster.

[longhairenvy]

More great ideas; I suppose it would have been better had I done it right in the first place. Oh well, I'll just go from here and start measuring from the front hairline so it will be accurate. I wasn't sure, being new, that I might be "cheating" that way but I suppose the main reason to measure is to see growth rate, right? Otherwise, a picture says it all. :D

[HairColoredHair]

The only reason I'd measure that way is so that when people look at the number they get the general corellation to how long your hair is.

Ex... for me, I know that 30 is about waist, 44 is about classic, 55 is about knees when measured over the head... and I can use that to judge other people's lengths when they don't have a body part in their profile. (ie. class, knee, etc). Yes, it changes with people's heights, but it's good enough! :D

[Fethenwen]

Well I'm reviving this thread because I had this very same question as the OP today. I have been measuring from the top of my head instead of front hairline all the time.

I measured from the front of my hairline just now, and I went from 16 inches to 20.5 inches :hmm:

[enfys]

The only reason I'd measure that way is so that when people look at the number they get the general corellation to how long your hair is.

Ex... for me, I know that 30 is about waist, 44 is about classic, 55 is about knees when measured over the head... and I can use that to judge other people's lengths when they don't have a body part in their profile. (ie. class, knee, etc). Yes, it changes with people's heights, but it's good enough! :D

Yep, that's what messes me up sometimes. I try to understand why they can do a bun I can't and it's because they have an extra 6" of length than I do.