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joyfulmom4
January 21st, 2009, 02:15 PM
I was at the mall yesterday and looked around at all the hairstyles I saw. I was mostly looking for long hairs (of course) and I noticed quite a few women whom I thought had pretty long hair. Then I realized that most of the women I was noticing had hair that was APL to BSL length. Almost none were waistlength and nobody had hair longer than waist. (Except me of course, but mine was up in a folded braid.)

When I'm hanging out here, my "long hair" standard is classic, which I am just hoping to reach by summer. And looking around this site, there are so many with APL to waist-length hair, it hardly seems "long" relative to the ones with really amazing lengths.

But in real life, I view those APL and BSL women as very long-haired. When I see one, I think "Oooh! Pretty! LONG hair!", quite forgetting that it isn't *that* long compared to LHC members.

I guess it's all relative. My jaw would probably drop if I ran into LadyGodiva or Dianyla!

What do you suppose most people think constitutes "long" hair?

Amara
January 21st, 2009, 02:18 PM
I've noticed before that different types of hair even affect my perceptions. Like, blunt cut, straight and glossy hair can look longer even when it's the same length as curly or something... strange, isn't it?

pariate
January 21st, 2009, 02:25 PM
Out there in the scary real world :wink: I see BSL as long. My hair, however, is a couple of inches past that and I still don't think it's long! I think most people would be floored to see someone with waist-length locks.

I used to see a lady around town with ankle length hair. She was quite petite (about 5' 4" maybe) and whenever I saw her it was loose. I was always stunned and often wanted to say something to her but didn't want to be a freaky stalker-type pest! :o It was lovely to see.

HairColoredHair
January 21st, 2009, 02:26 PM
I tend to think of BSL and longer in real life as 'long', because, relatively, it is.

Most people seem to consider shoulder length long, BSL in some areas, perhaps.

LHC is a different matter entirely, because I see lengths here I don't ever see in real life.

embee
January 21st, 2009, 02:28 PM
For me, BSL is getting towards "long" in the public eye. For LHC I'd say waist might be long. I hardly ever see that in public. My own hair - the longest strands (all three of them!) - just gets to classic. It's been like that for a few years now, so I think I have hit terminal....

noelgirl
January 21st, 2009, 02:29 PM
Conventionally, anything longer than shoulder seems to be considered long. Actually, it's funny - a gossip article I recently read described an actress as doing a photoshoot in which "only her long locks protected her modesty." Those long locks are about APL - suffice it to say, not long enough to cover much of anything :p

Themyst
January 21st, 2009, 02:56 PM
I've always thought long hair was waist-length or longer.

I'm very baffled when I hear someone refer to APL or shoulder-length as 'long haired'.

I've even heard of men's hair that is down just over their ears as called 'long haired'. No it isn't.

Apparently, there is no standard for this.:shrug:

Euphony
January 21st, 2009, 03:13 PM
I've always thought long hair was waist-length or longer.

I'm very baffled when I hear someone refer to APL or shoulder-length as 'long haired'.

I've even heard of men's hair that is down just over their ears as called 'long haired'. No it isn't.

Apparently, there is no standard for this.:shrug:
I've always been baffled by this too. I always kept my hair at bsl (it wouldn't grow any longer than that), I'd mention I wanted long hair, or I'd like to grow my hair long etc and someone would comment on my hair being soooo long already.

Smokering
January 21st, 2009, 03:16 PM
Those long locks are about APL - suffice it to say, not long enough to cover much of anything
Maybe she used them to cover her blushing face? :p

rags
January 21st, 2009, 03:31 PM
When I mentioned to my mother that I was going to grow my hair out long again she said "It's pretty dang long already, isn't it?" My hair is just below shoulder length!!

I personally think long hair is anything past BSL. Hopefully I will be there in a couple of years!

helen2806
January 21st, 2009, 03:33 PM
Long hair to me is waist, but like most of you I think in the real world BSL is long - my hair is just about reaching BSL and is some of the longest of anyone I know... in fact a lot of people have been telling me how long my hair is since not much past shoulder length so people's perceptions are definitely very different

granitbaby
January 21st, 2009, 03:34 PM
I consider waist the first long length, but I think other people consider lengths longer than shoulder as long hair.

I few times people in my surroundings have said -Oh, long hair!, and I have have looked around after the long haired person, but they have meant MY hair!
My hair isn't near long ;)

jojo
January 21st, 2009, 03:37 PM
Long hair in real life to me is waist and beyond but this is a fairly uncommon sight. I don't class my hair as really long just getting there length.

However, on here anything goes, i love seeing really long hair but I like to see healthy, shiny hair and get as much joy seeing the shorter hairs which are well looked after.

Magicknthenight
January 21st, 2009, 03:39 PM
I've even heard of men's hair that is down just over their ears as called 'long haired'. No it isn't.


i agree with you here. like a guy with hair down to his nose says its long. then I'm like...
*ahem ahem* *motions to bun* haha jk
but maybe because they aren't used to having it that long?
yea i have waist length hair and i don't think its really long yet. But if i see someone with hair BSL-waist in real life i take a nice long look and think...they have long-ish hair. The irony.Hum..i think maybe its because i don't really see a lot of long hair around here
ETA: but yet i am used to seeing all the long hair here.

wintersun99
January 21st, 2009, 04:45 PM
I also see BSL/MBL as "long" and that is true for the "real world" as well as "LHC" mostly because my hair hasn't been that long since I was 3 years old. As an adult, APL was as long as it got and Pixie is now the shortest it's ever been. I love the longer lengths, but until I reach BSL/MBL I will never know how much longer I wish to be... :)

joyfulmom4
January 21st, 2009, 05:17 PM
yea i have waist length hair and i don't think its really long yet. But if i see someone with hair BSL-waist in real life i take a nice long look and think...they have long-ish hair. The irony.Hum..i think maybe its because i don't really see a lot of long hair around here
ETA: but yet i am used to seeing all the long hair here.

Yep. That's exactly what I was thinking. It's ironic that when I see people irl I think their hair looks quite long at BSL but when I think of myself, I would not feel like my own hair was long at BSL. <shrug>

Oberon88
January 21st, 2009, 05:22 PM
I always double take irl when I see people with BSL-Waist length hair, and yet I don't feel that my hair which finally reached hip is long at all yet.
Though I might be influenced by what I see here.

Coriander
January 21st, 2009, 05:24 PM
It's interesting to note (for myself anyways) that there is a difference in observations between being on this Board and being out in the "real world".

I see waist-length on up as really "long" here, yet when I'm out and about I normally see BSL and longer as "long". It then splits into healthy and not-so-much as I'm looking. I've seen women with BSL length hair that is just beautiful, gleaming and shiny. I've also seen women with waist-length hair that looks like it gave up and died. The "health" of the hair definitely has a role in everything.

The other day I was driving with my DBF, and there was a blonde woman standing on the corner ready to cross the street. She had hair that was waist+ but it was thick and shiny. I wanted to yell out of the window "Gorgeous hair!" but held myself back :p

tiny_teesha
January 21st, 2009, 05:27 PM
I find myself looking at APL in real life thinking "wow she has nice long hair, what? only APL?!" and then i see waist length and i stare... I know in my church there are about 3 people older then 20 with waist length or longer hair, i was one of them and will be again in a few months!

On this site though i used to only view TB or longer as long hair, but then again this is a collection of people who join for the purpose of growing long hair, and so many people here have longer length hair! So yes, it is all relative in the group you are in i suppose!

sandigirl
January 21st, 2009, 05:36 PM
I think BSL or longer is long but I think most people think shoulder length is long. I think it's a matter of personal opinion, perception and experience.

spidermom
January 21st, 2009, 05:52 PM
My hair began to feel long to me at the lower BSL length. When I'm out and about, I really don't register "long" unless it's at least waist length. It's funny, sometimes when I'm watching a movie I've seen before, I'll think about a character that I remember as having long hair, and then it turns out he or she is about at APL length, which is not at all on my current radar as being "long" hair.

mellie
January 21st, 2009, 05:56 PM
I think I would agree with most folks here - I would consider BSL as the starting point for "long".

Beloved
January 21st, 2009, 06:43 PM
I've always been baffled by this too. I always kept my hair at bsl (it wouldn't grow any longer than that)

Euphony, do you know why your hair wouldn't grow longer than BSL? Just curious. Obviously you overcame it, whatever it was!

atlantaz3
January 21st, 2009, 08:12 PM
I have one co-worker with waist length hair. I think the stylists think anything below shoulder is long. I have even seen some salon pricing based on length of hair and bsl was considered very long. Even googling long hair styles - compared to here are really long with only the longest layers hitting bsl with nothing near waist.

sweetbluesky
January 21st, 2009, 09:08 PM
When I went to a salon, I told the woman just to add some layers and not change the length. I told her to that I was growing my hair long. She said, but it's already really long! I said I didn't think it was long and she looked at me like I was retarded. :rolleyes:

Gingevere
January 21st, 2009, 09:11 PM
To me, waist and beyond is long. Modern society views shoulder-length as long, though... weird. :roll:

Euphony
January 21st, 2009, 09:16 PM
Euphony, do you know why your hair wouldn't grow longer than BSL? Just curious. Obviously you overcame it, whatever it was!
I have ideas on this :D I think a lot of it was the brush, my hair is thick and wavy and I would wash it about every other day and run the brush through it from top to bottom. Well rip the brush through it is more like it, I didn't care if I pulled some out, I was in a hurry and wanted my hair brushed <period>. I've learned that I need to comb it gently from the bottom to the top. I would also brush it several times a day in that manner. My hair was a poof ball, it looked horrible on the ends and I had false terminal.

I also think sulfates had part to do with it as well, sulfates make my hair dry and brittle. Many changes I've made since LHC have really helped me to have very strong, thick to the tips, hair.

Sidani
January 21st, 2009, 09:28 PM
I consider MBL the beginning of long in the real world, but not so much here.

I was in Walmart the other day (my hair was down and loose) and I walked past two older women standing there talking. They stopped and one of them quite excitedly said to me, "I've never seen hair that long on a living person!"

I honestly didn't know how to respond to that. Was it a compliment? I stopped, smiled and said uncertainly "thank you?"... then I walked on. They were still staring after me when I looked over my shoulder.

I get very positive feedback from older men. They really seem to love long hair and don't mind telling me. :grin: Maybe it reminds them of when they were young.

Themyst
January 21st, 2009, 09:44 PM
I was in Walmart the other day (my hair was down and loose) and I walked past two older women standing there talking. They stopped and one of them quite excitedly said to me, "I've never seen hair that long on a living person!"

I honestly didn't know how to respond to that. Was it a compliment? I stopped, smiled and said uncertainly "thank you?"... then I walked on. They were still staring after me when I looked over my shoulder.

Maybe it's a Walmart thing ... I was in there with my hair down a few weeks back and an older woman yelled above the crowd that "I ain't never seen hair that long!" and then as I also said my uncertain thank you, she said (shouted) that I should watch that I don't choke on it while I'm in bed sleeping!

noelgirl
January 21st, 2009, 09:59 PM
It's funny, sometimes when I'm watching a movie I've seen before, I'll think about a character that I remember as having long hair, and then it turns out he or she is about at APL length, which is not at all on my current radar as being "long" hair.

I'm watching a movie, and I just came up with a theory about this. One of the actresses has BSL hair, but it always struck me as being longer than that in this movie. I realized that a lot of the shots of her are close up, where the bottom of the frame is just below her shoulders, so all you can really tell is that her hair goes past that. So for all the viewer knows, her hair could go on forever :p

DragonLady
January 21st, 2009, 10:47 PM
I was watching a movie with DH a few days ago, and one of the female characters had long, straight, fine hair like mine. I thought "Wow" it's so long and beautiful! Then I realized it was about mid-back length. I'm so much longer -almost tailbone, but for some reason hers seemed longer and more luscious.

Shorty89
January 21st, 2009, 11:03 PM
I find waist length or longer as long. I have a good story about this. I was describing my roommate and said that she had "short, dark hair." When asked how short, I motioned to just above shoulder length and got the reply, "that's not short. That's long!" It is short to me! It struck me then how accustomed I am to LHC's standard of long.

Speedbump
January 21st, 2009, 11:17 PM
Here is my scale:

Shoulder to just above BSL is "medium." BSL to just above waist is "longish." Waist down to classic is "long." Anything longer than classic is "really long" And once you get to Dianyla or Lady Godiva long, it's in the "day-um!" category. :lol:

blondecat
January 21st, 2009, 11:51 PM
Perceptions is right.

If one of my friends finally got her hair past her shoulders, I would think of it as long.

TV & Movie stars: I often find myself drooling over someone Mid back lenght. I don't know why.

Out in public, most are what I concider shortish haired [around shoulder lenght or above] but, I do see 3-4 ladies [unknown to me] with lovely hip lenght or longer. Beautifull :)

My hair is back to hip, ive had a little trim to get the edge blunt., But, I nearly always [90 &#37;] put my hair up in public.

It stops creapy old guys staring and petting me {[insert Rolly eyes here lol]} <<< Hugs to me, I hate that>>> Admire if you must, but, don't touch !!

MemSahib
January 22nd, 2009, 06:06 AM
I guess I was in the wasteland between BSL and waist when a young woman admiringly referred to my hair as über length. Huh? I was so startled. Now, at classic, I feel comfortably long.

Sihda
January 22nd, 2009, 06:17 AM
I would call myself LHC-influenced. My perception of long hair has definitely changed since I've become a member. Before I knew LHC I thought I had quite long hair (about BSL). Now I don't think so anymore :(. For me long hair starts somewhere about waist or hip length.

<She>
January 22nd, 2009, 08:33 AM
Just today I thought about this too, I saw on the street a tall thin girl with BSL hair, straight, medium thickness, and I got myself thinking what a pretty long hair she has. But then I remembered I have almost classic length braid, and I still don't feel like a real longhair.

I think part of my perception, at least, is not just the length but also the thickness and hemline. Mine is OK thickness but with kinda' fairytale ends, so I don't percieve the entire length. The girls' hair was all one thickness with recently evened-out hemline (or so it seemed to me), so it seemed neat and all one length.

trolleypup
January 22nd, 2009, 10:43 AM
A lot depends on where you live and what you see on the street. Here, there are several cultural groups who often have long hair, so hair between hip and classic isn't all that uncommon. So...for me, medium is to waist, long is from waist to classic, and very long is classic on.

leilamarie79
January 22nd, 2009, 01:08 PM
I'm a newbie, obviously, but in the short time since I joined LHC, my perception of long hair has changed. Before, I considered APL long, especially down here in the South where a lot of women wear their hair shorter cause it's just cooler that way. But now, I'd consider BSL medium and waist and below longer. I consider thigh and beyond to be loooooooooooong. I only aspire to waist. I don't think I'd have the patience for anything longer.

Nightshade
January 22nd, 2009, 01:53 PM
Another vote for waist as the start of long hair. For me:

- to shoulders is short
- shoulders to BSL is medium
- BSL to waist is longer than average
- waist is long
- tailbone is eye-catchingly long
- Classic is the entering Really Long area
- Knee and past is OMGWTFBBQ long

CountessDeJager
January 22nd, 2009, 01:59 PM
What do you suppose most people think constitutes "long" hair?

When they are a few months overdue for a haircut they want. :p

MsBubbles
January 22nd, 2009, 02:06 PM
My hair began to feel long to me at the lower BSL length. When I'm out and about, I really don't register "long" unless it's at least waist length. It's funny, sometimes when I'm watching a movie I've seen before, I'll think about a character that I remember as having long hair, and then it turns out he or she is about at APL length, which is not at all on my current radar as being "long" hair.

I was gonna say this too! One that comes to my mind is Joan Allen in the Bourne movies...and her hair is barely even APL in those movies. I used to think she had 'long' hair. Same thing with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, and the Friends gals.

ravenreed
January 22nd, 2009, 03:29 PM
Most of my girlfriends have BSL to waist length hair. I don't think of mine as that long, even though, I believe, I have the longest.

sissadawn
January 23rd, 2009, 11:29 AM
I usually see bsl as long in real life, but I have trouble remembering that mine is pretty long, lol. I tend to see bsl and start wishing for mine to grow! I actually had to have a boy at a gas station dub me the girl with really long hair before I realized that waist was unusual. I guess because I can't see it as well? *twists in circles chaising hair* I can't get a good length picture when standing to get a good impression of it.:rolleyes:

freznow
January 23rd, 2009, 02:16 PM
I usually see bsl as long in real life, but I have trouble remembering that mine is pretty long, lol. I tend to see bsl and start wishing for mine to grow! I actually had to have a boy at a gas station dub me the girl with really long hair before I realized that waist was unusual. I guess because I can't see it as well? *twists in circles chaising hair* I can't get a good length picture when standing to get a good impression of it.:rolleyes:

Yeah *tries to catch tail* it doesn't seem near as long by the time it reaches our own eyes, even with mirrors. When people tell me "Hey, you're hair is really long!" I say, "No, really!?!?" and turn around trying to see the back of my head and/or hair. It's getting long enough so that I can see it better, but still, I see a few inches of the tail, others see my long braid and what's on my head and all. I think our own hair is effectively 2 feet longer than we think it is :p

maunaloa
January 23rd, 2009, 02:21 PM
Awhile someone told me "older women" should not have long hair. I sort of was influenced by that comment and I am kicking myself that I was. I am now growing out my hair and since I am older, it doesn't grow like it did say 10 years ago.:(

joyfulmom4
January 23rd, 2009, 05:00 PM
Awhile someone told me "older women" should not have long hair. I sort of was influenced by that comment and I am kicking myself that I was. I am now growing out my hair and since I am older, it doesn't grow like it did say 10 years ago.:(

Oh yeah, so many of us have heard that one too. And you'll read it in the beauty advice magazines and books. We discuss this here from time to time. And every one of us thinks it's nonsense! Enjoy wearing your hair in whatever style suits you! :)

JamieLeigh
January 23rd, 2009, 05:04 PM
I've always thought long hair was waist-length or longer.

I'm very baffled when I hear someone refer to APL or shoulder-length as 'long haired'.

I've even heard of men's hair that is down just over their ears as called 'long haired'. No it isn't.

Apparently, there is no standard for this.:shrug:

Same here! Mine is nearly classic length, and I still don't consider it long by my own standards. My husband is sick of my complaining, about how I don't think my hair is growing as fast as I think it should, and he points to his own jaw-length hair and muses about how the guys at work think THAT is long.

I guess your perception is determined by the people you are around each day. If you spend a lot of time here in LHC, then classic or below is "long" to you. But if you spend a lot of time out and mingling with short-hairs, then BSL starts to look "long" to you?

meriellyn
January 23rd, 2009, 05:32 PM
I think by "regular" standards it seems really short to about chin is considered short, past chin to shoulder is medium, and past shoulder or around APL is "long."
I think long starts around BSL, but that looks longer on some people than others.

For myself, I think I finally started to think "long" when I realized I'd hit waist. But I just got a trim so it's a little smidge shy of that now. When I was playing around with updos yesterday and kept having escaping ends, I was thinking not so long though. But I think it's also because my hair is thin.

Of course, it's all relative because on here I start thinking "long" around hip. So on other boards, I think of my hair as long but on here I don't think that seems to start until hip/past waist.

Lady Lilya
January 23rd, 2009, 08:10 PM
I'm at BSL and think of myself as being on the rim of the range of long.

Just out of curiosity, I asked DH what he thinks of as long hair. He put his hand at the back of his waist. Then he explained that if it doesn't cover the ears it is short. From the bottom of the ears down to waist is medium, and past waist is long. Based on this scale, my sister-in-law whose hair doesn't touch her shoulders is medium, and so am I with 27".

Lady Lilya
January 23rd, 2009, 08:14 PM
Conventionally, anything longer than shoulder seems to be considered long. Actually, it's funny - a gossip article I recently read described an actress as doing a photoshoot in which "only her long locks protected her modesty." Those long locks are about APL - suffice it to say, not long enough to cover much of anything :p

Maybe she is a contortionist.

fleurdelis
January 24th, 2009, 12:37 PM
Well..for me my lenght allready feels long (between APL and BSL), but since I live in Colombia where BSL is quite common, I "see" long hair as nly the ones bellow that...go wonder

cho_chang
January 24th, 2009, 01:22 PM
If my guy friend says he likes girls with "long hair", this means shoulder or below. But as to what people will look at and go "oh, your hair's so long!" I agree, it's mostly BSL and below

Charli800
January 24th, 2009, 01:22 PM
I would see BSL as long - both here and IRL, but then I'm new. I wasn't even sure it was possible to have knee-length hair, for example, a couple of days ago!

jastark84
January 24th, 2009, 09:57 PM
People tell me they love my "super long hair" when in reality it's only just past BSL. I tell them no this is really short compared to what it used to be, then when I tell them how long it was before I cut all the damage off I get the bugged out eyes look.

dor3girl
January 24th, 2009, 10:01 PM
I agree with your post. I was pleasantly surprised recently when I went on a cruise & saw 3 women with hair longer than mine. Even more surprising, two of them were at least 10 years older than I. One of the women was in her late 40s and had nice indigo henna hair that looked about tailbone-classic length. She wore some really cool sarongs, too!

dor3girl
January 24th, 2009, 10:05 PM
One more thing--I would have to agree that I have a hard time seeing anything shorter than BSL as being "LONG". I have a sister who lives in Southern Utah & the only long haired women you see there are polygamist women--and they seem to always have oily looking hair and out of date clothing (tennis shoes with long skirts). I think that may be why the non-polygamists in Utah prefer to wear their hair short & colored!

Katla
January 25th, 2009, 04:18 AM
Out in public, I consider past BSL to be long, relatively speaking, but don't consider my own hair to be really long even if it's closer to waist-length. I saw someone a few years younger than me one summer with straight, healthy-looking, completely white hair reaching to about the hips and kept in a loose braid. I'm not ashamed to admit that I turned around to follow her as she walked past :D That was awesome hair. I rarely ever see 'LHC' lengths in real life, so yeah, outside of here, it's past-BSL for long hair.

Jamme
January 25th, 2009, 04:42 AM
I didn't even consider the option that my hair was 'long' until people I hadn't seen in a while started commenting on it when I hit BSL. I don't feel it's long myself.

If I were to describe someone with shoulder lenght or longer hair I'd probably call it long, but I still don't think it's long. For me, long hair is from waist and beyond.

Nera
January 25th, 2009, 05:42 AM
to me it also depends on the thickness of the ends. in Holland you see plenty of girls with layered hair, and the layers underneath are waist length. but that's almost 4 hairs if you know what I mean. I don't see that as long hair. I'd rather refer to some one with really think and healthy bsl hair as long hair!

suicides_eve
January 25th, 2009, 04:49 PM
One more thing--I would have to agree that I have a hard time seeing anything shorter than BSL as being "LONG". I have a sister who lives in Southern Utah & the only long haired women you see there are polygamist women--and they seem to always have oily looking hair and out of date clothing (tennis shoes with long skirts). I think that may be why the non-polygamists in Utah prefer to wear their hair short & colored!

lol i got a chuckle out of that:laugh:

suicides_eve
January 25th, 2009, 04:52 PM
Around here bsl or the few that are waist length are consider super long, the yokels around here like the 80's bouffant puff and spiral brushed out perms. talk about begin secluded from reality..yikes!

now the teens have about apl/bsl hair with all them jagged layers and what not but thats the longest i've seen in town besides the aimish

Lady Lilya
January 26th, 2009, 10:16 AM
Yeah, people always ask me if my hair is long and I am wearing long skirts because of religious reasons. No, I just like it that way.

Radulfr
January 26th, 2009, 10:39 AM
Long hair to me is waist and beyond.

"Long hair " to the general public is around BSL.

kam984420
January 26th, 2009, 08:53 PM
Long hair to me is at least waist length.

Zindell
February 2nd, 2009, 03:57 AM
I think by "regular" standards it seems really short to about chin is considered short, past chin to shoulder is medium, and past shoulder or around APL is "long."

That is exactly how I think of it...

Down to chin = Short
Chin to shoulders = Medium
Below shoulders = Long

:D

Beakywitch
February 3rd, 2009, 09:08 AM
Awhile someone told me "older women" should not have long hair. I sort of was influenced by that comment and I am kicking myself that I was. I am now growing out my hair and since I am older, it doesn't grow like it did say 10 years ago.:(
I was also influenced by this idea and went along with it. Apparently, before perms became popular after the 2nd world war older women still kept their long hair, hence the cartoon image of little old ladies with silver buns, lol. I want one of those.

Beaky

Beakywitch
February 3rd, 2009, 09:09 AM
By the way, when I was growing my hair before this pixie people started treating me like a long haired person when it got to BSL.
Beaky

rags
February 3rd, 2009, 10:20 AM
One more thing--I would have to agree that I have a hard time seeing anything shorter than BSL as being "LONG". I have a sister who lives in Southern Utah & the only long haired women you see there are polygamist women--and they seem to always have oily looking hair and out of date clothing (tennis shoes with long skirts). I think that may be why the non-polygamists in Utah prefer to wear their hair short & colored!


Well, I wear long skirts for religious reasons (not a polygamyst, though!) and my doctor just recently told me I had to give up all of my stylish shoes and start wearing tennis shoes. Since the stylish shoes broke two bones in my foot and I just had a cast removed after three months, I'm thinking I will take the "unstylish, out of date" label. I prefer that to the alternative.

elbow chic
February 3rd, 2009, 11:32 AM
Well, I wear long skirts for religious reasons (not a polygamyst, though!) and my doctor just recently told me I had to give up all of my stylish shoes and start wearing tennis shoes. Since the stylish shoes broke two bones in my foot and I just had a cast removed after three months, I'm thinking I will take the "unstylish, out of date" label. I prefer that to the alternative.

hehe. Good fer you.

I'm rocking the long skirts plus a pair of aggressively unhip black Dr. Scholl's. :D

~GypsyCurls~
February 3rd, 2009, 12:15 PM
I consider anything past BSL to be long, and shoulder length to be 'medium'. Anything shorter to me is 'short', whether it be chin length or a buzz cut!

Psalm186
February 3rd, 2009, 09:58 PM
I think hairdressers are partially responsible for the perception of "long" hair being BSL.

I accompanied my Mum and sister (both of whom hate long hair) to the salon the other day. After her bob was finished, my Mum asked the stylist what she would do with my hair. I reluctantly took down my hair, and after complimenting me on how healthy it was, she suggested that I chop it off to just below my shoulderblades. It was like a kneejerk reaction -- "hair can only be BSL!"

So annoying... I should have just waited in the car.

viking_quest
February 3rd, 2009, 10:08 PM
I'm definitely LHC influenced when it comes to what I consider long. A friend of mine was commenting on a girl who had hip length hair and said it was super long, while in my mind I was thinking that it was only the start of being long. Then again. I either see people with APL or above length hair, or they have hip or longer hair and almost nothing inbetween. So basically:

Bald to APL is short.
BSL to Hip is medium.
Tailbone and beyond is long.

goldenwaves
February 4th, 2009, 12:35 AM
I think BSL is long in real life :)

XeniaR
February 4th, 2009, 12:39 AM
I don't remember what these apprevations BSL, or APl, etc.

But I think that most people consider hair that goes past the shoulders as long, maybe even when hair touches the shoulders. Hair between that and just longer then one's ear is "medium" then the rest is "short". (For women, men have different standards.)

My hair almost touches my Bra Strap (maybe that is BsL?) I think of my hair as long and have ever since it went past my shoulders. But, I want it longer. My goal is even with my elbows. (?Waist length maybe?).

I also look a lot more at women's hair then I used to. On the Lifetime channel there is a show about losing weight "Diet Tribe" and one of the women on the show has long hair. I have paused the show to look to see just how long it is, or to look at how she is wearing it. Her hair is just to her bra strap. My hair is so close to the same length.

Yet, I don't see my hair as that long. Hair dysmorphia?

nessthing
February 4th, 2009, 01:01 AM
I agree with most of the people here. Medium is like around shoulder, short is shorter than that, long is longer than that.

I do, however, put "superlong" after long. It's kind of like how obesity turns into morbid obesity and then there's nothing after that. But with hair.

Little_Bird
February 4th, 2009, 07:46 AM
I think most people think about "long hair" to a max of bsl to waisy lenght hair. Everything beyond that is not usually very well accepted I think. It's sad because waist lenght is not that long.

In fashion, however, you can find lots of models with tailbone lenght hair, it's a very flattering lenght. Just yesterday I saw a fashion show where most models had this amazing blond v shaped hair all the way to tailbone lenght, it was marvelous.

I notice that bsl is a standard, and the longest acceptable for a lot of people. Oh well... I think bsl hair is still a medium lenght, not a long one.

My hair is a little past waist now and I don't feel it LONG yet, to my concept and perception. Long, for me, starts at tailbone :D And I'm almost there! :cheese:

Bellatrix
February 4th, 2009, 10:35 AM
I'd say long to most is beyond the shoulders. Though this depends on gender-men tend to be perceived as having "long" hair when it's just a little shaggy.

misstwist
February 4th, 2009, 08:55 PM
Well, at not quite waist I know that my hair is considered "OMG! It's so long!" in the real world, though I only think of it as just starting to get long.

Most people don't see it down, though, so I wonder if the reaction is to the sudden change when they happen to catch me with my hair down.

Roseate
February 4th, 2009, 09:55 PM
I think "long" in the real world depends on what part of the real world you live in!

I often hear people here at LHC talk about how they rarely see hair longer than BSL, but I see at least waist length hair every single day, about one classic a week, and knee a couple times a year.

I travel by public transportation in the SF Bay area, and with our combination of Latino, Asian and Indian communities, plus general NorCal style, plus the truly impressive heads of TB length dreadlocks... I see plenty of long hair, by anyone's definition.

So if you want to do some public long-hair gawking, consider a visit!:sun:

SimplyLonghair
February 4th, 2009, 10:05 PM
I too see long hair out in real life, but then I live in the South, as well as out in the country, and there are a lot of longhairs here as well.:D Not as many salons?:rolleyes: I think that we just like that it can be put up out of the way when we are busy with our lives!:cheese:

I don't think that hair is long until at least waist though.... I guess hair dysmorphia is alive and well....:p

MadPirateBippy
February 18th, 2009, 12:23 PM
I remember reading an article where basically people's ideas of what people look like are shaped by what they see in media as strongly as by what they see in real life... which is part of why perfectly lovely girls think they aren't, because they're not comparing themselves to people in real life, but the super beautiful freaks of nature that end up as supermodels and movie stars- that their head is so filled with these people who are at the 99.999% of human beauty that it skews their average all to hell and gone.

After I read that, I stopped watching TV or reading magazines and my self image improved enormously.

The point of this though, is that when you are on LHC for any amount of time, your hair length image is going to get skewed. You see a lot of gorgeous hair that's considered super long in the real world, even if you're not looking at the picture threads- just look at the sigs!

I don't mind because this is a standard of beauty that I chose for myself instead of having it forced on me, and it's something that anyone can attain with effort and patience. Not everyone can be 5'10 or have big boobs or whatever, but anyone can make their hair look better and grow it out longer with love.

Long hair as a standard of beauty is a hell of a lot more inclusive than anything else I can think of, and it's one that resonates very closely with my own asthetic sense. My hair was the first thing I felt unreservedly good about myself (that epiphany was about a year ago), followed a few weeks ago by my lips. Everything else I've got mixed emotions on, but not the hair or the smile.

Sorry, I went off topic. Anyway, my point is, if you stay here you are going to skew what you think of as long hair compared to what's really average in your daily life. That's normal, though, and that's OK, and some of us do that deliberately.

DragonLady
February 18th, 2009, 12:45 PM
I remember reading an article where basically people's ideas of what people look like are shaped by what they see in media as strongly as by what they see in real life... which is part of why perfectly lovely girls think they aren't, because they're not comparing themselves to people in real life, but the super beautiful freaks of nature that end up as supermodels and movie stars- that their head is so filled with these people who are at the 99.999% of human beauty that it skews their average all to hell and gone.

After I read that, I stopped watching TV or reading magazines and my self image improved enormously.

The point of this though, is that when you are on LHC for any amount of time, your hair length image is going to get skewed. You see a lot of gorgeous hair that's considered super long in the real world, even if you're not looking at the picture threads- just look at the sigs!

I don't mind because this is a standard of beauty that I chose for myself instead of having it forced on me, and it's something that anyone can attain with effort and patience. Not everyone can be 5'10 or have big boobs or whatever, but anyone can make their hair look better and grow it out longer with love.

Long hair as a standard of beauty is a hell of a lot more inclusive than anything else I can think of, and it's one that resonates very closely with my own asthetic sense. My hair was the first thing I felt unreservedly good about myself (that epiphany was about a year ago), followed a few weeks ago by my lips. Everything else I've got mixed emotions on, but not the hair or the smile.

Sorry, I went off topic. Anyway, my point is, if you stay here you are going to skew what you think of as long hair compared to what's really average in your daily life. That's normal, though, and that's OK, and some of us do that deliberately.


Awesome post! I agree with every word, and especially the parts about teens and women measuring themselves by the impossible standards of fashion. :(

FallenAngel
February 18th, 2009, 01:14 PM
I remember reading an article where basically people's ideas of what people look like are shaped by what they see in media as strongly as by what they see in real life... which is part of why perfectly lovely girls think they aren't, because they're not comparing themselves to people in real life, but the super beautiful freaks of nature that end up as supermodels and movie stars- that their head is so filled with these people who are at the 99.999% of human beauty that it skews their average all to hell and gone.

After I read that, I stopped watching TV or reading magazines and my self image improved enormously.

The point of this though, is that when you are on LHC for any amount of time, your hair length image is going to get skewed. You see a lot of gorgeous hair that's considered super long in the real world, even if you're not looking at the picture threads- just look at the sigs!

I don't mind because this is a standard of beauty that I chose for myself instead of having it forced on me, and it's something that anyone can attain with effort and patience. Not everyone can be 5'10 or have big boobs or whatever, but anyone can make their hair look better and grow it out longer with love.

Long hair as a standard of beauty is a hell of a lot more inclusive than anything else I can think of, and it's one that resonates very closely with my own asthetic sense. My hair was the first thing I felt unreservedly good about myself (that epiphany was about a year ago), followed a few weeks ago by my lips. Everything else I've got mixed emotions on, but not the hair or the smile.

Sorry, I went off topic. Anyway, my point is, if you stay here you are going to skew what you think of as long hair compared to what's really average in your daily life. That's normal, though, and that's OK, and some of us do that deliberately.

:bowtome: Very well spoken!

Nevermore
February 18th, 2009, 01:52 PM
To me, longerish hair has always begun at hip. I won't consider my own properly long until classic and not into really long until it's on the lower end of thigh. Most hair here is apl/bsl, however, one of my friends here has hip length hair, a few women I see on a somewhat regular basis have classic length hair and I've seen one lady with positively amazing knee length hair, so I won't be able to consider my hair the longest even in my area until it's past that. Not in a competitive way, but I do live in an area where I've seen more LHC long hair than others.

joyfulmom4
February 18th, 2009, 02:29 PM
I remember reading an article where basically people's ideas of what people look like are shaped by what they see in media as strongly as by what they see in real life... which is part of why perfectly lovely girls think they aren't, because they're not comparing themselves to people in real life, but the super beautiful freaks of nature that end up as supermodels and movie stars- that their head is so filled with these people who are at the 99.999% of human beauty that it skews their average all to hell and gone.

After I read that, I stopped watching TV or reading magazines and my self image improved enormously.

The point of this though, is that when you are on LHC for any amount of time, your hair length image is going to get skewed. You see a lot of gorgeous hair that's considered super long in the real world, even if you're not looking at the picture threads- just look at the sigs!

I don't mind because this is a standard of beauty that I chose for myself instead of having it forced on me, and it's something that anyone can attain with effort and patience. Not everyone can be 5'10 or have big boobs or whatever, but anyone can make their hair look better and grow it out longer with love.

Long hair as a standard of beauty is a hell of a lot more inclusive than anything else I can think of, and it's one that resonates very closely with my own asthetic sense. My hair was the first thing I felt unreservedly good about myself (that epiphany was about a year ago), followed a few weeks ago by my lips. Everything else I've got mixed emotions on, but not the hair or the smile.

Sorry, I went off topic. Anyway, my point is, if you stay here you are going to skew what you think of as long hair compared to what's really average in your daily life. That's normal, though, and that's OK, and some of us do that deliberately.

Yes! Exactly. Very well stated.

Anje
February 18th, 2009, 03:21 PM
For me, long starts around waistish on other people, and somewhere around hip for me. DH just told me last night that to most people, I have incredibly long hair. I don't see it, and it's not just LHC. Around here, there are zillions of college girls running around with BSL, and a fair number of waist-to-tailbone around campus, Wallyworld, etc. Down the hall is a prof with fingertip length.

I may need to visit one of these places where even BSL is unusual.

cowgirllong
February 18th, 2009, 05:48 PM
I personally, don't really take notice of long hair unless past BSL. I think most people notice hair that is past the shoulders. My husband once grabbed me in a store and took me 2 aisles away to show me a woman with longer hair than me. Most women don't hair even BSL, so if it is a little bit long, it gets noticed. Just my opinion,:)

socks
February 18th, 2009, 09:14 PM
I have to admit, I usually don't see hair as being long until it's about at classic. This is partly because my own hair is so long, and partly because there are a few people who I notice at my college on a regular basis who have hair ranging from classic to knee. I guess I've just been de-sensitized. *shrug*

Heavenly Locks
February 18th, 2009, 09:21 PM
If I am looking around IRL, I don't 'notice' a long hair until it is about mid back (lower BSL).

Other people definitely think 'long' is anything longer than APL for the most part.

I won't consider MY hair 'long' until I get to waist. :D

sugar_rush
March 11th, 2009, 03:55 PM
I think it mostly depends on who you ask. :) My mother sported various chin length and shorter haircuts since she was ten y.o. (and that was her own decision, which she never changed). BSL is long to her, midback is very long, and waist length is extremely, totally long.

I usually start seeing someone's hair as long when it hits about midback. Before that, it's medium length to me. Very long = classic and longer. (My hair spent most of its life going from midback to waist and back up.)

Bubbleguppy
March 11th, 2009, 04:04 PM
I think it's really all personal perspective and preference. As for myself my hair is about an inch from waist length and I consider it to be long (though I'm still growing to my hips!). Most peopl i know tell me I have long hair as well, however most people here probably wouldn't consider my hair to be long. Especially if you base it on inches since I'm only 5' tall! So it all depends on your perspective I think :D

AmyJorgensen
March 11th, 2009, 04:23 PM
I don't get excited unless I see hair that is at least waist length...but then my hair as always been somewhere around waist length so I'm just used to it.

chelssix
March 11th, 2009, 10:49 PM
I think BSL-waist is long. Anything longer, I like to call super-long!

marajade
March 11th, 2009, 11:08 PM
Try sticking keywords "Long Hair" into google search- you'll be lucky to find BSL. . . That always seemed odd to me but I guess I am used to LHC.

squiggyflop
March 12th, 2009, 01:55 PM
huh.. since joining this site ive increased my standard for long hair to waist and longer.. apl hair seems short to me in the 'real' world.. when im out and about and see ads for things for 'long hair' products i always get confused when the woman has bsl or shorter hair.. and i also get confused when people describe someone to me as having long hair and then i meet the person and their hair is APL..

i only recently passed my own long hair standard when i hit waist.. but i still dont consider my hair to be very long.. to me its just barely long hair..

i recently saw an infomercial for an awful not hair friendly styling device and the man was like 'as you can see she has VERY long hair' her hair was barely past APL.. i was confused

Eireann
March 12th, 2009, 02:18 PM
I think in the "real world" anything past APL is "long." I'm constantly amazed when I see a picture of someone I used to think had really long hair (e.g. a celebrity, or what-not) and noticing that her hair is actually shorter than mine is now!

Guccigirlxx
April 6th, 2011, 10:57 AM
For me I consider hair to be "long" when it's at tailbone length. My definition of long has changed a lot since I have been on LHC ^^

Aimskylove
April 6th, 2011, 02:06 PM
I think that it is so funny that in the "outside" world bsl is long. I agree with you all! I have bsl length and since joining LHC I find it to be so short! I cant wait to reach waist
Whats even funnier is that now that I see classic length and more waist really isnt that long either lol.

telegraph64
April 6th, 2011, 02:11 PM
Even when I had my hair at APL after the dreaded damage removal chop (that is a LOT of hair, believe me !!) I had numerous people refer to me, as the "lady with the long brown hair" at my day job. :)