How does this happen?

[florenonite]

I measured my hair at the end of April, shortly before I hennaed on the 29th. It was between 26.5 and 27 inches. I did a small trim (about half a centimetre) the other day, and then measured today. My hair is now between 27.5 and 28 inches. I thought this was really exciting, as I'd been stalled for a while, and I started taking vitamins over the Easter holidays, so I thought maybe they'd improved my growth.

However, like I said I hennaed, and my roots from the henna can't be more than about a centimetre, and probably closer to half a centimetre. How can my hair have a length increase of more than half an inch with roots of less than a centimetre?

Does anyone have any explanations for this? (and no, they don't need to be realistic :p). I don't think it's a measuring fault, as I measure a couple times and either take an average or provide a range, as above.

I apologise for using inches and centimetres at the same time; I use each of them for different things. An inch is 2.54 cm, so half an inch is more than a centimetre, if that elucidates any.

[aisling]

Well, your measuring tape is crazy as indicated in another thread ;) This is the problem with measuring tapes, they go crazy if not kept in a dark place between measurements and not even then you're safe. I've also heard that multi-coloured ones with a different colour for every 10cm or so are more dangerous than plain ones in just one colour but I'm not sure that's true.

[rhubarbarin]

Maybe your hair grows more slowly at the top front where you can clearly see your roots than it does in the underlayer and around your neck, which is what you are really measuring.

[enfys]

Has your hairline changed at all? We assume it stays the same, but even a different expression can change it, never mind a batch of baby hairs apprearing.

Tape measures are pretty devilish at the momoent. Mine's hiding so my monthly measurements are going to pot fast...

[florenonite]

Well, your measuring tape is crazy as indicated in another thread ;) This is the problem with measuring tapes, they go crazy if not kept in a dark place between measurements and not even then you're safe. I've also heard that multi-coloured ones with a different colour for every 10cm or so are more dangerous than plain ones in just one colour but I'm not sure that's true.

I'm doing everything right with it, and it's still misbehaving :p I keep it in a dark place (in the "hair" pocket of my handbag), and it's all one colour and dull.


Maybe your hair grows more slowly at the top front where you can clearly see your roots than it does in the underlayer and around your neck, which is what you are really measuring.

Hmm, that makes sense. Maybe I'm walking around with an inch of roots at the back and can't see :p

[creativehoney]

Maybe your hair had a little wave or curl to it when you first measured it.

[Heidi_234]

Measurements are really really inaccurate. I mean - they are, if we're talking in 3 inch difference, not when it's down to such little lengths as centimeters. If you hold the tape just slightly crooked you might few to your length.
As I said in the crazy measuring tape thread, I found that measuring the growth of my bangs (and hair at any length for that matter) proves to be much more accurate. I don't get between X inches to Y inches this month, but clear 1 cm a month progress. The measuring technique suggested to be used is rather flawed in that way, but oh well. :shrug:

[florenonite]

Maybe your hair had a little wave or curl to it when you first measured it.

It's possible, but my hair's pretty straight, and on both occasions had been brushed after washing and again before measuring. The other thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that from January to mid-April my hair was stalled at 26.5-27", so it wasn't just on one occasion so much as that I measured consistently at 26.5-27" for months.


Measurements are really really inaccurate. I mean - they are, if we're talking in 3 inch difference, not when it's down to such little lengths as centimeters. If you hold the tape just slightly crooked you might few to your length.
As I said in the crazy measuring tape thread, I found that measuring the growth of my bangs (and hair at any length for that matter) proves to be much more accurate. I don't get between X inches to Y inches this month, but clear 1 cm a month progress. The measuring technique suggested to be used is rather flawed in that way, but oh well. :shrug:

That's why I measure as a range. I take several measurements and then pick a half-inch range that they fall in. In the first case the measurements were in general closer to the 26.5" end, and in the second they were closer to the 28" (seriously, I got one that was bang-on 28" and thought 'wtf?') so it's quite a discrepancy even if one is taking into account that measurements are inaccurate. If I'd just taken one measurement in April at 26.5" and one now at 28", I would have put it down to human error or the measuring tape playing silly buggers. I suppose I just find it really strange that I consistently got such a huge difference in measurements.

Maybe I ought to start measuring my fringe, as I'm trying to grow it out so I won't be trimming it. However, it's a side-swept one, so I'd have to make sure I got the same part of it each month as it's cut on an angle.

[Heidi_234]

That's why I measure as a range. I take several measurements and then pick a half-inch range that they fall in. In the first case the measurements were in general closer to the 26.5" end, and in the second they were closer to the 28" (seriously, I got one that was bang-on 28" and thought 'wtf?') so it's quite a discrepancy even if one is taking into account that measurements are inaccurate. If I'd just taken one measurement in April at 26.5" and one now at 28", I would have put it down to human error or the measuring tape playing silly buggers. I suppose I just find it really strange that I consistently got such a huge difference in measurements.

If you tilt your head more, you'll get longer length. There's another one for you. You might have tilted your head just a little more forwards than you did back at April and got 2" difference. Otherwise your measurements doesn't make any sense to me.
Sometimes I measure and the length is shorter than it was the previous month, even though I haven't trimmed it. It's just too easy to screw it up.

[jera]

Maybe your hair had a little wave or curl to it when you first measured it.

That's what I was wondering too. Great minds think alike. :p