Type iii - how thick is yours?

[darl_in1]

I've been wondering for a while what the average thickness is for those with type iii hair........

So for those who fall into this category - how thick is your hair and what do you feel are the pros and cons of having thick hair?

At what point would you consider hair to be super-thick?

I'll kick off:

Mine is about 5.5 inches.

Pros - it's got volume and body etc

Cons - finding hairtoys; hot weather; when it's shorter it tends to look like a wig!! :silly:

[florenonite]

I've got between 4 1/4-4 1/2 inches circumference, plus the vestiges of a fringe from last summer. I like the fact that I don't need to worry about shedding as I have plenty of hair to spare. I don't like that at shorter lengths I feel the need for layers (which I am now growing out) or that I can't do updos that many people can do at shorter lengths.

[Tabitha]

Interesting question! Mine is just on 4" when superclean and at its most voluminous - I had a medication-related shed after first joining here and hairtyping myself.

Pros:
- plenty of body and volume
- when I did shed, I still didn't have thin hair by normal standards
- doesn't look lank so quickly when not super-clean, nor does it need daily washing (I think this is relevant as there is more hair to soak up my scalp's oil)
- nice thick-looking braid (not that there's anything wrong with thinner ones ... frantically back-pedalling here) which reflects the light
- allows me to have layers without the bottom looking too thin
- I get compliments from hairdressers :p

Cons:
- hairwashing seems to take ages (mainly the rinsing)
- ditto getting salon lowlights done, so much so that I'm thinking of stopping them as I don't enjoy being fussed over
- getting even scalp coverage with CO is very tedious - I have to make multiple partings
- hot in the summer, especially at night, as I haven't found a night-time updo/braid that's comfortable
- long drying time:when I had a bob, my hairdryer arm would ache; now I airdry, in winter it makes me feel cold hanging there.

ETA: Thank you Euphony! it was our very own Darl_in1 who took it for me on Saturday :sun:

[Euphony]

I voted 4.5 - 5, mine hangs out closer to the 4.5 end (4.5 - 4.75 depending).

Pros~
-Lately I've gotten compliments from people and they say something like I have beautiful hair and point toward the bottom of my hair. It took me a while to figure it out - actually my husband figured it out when he saw it happen one time. He said he's sure that people are complimenting the thickness of the hemline.
-Too many shed hairs make me upset, but I also realize I do technically have more I can lose than most people.
-Lots of volume
-I feel more confident that I can grow my hair to longer lengths without it bothering me with being to thin on the ends
-I had a major shed once (pre LHC) and at one point was able to see my ears through my hair. I thought that was very strange and even then made me nervous, but I did realize that my hair was probably about 'normal' thickness at that point.
-Now that my hair is finally long enough to do many updos, my updos are huge.

Cons~
-I can no longer wear a ponytail any higher than the nape of my neck, the weight of that swing pulls too much.
-Until I found LHC I didn't think anyone made hair toys that would accomidate my thickness.
-Combs with fine teeth have serious issues with getting through my hair (that's after a good detangling).
-Short hair is really weird on me, it's this huge nearly stand on it's end puff ball (part of that is wave too), even running my hand on my scalp would be difficult since there is so much hair there my hand would get caught.
-My hair can suffocate me.
-It takes 8 hours to dry when down, if I braid it, it'll still be pretty damp 24 hours later, if I bun it my husband worries it'll mold - the wetness doesn't seem to dissapate at all.

My idea of super thick is anything thicker than mine, since I already know mine is a bit on the 'weird thick' side comparitavely.

ETA: Tabitha what a gorgeous new siggy pic!

[justgreen]

Mine's a bit over 5"....

Pros: It's all good.

Cons: I really can't think of anything. I put it up in a bun if it begins to bother me, or the weather is warm.

Tabitha: You are looking really slim in that siggy of yours!

[spidermom]

The last time I measured, I had 4.2 inches on top of my head, all fringe included. I had 3.8 or 3.9 inches at the nape of my neck.

PROS: Since I have a lot of hair to start with, as it grows and tapers, I still haven't reached see-through ends at hip length. My hair has a lot of body; it has to be very oily to look limp.

CONS: Some days it's like having a blanket over my neck and back, which could actually be a pro on some days.

[Phalaenopsis]

4"-4.5"

I have really fine hair, so with this thickness I have lots and lots of it.

Cons:
-fine and a lot of it= tangles everywhere
-ponytails give me headaches
-my hair isn't that long yet, so toys still can handle my hair, but I doubt it will stay that way :?
-others at this length can already do different kinds of updos, the thickness eats up the length, so no updos for me yet...

Pros:
-it's so nice to feel it, grab it, touch it and feel the amount of hair
-I'll be able to have a braid like Lara Croft :D(I think it is quite thick)
- even with a big shed, I still have a lot of hair, while others would practically have no hair anymore

[Loviatar]

Dead on 4.0 here, although I have bangs yet to grow out and I keep using henna, so hopefully my broken pieces and short bangs will add to the thickness.

Super-thick for me counts as anything over 5" I think. I was told by hairdressers for years that I had thin hair; now I know they meant fine hair. So it's weird to think I could be a iii. I count myself as ii/iii but that's only because of the bangs issue.

Pros: makes great braids. It's too fine to have much volume and body though. No see-through ends either, even as I grow out my last layer.

Cons: It doesnt look thick! It eats conditioner. And my scalp gets very hot in summer (hence a lot of pixies in the past.)

[buttons]

Ah the poll says "Type ii" so I voted under 4 without looking! I would think iii would be at least 4, though.

[Village Mama]

I am close to 5 inches but have a ton of fringe that doesnt yet fit into a pony. My hair feels thinner than it used to though.

[akurah]

When you account for my breakage and baby hairs, I'm well over four inches. Last I measured, I was something like 4.25. I've also measured with the tape saying as little as 3.75once when my hair was shorter, but my hair is in no way shape or form thin enough for me to justify putting it under ii or even ii/iii. It consistantly measures over 4" most of the time.

Pros:
-Even when I shed a ton, I have plenty of hair on my head and don't need to worry about thinning
-It's preeetty and luxurious to play with when its down (though that's not really a iii pro, that's just a flat out hair pro)
-my buns are pretty big even though I'm only at BSL--gives the illusion of more length than I have most of the time

Cons:
-Even though it's BSL, I can't do half the styles a lot of others can--for instance, my Chinese bun is a joke. Can't do a figure 8 with all my hair, and I probably won't be able to do a proper one until I get to waist length or so. My cinnamon bun can only be held with a dolphin ficcare AND the ends stick out EVERYWHERE.
-Takes forever to dry
-Pain in the you-know-what to wash. I always worry I miss a part of my scalp (not hair, scalp), and I worry because lately I'm prone to an itchy scalp and having it thoroughly clean (either by means of conditioner only wash or head and shoulders) controls that
-it EATS most plastic clips. A lot of people worry about cheapo plastic clips damaing their hair. I usually worry more about my hair damaging the clips. It also eats plastic hair sticks, and I suspect it might even eat wood if I wasn't careful.

[AJoifulNoise]

I'm 4.5+".

[soleluna]

4"-4.5"
Depending on when/how I measure, might reach 5"

[Dianyla]

The most reliable measurements I can produce are around 4.6". I only measure it dirty and slicked down and as compressed as possible. Anything else would just be inaccurate and inconsistent, as it gets pretty wild and wavy after washing. :shrug:

[Sam-I-Am]

4-4.25", depending on how close to washing day I measure.

Pros: I have a lot of hair. :D
My buns are ...substantial.
I like my thick hair!

Cons: It took me forever to be able to do a figure 8.
This much hair is pretty heavy.
I can't do a French braid very well anymore because all the hair gets tangled in itself.

[Mrs_Zombie]

my ponytail without my bangs, and some other hair that is too short to fit in a ponytail, is 5 1/2". So, i figure once my hair is long enough that it all fits in a ponytail it should be about 6-61/4".

What i LIKE about my hair is that even though i have TONS of it, it behaves how i want it to, most of the time. I never have to worry about going bald (for the most part ;) ), it like how my waves look when its longer.

Cons: TOO MUCH HAIR!! Once it gets to about BSL i start having neck and headaches from the weight of my hair on my head and neck. It weighs down my waves once it gets to about BSL, my hair starts looking like a 1b instead of a 2b. I shed A LOT!! Can never find a hair toy that will hold all of my hair up.

ETA: Oh yeah, and even though its only 18 1/2" at the moment it takes about 5 hours to fully dry!!

[cassie_g]

It's been a while since I've measured but I believe it was around 4.75" freshly washed and dried.

Pro:
nice thick braids
can shed tons without looking any thinner

Cons:
no matter what I do it's hot in the summer
takes for ever and a day to dry
still can't make a secure figure 8/infinity

[Nat242]

I consider myself ii/iii, I always get between 10-11cm when I measure, so at least 4 inches. I find it hard to consider myself a iii :shrug: I just measured my hair (still damp) because I feel like I've been shedding a lot recently, but I'm still getting the same circumference.

Pros - my hair is full, it has lots of body and lift naturally, my buns are quite big and are only getting bigger :D I get lots of nice comments on my "big" hair, or my "mane". I don't get scalp cleavage.

Cons - some updos are too heavy - I love high ponytails, but they just haven't worked since I got much past APL. Other updos require more length before they'll work. I still can't get a true Fig 8, and I'm almost waist length. Thick hair requires more henna, and it takes a long time to dry.

That said, I'm very happy with my hair thickness.

-- Natalie

[soleluna]

just out of curiosity, how does everyone measure? what's the best tecnique?

[Curlsgirl]

I am around 4.5 but can go over 5 depending on which wash day how I dry etc. Also that is without my bangs that won't fit in it yet.

Pros, always looks pretty thick no matter what I do to it. Can let it get pretty "dirty" without it looking too limp or thin. Braids look thick and other updo's look full too.

Cons, headaches but maybe would have them anyway, also takes longer to do updos that other people do at much shorter lengths.

Wouldn't trade it though! :D

[Tabitha]

Tabitha: You are looking really slim in that siggy of yours!

Thank you, Justy!:smooch: (what with you and Euphony, this thread risks making my head swell)

I think my biggest bugbear with my thickness is what Curlsgirl just said about not being able to do certain styles. There are so many pretty styles tantalising me on here! Even at "waist-if-stretched", the KarenLynn knot still evades me and my ends won't stay in an infinity/figure 8 bun.

I'm not sure how much extra I would have if I didn't have a fringe but I'm in the process of growing out half of it (hairdresser changed his mind, and told me to grow some so fringe was less thick and blocky).

[swanns]

Not sure, I THINK it was 11cm which would be 4.3 inches.

[Saranne772]

My hair "classes" as iii with hair just over 4 inches. But I really cant see it as thick as it used to be way thicker but as I got longer it thinned out a bit!

[flapjack]

Mine is right at 4 inches, on the money. It might go up a tiiiiny bit when the rest of my bangs catch up to the back of my neck (which is where I measure), but I just put myself in the ii/iii category in general, because I'm unsure about it's category.

[vindo]

I'm not iii just ii/iii with 4.1" ponytail... :confused: *little confused here*

Pros/ Cons:
There is none- my hair does not appear thick since its so straight and slippery Volume is a rare guest.
I also have lots of taper so my buns start off thick but after half a twist they fade into nothing to end up as average size.:shrug:

[puredoxyk]

I put 5.5 -- mine is 6 in a "loose" ponytail, which is how I wear it, but if I put a tight ponytail-holder on it, it's a bit smaller obviously.

I like that it *can* look nice, even though it usually doesn't (hmph), and that I don't have to worry about balding -- in fact, I look forward to losing a little as I get older!

The cons are updos, which I still find impossible though you guys give me hope, drying-time and rinsing-time, and the fact that I can't go near a stylist because they always, always screw it up.

Actually I've hated my thick hair most of my life, but you guys are going to change that, I can feel it!

[prosperina]

I've always been a bit unsure as whether or not to categorize myself as a ii/iii or iii. I stuck with iii because I can measure anywhere from a 4 to a 4.5 with the most consistent measurement at a 4.25, and once as big as 5 right after a cassia treatment.

I think if people are right at 4 they should put down a iii because ii has a wide range to it, but still iii has a much bigger range. So I dunnoh. :shrug: I guess whatever makes you comfortable. I also think if you have a hard time measuring the circumference yourself that's almost always a clear sign that you are a iii. I'd probably get a bigger measurement if I did it right on top of my head instead of at my nape, but I'm not that dexterous. And ponytail holders could shrink it, so I don't quite know how the best way to measure it is. I've been told how to do it and it makes sense in theory, but then my hair eats the tape measure, and I give up and declare myself a iii!

Cons: If I wear too many up dos and it's hot, like it almost always is here, I need to wash my hair sooner because my scalp gets sweaty and gunky.

Pros: Thick hair may require more henna, but you don't necessarily have to henna it all! I have some middle pieces on the back of my head that haven't been hennaed since March, and maybe I'll do them soon and maybe not. If I can wear my hair up, half up and down without anyone noticing, that's good enough for me!

[Nat242]

just out of curiosity, how does everyone measure? what's the best tecnique?

I've tried a few methods, in my opinion the easiest is to get a piece of ribbon, gather your hair and tie the ribbon around it. Slide the ribbon out of your hair - it should retain a circular shape. Measure the diameter of the circle, and multiply by 3.14. This should give you the circumference.

-- Natalie

[jel]

I've tried a few methods, in my opinion the easiest is to get a piece of ribbon, gather your hair and tie the ribbon around it. Slide the ribbon out of your hair - it should retain a circular shape. Measure the diameter of the circle, and multiply by 3.14. This should give you the circumference.

-- Natalie

Or, indeed, cut the ribbon circle and measure its length. Personally, I find measuring the diameter too imprecise where there's no marked centre of the circle.

ETA: I'm at 3.9", and hoping that I'll cross over into iii territory one day!

[Angellen]

I use a soft measuring tape. Just like the ribbon method, but the numbers are already there! You just have to be careful about snagging your hair on it, but if you're careful it's not a problem. I put my fingernail on the spot where it reaches to (4.25 at the tightest in my case) and release. :)

[snowbear]

I answered 5"-5.5"

Pros: Works a an impromptu shawl/scarf
Cons: Eats hairtoys as snacks

[Finoriel]

I voted 4 - 4,5 inch.
When I last measured it was a bit over 4 inch... 4,1 if I remember right :)

Pros: I like it the way it is :D
a bun or a braid looks substantial
it´s seldom that a hairtoy "overpowers" my hair
or manages to make a bun crooked.

Cons: :shrug:
it required longer hair to be able to do styles like a figure8 or a double looped knot
some of the braids (2 strand rope comes to my mind) look somehow "raw" and wiry... not as smooth like with thinner hair.
it´s getting heavy and has to be balanced carefully.

[Naluin]

I've been holding off on this poll because I'm not sure exactly how thick my hair is. It's not long enough to pull into a single ponytail, so I've to measure my hair in three bunches.

My current measurement is over 6".

Pros: Never have to worry about lacking volume.

Cons: Sometimes people think my hair is a wig. It takes hours to dry, even at this length. It likes to "poof." Hair stylists like to charge more because my hair eats up product and they like to use the super strength products on my fine hair because they mistake having lots of hair for having coarse hair.

H'm... that seems like a lot of cons. I like my thick hair, though. :)

[Igor]

12 cm or 4,7 inches when as tightly compressed as possible (On a WO day. It seems to swell right after using conditioner)

Pros:
It just looks so impressive! Yep, it gives me a big grin every time someone goes “whoa…” :D
I feel more confident that I can grow my hair to longer lengths without it bothering me with being to thin on the ends (I don’t want fairy tale ends for myself, I’m a blunt cut girl)
I just love-love-love that soft bumping and the weight of my braid against my waist when I walk

Cons:
It took me forever to be able to do any of the cool long hair styles
Its very heavy, not that it gives me neck problems but because a strand that’s pulled too tight gives me a headache
Dries slowly
When its acting up it’s a real pain that I have to handle 2-3 times as much hair as other people
I need a full bottle of your standard size conditioner to wash
Fewer possibilities for hair toys. I need strength and hold before beauty

A neutral:
It kind of forces me to go long if I want to do cool up dos. It’s not a problem for me because I want to go super long, but for example at waist I could only do Chinese and cinnamon bun but now at tailbone I can add figure 8 and knotty bun to the repertoire. Was a real pain to se the i’s and ii’s being able to do all the cool updos years before me

[talula_fairie]

I'm on the thinner side of iii, might be closer to ii but a lot of hairstylists went on and on about how thick my hair is enough for me to believe it...so, I guess that's what it is :P. I think my ponytail when it was long was about 3.5-4" (guessing, and it's way too short to try now).

[talula_fairie]

Oh, and

Pros: I don't think I've used a volumizing product in my whole life. I have volume to spare. It definitely has nice body.

Cons: Takes FOREVER to dry when it's long. Like I am talking 4-6+ hours, at minimum. Even at 3" long it takes at least a half hour. I have to get it texturized every six weeks to keep the poof down as I am growing it out.

[Seraphina]

My ponytail is about 5".

Pros:
Keeps me warm


Cons:
Heavy
Takes ages to wash and dry

[Cantabile]

At just 4" i consider myself a ii/iii. If on the off chance that it increases, I suppose I have hope of becoming a iii? :smile:

[honeybunch]

Uhhh, I wouldn't know exactly. I have so much hair that the only way it will go into a ponytail is if it's really stretched out or in braids.

Pros-Thick braids

Cons-styles can be very time consuming

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/honeybunch2k6/Picture783.jpg[/IMG]

[Nevermore]

As far as I can tell, I have hair between 4 and 4.5, I say as far as I can tell because I have to ponytail to measure, so that compresses it ALOT (more than's healthy, I believe, which is why I need MOAR length, so I don't need to ponytail so much under updos to hold the old bangs and such in check).

Pros: just about everything, really. I love my hair just as it is.
Cons: pretty much nothing, all hair is hot when it's hot out and most long haired people wear their hair up often anyway.

Super thick starts for me at 5 inches.

[chainedangel]

Pros: I'll likely never need Bosley or Rogaine. My head is warm. While my butt might never grab a mans attention my buns will likely be the biggest he's ever seen. :-o
Cons: Unless it's a stick it likely will not fit in my hair. When I was young if I put it in a single braid it looked like a piece of poo. Pony-tails = migraines.

[darkwaves]

Mine is 4 - 4.3", so a solid iii at this point, but not super thick.

Pros: It's all good -- and always looks thick and bouncy, even if it's a week past wash day. (Just a tiny bit bouncy by then, though! The curls fall out.)

Cons: Okay, I'll dig deep: Takes a long time to dry, and I still can't to KarenLynn's knot or a proper infinity or figure 8. (I'm about two inches from waist -- 29")

[Darkhorse1]

My hair is just above 4" in a ponytail. (I think that's when it's dirty). I'm growing out most of my bangs, so that's making it a bit thicker I'm sure.

However, I'm lucky my hair is light. Not sure if it's because it has natural wave/body? It dries at the ends quickly--roots take a bit longer. Depends on the day too. Humid days it takes longer to dry. Dryer days, not too bad. I wash it at night, so it's not as big of a deal.

[Darkhorse1]

Just measured my clean hair and my ponytail is 4.5' or a bit bigger, and I was tightening the measuring tape. Amazing how flat your hair can get when dirty. I'm lucky to have a lot of hair and am always thankful :)

[LongForLife]

My hair is just over 6" thick when dirty. You don't even want to know how thick it is when freshly washed!! :D

Pros: Can keep me warmer in the winter. I have excellent volume and body to my hair and it looks great when worn down, since it is so thick. Looks great layered. Makes nice thick braids. I can make some fancy up dos with all that thick hair. lol I never have to worry about my hair being thin. I lose lots of hair to shedding and can't even tell!

Cons: Hot in the summer. Takes a long time and is hard to style my hair in some of the up-dos. Very heavy, so I have to layer it for weight issues. Without layers, my neck has extra stress on it and my waves get pulled out. Takes a long time for the roots to dry. If I use any sort of hairspray, I need to wash it before doing another style, as it gets sticky.

[Aisha25]

Mine is 5.5 when oiled and after braid. After wash it is a 6.3.
All pros: I love my hair :smile:!

[flapjack]

Do people measure their hair when it's wet and clean, instead of fully dry? Because if that's the case.... my damp hair (I've been out of the shower for almost two hours now) is 5.3 inches.


I mean... I'm perfectly willing to make that my new thickness, because it is tied back with a band at that number. :eyebrows:



Does this mean my hair is hydrophilic? It went up about an inch and I'm no wavy or curly. Haha.

[NurseMama]

I am right at 4", but didn't know if that meant that it was type iii or not based on the description. It said that type ii went up to 4" so I just put ii/iii! Is this right or should I change it?

[Henrietta]

I'm at 4.13". I can't say I see any cons or pros of it, since I don't feel that my hair is so thick, because it is so only around my SL. Further down it gets thinner, so it's not heavy or anything so... yaay! I am in the nice middle ground.

[JamieLeigh]

My thickness is just over 4" at the measuring point up top, but it tapers dramatically as I move down my length. I usually just say ii/iii, to be fair.

[Avital88]

i just measured and mine is 4.75 inches.. this is at my nape as my hair is always thinning towards the ends..
I had a very bad shed last spring i lost like 200 hairs a day for at least 10 weeks. i used to measure at 6 inches, i hope in a year to get back to that..
New growth grow!

[biogirl87]

The first day or two after washing my hair is at 4.5" not counting the 0.75" I get from my bangs. Total circumference of my clean hair once my bangs grow out enough to put into a ponytail will be 5.25". Once it starts getting dirty the circumference of my ponytail can go down to 3.75" though.

[lundmir]

4 inches exactly :)

[Venefica]

4 to 4,3 inches depending on my hair's mood the at time I measure it. I also have bangs which would add another half an inch to one inch if I grew it out.

I would say the pros is how it look, the way it can hang like a thick black veil and that buns and braids look very impressive. The cons would be that my hair tend to dwarf the hairsticks I use, though I do not consider that much of a con, I can get customs.

I would say that anything in the iii category is fairly thick.

[EtherealDoll]

5.2". I also have short bangs.

[CircesButterfly]

I have 6 inches. Before I cut it after the first time growing my hair out, it used to measure 5 inches. So I'm impressed with the fact that it's thicker this time around.

[Hele]

i'm really glad this thread got resurrected, i never realized thick hair made different buns more difficult. I'd try to follow youtube videos made by people with shorter hair than me and i wouldn't be able to do them, i thought i was just being stupid haha! It wasn't until i reached the hip length/BCL area that i could really start doing any of the buns i tried.

so i think i'm around 4.5, if i'm doing it right. Do you pull the tape measure as tight as it will go?

pros: i shed a lot, like the hair i clean out of the tub after a shower, wad up and throw in the trash has at times alarmed people by its size (okay, that sounds gross, sorry). But there's never any difference in the appearance of my hair. Also it just looks impressively thick when braided.

cons: oh my, the things it destroys. Hair elastics, jaw clips, wood sticks (they start bending under the weight and then snap), a pen i tried to put my hair up with once. Also my scalp in the back takes forever to dry, i often use a dryer on it so i don't get the itchies. Same for in the summer, sweat just get trapped under all the hair. And i can rarely wear my hair down in hot weather, i'd get heat stroke.

[lapushka]

I'm around 4.25". Give or take. Just past 4 inches. So I don't feel überthick in this (LHC) world where hairtoys for thicker hair are available. When among my family and the world outside (where there's no such thing as hair accessories for thick hair) my hair does feel awesomely thick, though.

[burny]

5.9" for me. have seen photo's of similarly thick hair on the internet, but never met someone in person with hair this thick(excluding short hair, cause I can't tell how thick it is then).

[burny]

5.9" 2c/m/iii for me. pros: it does what it does, without having to mess with it(bedhead looks fine), fairly unique appearance, means I'm rarely compared to other people(which is good, cause I'm lazy and not into fashion). long, thick, well maintained hair seems to be agreeable to 100% of people. cons: it does what it wants to, and nothing else. flat ironing takes 2-3hours, a simple braid takes forever just to brush out, and even though it's 3' long, I can only get about 6-7 twists in it. up-do's of any sort are nearly impossible.

over all, I'd have to say I'm happy with it being thick. there are times I wish it was thinner, so I could do something with it.. but then I would have to do something with it all the time. the hair I have works really well for me, because I'm WAY to lazy to style my hair more than a few times per year.