How to measure hair?

[GlassButrFly]

So I'm sitting here with a fabric measuring tape... and I can't figure out how to accurately measure my hair. I've read that you're supposed to measure from your hairline to the bottom of the hair. Does that mean that I measure from my front hairline (by my forehead) over the head and down? That doesn't seem like it would be accurate, since (assuming the hair is brushed or arranged straight back) I don't have hair that goes all the way from the front to the bottom of the hemline. Do the instructions change if the hair is layered? It seems like it would be more accurate to measure from the middle of the back of the head at the root, down to the bottom.

Or is it just one of those things where someone just picked a way of measuring, and as long as everyone does it the same way, the results will be "accurate" because it will be the same unit of measure across the board?

Sorry if this question has been asked elsewhere. I looked, but all I found was the same instructions that I didn't understand in the first place. lol

[halo_tightens]

Or is it just one of those things where someone just picked a way of measuring, and as long as everyone does it the same way, the results will be "accurate" because it will be the same unit of measure across the board?

This! :)

It doesn't measure the actual length of any particular strand of hair, but everyone here will be able to picture exactly how long your hair is with this standardized system.

[GlassButrFly]

This! :)

It doesn't measure the actual length of any particular strand of hair, but everyone here will be able to picture exactly how long your hair is with this standardized system.

Thanks! :D

So according to that, my hair is 21" long at around APL. :) I need 5 more inches to my mini-goal of BSL, and 10 more inches to my goal of Waist. Took me long enough to learn those acronyms too. lol

[julliams]

Actually I think this method came up because of layers because if your hair was "all one length" (blunt hemline) the hairs growing from your crown would be significantly longer than those growing from the nape of your neck.

So given that everyone is sporting different styles, the most constant way is to measure from the hairline, over the crown and down to the tip of the longest length (the furthest down your back your hair goes). So my measurement is about 26" but none of my hairs are anywhere near that. The longest is about 16" or so because I have layered hair. Hope this makes sense.

[Pierre]

This way of measuring is less accurate, but more precise. At least for straighties with trimmed hemlines. I, being curly with fairytale ends, can get numbers that vary by 2 cm or more.