How long is "long"?

[craftybunn]

We each have a different idea of what is "long". Not for judging others, but to satisfy our own length goals.
What do you LHCers consider the length you must pass before your hair is "long"?

My hair has grown five inches since May and I am within sight (maybe another 8 months) of my waist length goal. I don't really feel like it is "long" yet but the comments are beginning. My friends don't really like long hair for some reason. "I really like your hair this length. I don't think you should grow it out anymore." -when it was a few inches shorter. "Your hair is beautiful and healthy but it just looks sort of old fashioned." -when it was longer than it is now. Obviously, I'm not paying much attention to their opinions.:p

My husband and my father both love my hair long. I feel more like myself with my hair long. But what is long? My hair is BSL but not "long" in my opinion. I need it to be just above the waist before I would consider my hair long. Maybe about 30"?

I look at other women and feel it depends on their frame. Some women's hair seems long to me when it is just below their shoulders but others' might not seem that long when it is well below their bra strap. What do you all think? :confused:

[Vorvolaka]

My hair is starting to feel long again at just above BSL. I had shoulder length/APL for around 6 years before I decided to grow it. When it gets past BSL, I'm sure it'll feel long because I've never had hair that length before.

[Madora]

Long to me would be classic length.

[torrilin]

Long is when I can English braid my hair and not have bits fall out. Too long is when I can't put my hair up and be comfortable because it's still getting in the way.

[aggie_deirde]

My hair is past bsl,mbl,but my hair still feals short.I guess when I reach waist I think I will feal that I have finaly long hair!

[Avital88]

Long for me would be between hip and tailbone with a thick hemline:)

[Avital88]

My hair is past bsl,mbl,but my hair still feals short.I guess when I reach waist I think I will feal that I have finaly long hair!

And then hip will get in your mind:) haha i always felt the same: when i reach waist i feel like i have long hair. Well not, the goal changes faster than my hair grows

[Loreley]

I consider someone's hair long when it is at least hip length. On myself, fingertip length seems to be still too short.

[Panth]

For me, "long" is waist+ for women, as that's when it gets rare around here (and, also, isn't mainstream-fashion). So, mine is long, it's just not long enough. :P

[craftybunn]

And then hip will get in your mind:) haha i always felt the same: when i reach waist i feel like i have long hair. Well not, the goal changes faster than my hair grows
It is interesting that you say that, Avital88, I have maintained just above waist length for long periods of time and then get bored with it. Then I cut it too my chin and start all over.:rolleyes:
That was before finding this forum. I never really thought about taking my hair any longer. Now I see so many more possibilities. You might be right. I might get to waist length and no longer be satisfied. :eyebrows:

[Alvrodul]

Now that I am at hip, I think classic or longer is "long".:D

[Theobroma]

In my own skewed perception of the term, "long" doesn't begin until hip or a little past hip. I'm almost at waist now and my hair doesn't feel more than "sort of longish" to me!

On other people, regardless of how tall they are, anything below BSL looks "long" to me. On me? Not a chance. :)

[Fairlight63]

I used to think that long hair would be BSL but mine is waist length & it still doesn't feel long to me yet.
So I guess long is what ever length I am not at yet. :)

[Islandgrrl]

I guess my current view of what long would be for me is fingertip length. I still don't consider that I really have long hair.

[princessp]

Now that I am at hip, I think classic or longer is "long".:D

Yeah me too.

[annieangel149]

i think that because i havent had long hair since i was a kid i gues i see BSL hair as long! i would love to have hair at BSL! i spose when i reach that goal it will not be long enough tho!!

[redcelticcurls]

As a type 3, I see type 3 hair at APL or longer as long.

At BSL, I do feel that I have long hair, though very few here would consider that to be long.

[firefly42]

when my hair brushes my elbows (just above waist for me) it'll be long again. That's the longest my hair has ever been (about four years ago) but i'm hoping to grow it out to classic.

[pepperminttea]

Whatever length is the next milestone for me becomes the length that my hair will feel "long" at. :rolleyes: I thought it'd be BSL, nope. At waist, still nope. Hip? Maybe? ... Tailbone then? :o

[pepperedmoth]

We each have a different idea of what is "long". Not for judging others, but to satisfy our own length goals.
What do you LHCers consider the length you must pass before your hair is "long"?


About six inches longer than my current length, whatever that may be . . .

[Avvoltoio]

i think a non lhc people would say shoulder or longer is long, but here it for many start at waist, or much longer.
i have waist length hair, and i not feel it long at all, so i want to grow my hair to be really long, and feel it long, what would be for me maybe below tb, but that length is not enough for me, so i would not stop until i reach knee or more :)

[Henrietta]

On the others- waist. Now, when I am close to it I don't feel "long" though I thought that when I am at waist I will feel so. Maybe this inch will change something... Hip would be long looking and long feeling for me for sure. But I have the same impression- on someone else APL hair looks long to me;)

[Bonkers57]

Ditto, annieangel. BSL with a thick, even hemline is good enough for me. :)


i think that because i havent had long hair since i was a kid i gues i see BSL hair as long! i would love to have hair at BSL! i spose when i reach that goal it will not be long enough tho!!

[kmoc123]

Mine is at hip and I am waiting for classic...that is loooooonnnnggg!!!

[T.L.T.]

I have never had my hair past bsl, so for me that or longer would be long.

My daughters hair I consider long when it is at her tailbone. When it gets to her tailbone I trim it to her waist. Hers goes from waist to tailbone in about 9 months (she is 7 so its not that far lol). She has issues when going potty if its any longer, so for now we trim it at tailbone.

[Roseate]

There are several different kinds of "long" in my mind.

The first is "long" as in "not short". For me, this starts somewhere around BSL. At that point I start to have to treat it as long, wear it up more, detangle more carefully, all that kind of thing.

Then there's "long" as in "a lovely, satisfying length for my hair", and that for me starts somewhere around waist length. Not there yet!

"Long" for other people's hair is "anyone with hair longer than mine".

[bluesnowflake]

To me, my hair never seemed "long" until I hit waist. For me, that is the truly "long" marker on most people. Of course, hair that long is rare, especially on people past their teens.I started getting comments at BSL.

[Speckla]

Long is whatever you want it to be.

[GhostLocks]

I think it all depends on the person, but long for me is below hip length. Right now mine is a couple of inches below my shoulder blade but I want to get it at least to waist length towards the end of next year.

[cataphract]

I have a pretty short back waist, so waist length doesn't seem very long on myself, other women with longer torsos look like they have long hair around waist length. In my opinion anyway :)

[Deborah]

In the real world long hair begins a little below the shoulders. I think to say that is not 'long' is insulting to those with hair that length (including many on this board.) On this list I think many feel theirs is "not long enough" no matter how long it is. My own hair is tailbone length, but I certainly don't think anyone needs to reach tailbone before their hair qualifies as 'long.' Let's not discourage others.

[Rocket22]

If when we reach our hair goal it still doesn't feel long (by majority of posters) then how do we somehow just enjoy the length we have and just let things just happen? I think because hair takes so long to grow by the time we reach the next milestone we are already used to it and it's not something to new and exciting... this growing out hair is tough work :)

[jlw9222]

Long hair to me was when my hair hit my belly button when it was wet. I was very excited that I finally had "long" hair. :)

[christine1989]

Long for me is when my hair starts to be longer than it has ever been before (on me that is anywhere past waist).

[aggie_deirde]

And then hip will get in your mind:) haha i always felt the same: when i reach waist i feel like i have long hair. Well not, the goal changes faster than my hair grows
My final goal is tbl but it's SO far away right now...I wanna reach waist so I can think I'm getting closer.Then hip and finally tailbone.I have a long way to go.Grow hair,GROW!

:rockerdud

[julliams]

I would love to say that I am happy with my "almost at waist" length but I too am finding that it doesn't look long enough.

From reading three pages of responses and bearing my own in mind, it seems that most people want what they don't have, but want something that is attainable. I think that is a common human issue and maybe it is due to today's society that screams at us to get things we don't have (advertising etc). :shrug:

I'd like to learn to be happy with what I have. Sounds like a new years resolution, doesn't it :flower:

[EtherealOde]

In the real world long hair begins a little below the shoulders. I think to say that is not 'long' is insulting to those with hair that length (including many on this board.) On this list I think many feel theirs is "not long enough" no matter how long it is. My own hair is tailbone length, but I certainly don't think anyone needs to reach tailbone before their hair qualifies as 'long.' Let's not discourage others.


Realistic view, and most of us here probably forget this. It is also how I try to look at hair, most of the time. But for me, my hair won't feel like it is really long until I get to waist. Also, anyone with hair that is classic or longer has ultra long hair imo. Very few are able to grow their hair past that point, and I doubt my ability to grow like that. It would be nifty to see it happen though! :)

My goal is classic, I hope I can reach it with thick ends. If not, I will still have long hair. And if I am one of the lucky few who can grow past that stage, I can't wait to see what that final length will be.

[lacefrost]

I think my hair will finally start feeling long once I get to waist. I always wanted to have hair that brushed just above the elbows.

Although when I look at other people, their hair doesn't seem long to me unless it's hip and well taken care of. I've seen some ratty classic length hair and it didn't register as long. But I have seen some very pretty and shiny BSL or even APL hair that seemed long. I guess it has a lot to do with the condition.

[GuardGirl]

I have always been able to grow my hair to BSL, but it's been several years since my hair was healthy enough to get more than a couple inches below that without starting to have bad breakage/split end problems. Therefore, I consider anything more than about 2" below BSL to be my "LONG" goal, since it is a length that has alluded me for the last four years. :)

[LadyG]

For me, Long hair is when it's past BSL. I have rarely seen anyone with hair beyond that length.

[Arya]

well...aren't long and short supposed to be outliers? 'medium' should be what a popular length is, and long and short should be outliers!! So if we say 60% of women

[fleurinc]

To me long is around 35" or waist...I started to get "your hair is so long!" comments right after hitting bsl though so LHC standards are probably a bit stricter than that ;)

[Ladycelt]

The longest my hair has ever been was mid-back (mbl?)..so I think "long" for me will be waist...I am really hoping I make that within the next two years.

[sami]

Interesting thread. I've grown my hair past bsl a fair few times. But never to waist (reasons why are not relevant here), so long for me personally would be waist and beyond. My hair is shoulder length right now which to me is short. Not short as in pixie, but as in a bob. When I had longer hair, to me it wasn't long, it was medium length. Does that make sense?

[cherokeesaint]

"Long" to me is Tail Bone or longer.

[Kherome]

Long, to me, is when I sit down in a hard back (kitchen table type) chair and the ends of the hair touch the seat.

[Cirafly24]

Sometimes I feel like my hair is long now, but other times I don't think it will feel long until it's Classic length. On other people I think waist length is long.