Help equating braid and hair lengths

[Cupofmilk]

I want to share my last journey from waist to near classic with you. The reason for this is that I feel my hair is taking a long time to grow and I am getting concerned I am a slow grower. I would like your thoughts on this. I have no idea how long my hair was when I cut it. I can only try to relate hair braid lengths with actual hair lengths. Your help would be much appreciated.

This is trying to cure my hair-o-rexia - I always see my hair as much shorter than it is now and much longer than it was then.
I would also like to try and establish a realistic goal date for TB

These are all pre-LHC days no length shots.

June 2006 - hair trimmed back to just above waist I think. This is me with a 7/8 bump braid.
http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/rachelba99/revisedP6130292.jpg

August 2007 - I think I have a 9/10 bump braid here. What is interesting is this is the stage I am at now 9-10 bumps.
http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/rachelba99/rev2345.jpg

September 2007 - This is my hair loose only 1 month after the previous picture. This picture has made me loose confidence as I think hang on my hair should be this long down but it doesn't look like it is at all that long now. The only thing I can think of is that my hair is starighetr in this picture and currently my hair is very wavy.
http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/rachelba99/hair1noface.jpg

June 2008 - Sorry only photo I have is in a braid again - birth of another child. 12 bump braid I would say and I think my hair was TB ish? Does that sound right?
http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/rachelba99/hair0072222.jpg

April 2009 - One of the few occasions with hair down. I think i must be TB proper now. You can see the natutal waves at the back and straightness at the front. Shame I am not standing!
http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/rachelba99/TEW04460834_002422.jpg

Oct/Nov 2009 - I think I must be about true TB here? 15 bump braid and I am guessing near classic. Just a month pre chop. (birth of child 3)
http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/rachelba99/PU20100604103501151-011111.jpg

I can identify that from June 2006 onwards I had two more children - this may have effected by grow rate or may not have. I certainly shed a lot of hair after the births.

[misstwist]

I always think hair looks shorter when it is drawn over our shoulders than when it hangs down the back. And I know mine looks shorter than it is because I loose a good two inches from wet to dry due to wurly shrinkage.

As to setting a goal date for tb, have you been taking a monthly length measurement? Computing your average growth rate should give you a better idea if when you can reasonably expect to reach goals.

Thinking about it, I have come to the conclusion that when I see hair that is shorter than mine but I think is longer on first glance is more a function of thickness than length. To me, anyway, hair that is thicker always looks longer than thinner hair. There is just more of it and I think that makes the hemline look thicker and solidly longer. At least until tailbone or so.

Hope my last bit of rambling was sensical and that some of this is helpful to you.

[enfys]

If it is any help to you, since our hair looks a simliar thickness in braids to what you posted, my past-tailbone hair (39"ish) is only waist length pulled to the front. That's 13 bumps.

By true TB, do you mean the bottom of the actual tailbone, or butt crack length which is also considered TB by most here?

[Cupofmilk]

Thank you that is really helpful.

I am hoping to get back to the length in the last photo - which I have guessed to be true TB bottom of BCL - so I think 2-3 inches off classic? I know it's nearly impossible to tell. I still have some of the hair I have cut off. Some of the pieces were only 15 inches long stretched. If that is the case then the front of my hair only has another 9 inches or so to go.

[enfys]

From what you say, you're hair is longer than you think and you are closer to your goal than you realised. That's how I see it anyway!

You'll do it :grouphug:

[Cupofmilk]

Thank you. It really helped posting that. Cathartic - getting it out of my system! I am going to do new length pictures in early March - so no more than 6 weeks away and then we can have a look.
The good news I went from BSL wet to Hip wet in a year. So my hair is growing. Woohoo.

[SheaLynne]

bsl to hip in a year sounds like a pretty good growth rate. I made barely waist to hip/almost bcl in my first year here (with about 2 inches of trims in there) and my growth rate is very consistently 3/4-inch a month (which is above the average of 1/2-inch a month). So, it sounds like you will be above average on growth rate, as well.

You are doing great, and (based on some of your other posts) I think you should try enjoying the journey as much as possible. Just think how much nicer your hair will be now that you've been here and learned how to be kinder to your hair. You have very thick hair from the looks of your braids, so I am sure it is gorgeous right now...enjoy!!

(And btw, I chopped my hair within 3 months after each of my children were born, and that's how I finally learned to accept that I *am* a longhair at heart and to stop fighting it! We learn about ourselves, right?)

I'm so glad you are here and well into your journey of having your hair back where you want it.