Hair length questions (2)

[Mrs. D]

Good Morning everyone,

Two questions:

1. Which length is more versatile for styles (braids, buns, etc) BSL, waist length or APL?

2. I saw on Wikipedia that it takes 7 years for hair to get waist length? Is that true? If so I will cry. :(

Thanks,
Shannon

[krissykins]

My ends are about four years old and they're at waist length. Everyone's different though.

And the thicker your hair is, the longer it needs to be for updos. So I say waist length :)

[pepperminttea]

With your hair's thickness, you might well need past BSL to be able to do a lot of updos. Around MBL/waist was when I started to be able to do my now-favourite updos; it depends a lot on what you want to do though. :)

The average person gets six inches of hair growth a year, so if you get average growth, 13" to 30" will take about three years of no trimming, probably closer to four with the trims factored in.

[Anje]

Well, I chopped my hair to shoulder length almost exactly 7 years ago. Maintained somewhere around APL for a little while, then started growing. Stalled a bit above waist for a few months. I've been maintaining tailbone length for something like 2 years now. (You'd think my ends would be thicker...) My hair doesn't grow exceptionally fast, though I have a somewhat short torso. It depends a lot on your growth speed, texture (curls eat length), and where your waist is, but if I can do shoulder to tailbone in 5 years with trims and only trying for part of that period, you should be able to get to waist faster than that.

ETA: No suggestions on length, since it depends hugely on what you want to do and how thick your hair is. I had a phase around hip where I had to totally rethink my bunning techniques, but everything works great at tailbone. If you're a french twist fan, you might need to stay shorter than a braid or bun person.

[Firefox7275]

Don't cry :( you can enjoy beautiful hair way before it arrives at your waist. It can be really helpful to set smaller goals - condition, length, good habits - so that you get to celebrate what you have achieved not what you haven't. If someone gave me waist length hair right now I'd ruin it with amateur care: whilst growing I have time to practice new hair styles, try out products or techniques. :D

[Mrs. D]

Thank you so much for your responses. I am getting impatient I guess. My hair is 25 different lengths (exacgeration maybe) because of the "chicken butt" style I had for a long time. I so want to do a nautillus bun. Patience my love.

[Ishje]

I think that depends from where you are growing.
maybe it takes 7 years if you are bald, and start from zero.
but I don't think it will really take that long.

[Yozhik]

I'd say BSL-Waist offer the most versatile updos that you're looking for.

At waist, though, it becomes a bit more difficult to wear hair down for any amount of time, or at least that has been my experience. :shrug:

I started growing here with about 15 inches in September 2009, and I reached waist in February 2011, but that was with no trims. Then I trimmed about an inch or 1.5" off, and now I'm around waist (it's difficult to estimate exactly with wavy hair). :)

Good luck with your growing, and enjoy the journey! :flower:

[selderon]

I suspect that depends on how long waist length is. A 4'11" cutie's waist length hair will be shorter than a 6'3" amazon's waist length hair.

[ScarlettAdelle]

Don't cry! If you cry, then someone else will cry and in no time the whole forum will be all misty-eyed ;)

You're not the only one with a waise to go! I want mine virgin and fingertip when dry.. I have about 6 inches virgin at the moment, which means according to my growth speed, I've got about 5 years to go! In the mean time I'm experimenting to see what my hair loves so that I can have a mane with awesomeness of epic proportions when growing journey has its final day.

Take your time and don't forget to enjoy your hair TODAY. Having a goal is great, but if you're not having fun you're less likely to meet that goal.

[RitaPG]

1. Which length is more versatile for styles (braids, buns, etc) BSL, waist length or APL?
Depends a lot on the thickness. I can do a lot of buns that some of the ladies with the same length as mine cannot, because my hair is not as thick as theirs.
I cannot do the celtic knot bun yet, but some ladies with the same length as mine can, if they have thinner hair.

I think (generally speaking) that the perfect length for braids and buns is somewhere between BSL and waist.

2. I saw on Wikipedia that it takes 7 years for hair to get waist length? Is that true? If so I will cry.
I think it takes, at least, four years. You shouldn't cry about it, growing it is half the fun :)

[torrilin]

A Nautilus bun is not a very forgiving style for shorter hair. Some i thicknesses may be able to do it as short as APL. ii thickness generally seems to get Nautilus to work somewhere in the BSL to waist area. iii seems to pretty much require waist length for it to work, tho some of the barely iii might manage it a bit shorter.

A knot bun gives a similar wrapped and mysterious look, and it might be more forgiving of shorter hair or thicker hair. Unfortunately, I find it is tricky to secure well.

The Lazy Wrap Bun is pretty popular around here and is quite pretty, but I haven't figured out how to secure it without a hairstick. I generally prefer my everyday styles to look like they're held up by magic, and hairsticks are not very magical or mysterious.

[Arya]

I thought individual hairs only lasted for about six or seven years..wouldn't that mean you could go from bald to classic in seven years?

[enfys]

Waist would take about 4+ years from short/bald for most people.

Versatility of buns and braids really depends on what you want. I can do more at my length, but have to accept there are some I can't do now. I prefer the buns I can do at fingertip length, so I'm going back there.

If you will miss wearing you hair loose, bear that in mind.

The great thing is, if you find you don't like a length, or you can't do your favourite style anymore, you can cut back. Hair's wonderful like that.

I do recommend you enjoy braiding at shorter lengths; intricate braids do get harder in my experience as there is greater opportunity for the length to knot as you braid, and you get sore arms as it takes longer! Once you get past the easier lengths you'll be a pro and be able to adapt what you do to suit your length!

[Toad Squalor]

I'm guessing that it depends on the person for that, Arya. Think about it this way-- some people could reach classic, while others may never reach waist. I haven't ever had my hair past MBL, so I have no idea how long terminal length is for me, which is really what the underlying question is.

Mrs. D, it'll take time, but getting past APL should be the starting point for some nicer styles. Once you're past BSL, you'll be able to get more styles to work, while at waist, some will work well and others may not because of length. Enjoy the journey-- I'm there with you as a shoulder-to-APL length phase person.

[Islandgrrl]

I think that versatility depends on more than just length. It depends on thickness and the styles you want to do.

I think braids are doable at quite short lengths - shorter than APL, certainly. For buns, you need more hair, but if your hair is thick it needs to be longer. Ex: At APL I could do a peacock twist, but not much else. At BSL I could do a cinnamon bun - sort of. At waist I could really get a cinnamon bun to hold well. At tailbone I can obviously do a cinnamon bun, but some styles that I used to be able to do well (Lazy Wrap Bun) are really not happening for me at this length. So yeah, lots of variables. :)

I'm at tailbone plus a little bit and I've been growing from my starting length for almost five years, with fairly frequent trims for the first couple of years.

Hair grows, on average, about 1/2 inch per month. So with no trims, 7 years times 6 inches is 42 inches. Longer than waist. Except maybe on people 7 feet tall. So no crying necessary! You'll get there. Try to enjoy the process.

[Mrs. D]

A Nautilus bun is not a very forgiving style for shorter hair. Some i thicknesses may be able to do it as short as APL. ii thickness generally seems to get Nautilus to work somewhere in the BSL to waist area. iii seems to pretty much require waist length for it to work, tho some of the barely iii might manage it a bit shorter.

A knot bun gives a similar wrapped and mysterious look, and it might be more forgiving of shorter hair or thicker hair. Unfortunately, I find it is tricky to secure well.

The Lazy Wrap Bun is pretty popular around here and is quite pretty, but I haven't figured out how to secure it without a hairstick. I generally prefer my everyday styles to look like they're held up by magic, and hairsticks are not very magical or mysterious.

Talk about not very mysterious, I wore a sock bun yesterday to the dentist, not knowing that I would be there for 2 1/2 hours. After about 20 minutes I had to take the sock out right there on the dental chair. So elegant.

[Anje]

Talk about not very mysterious, I wore a sock bun yesterday to the dentist, not knowing that I would be there for 2 1/2 hours. After about 20 minutes I had to take the sock out right there on the dental chair. So elegant.
Heh. So true.

Stick with braids for the dentist, move them over your shoulder when they get long enough to be on top of, and keep them under the bib thing so they don't get stuff on them.

[lunalovegood]

A Nautilus bun is not a very forgiving style for shorter hair. Some i thicknesses may be able to do it as short as APL. ii thickness generally seems to get Nautilus to work somewhere in the BSL to waist area. iii seems to pretty much require waist length for it to work, tho some of the barely iii might manage it a bit shorter.

Yep, my hair is 28", which is a good 3" past BSL on me, and I still can't manage a Nautilus.

[enfys]

Heh. So true.

Stick with braids for the dentist, move them over your shoulder when they get long enough to be on top of, and keep them under the bib thing so they don't get stuff on them.

And take a brush with you for when the velco sticks the stupid bib to your head and the dental nurse doesn't know what to do and you're dribbling the pink mouthrinse over yourself as you try to undo your braid and slide the bib down your hair.

[jeanniet]

I'd say waist length, and more like hip if your hair is thick. I'm at BSL working towards waist, and I can still only do a very limited number of buns because my hair is too thick. My original goal was waist, but I may revise it to hip because I think even at waist I'll be pretty limited with what I can do.

Growth rates are pretty individual, but on average you can figure on 6" of growth a year. I've gone from chin to almost waist in about a year and a half.

[Mrs. D]

And take a brush with you for when the velco sticks the stupid bib to your head and the dental nurse doesn't know what to do and you're dribbling the pink mouthrinse over yourself as you try to undo your braid and slide the bib down your hair.


They got some goop they were making impressions with in my hair. Waited for it to dry and it peeled right off.

[torrilin]

Talk about not very mysterious, I wore a sock bun yesterday to the dentist, not knowing that I would be there for 2 1/2 hours. After about 20 minutes I had to take the sock out right there on the dental chair. So elegant.

Yep. I really lean on braids a lot... partly personal style, partly my partner loves them, and partly I ride my bike everywhere and very few buns work with a bike helmet. As your hair gets longer, you'll find your own life imposes similar oddball constraints on what works.

I can't realistically have my hair much shorter than APL. My hair is floaty and flyaway, so it tends to get in my face and glasses, and then I'm miserable. It also grows pretty fast, so I spend a lot of time being annoyed that I need Yet Another Haircut if I am trying to maintain a short length.

[Mesmerise]

Good Morning everyone,

Two questions:

1. Which length is more versatile for styles (braids, buns, etc) BSL, waist length or APL?


I think this depends on your hair, some people find a stage that just "works" for them, but I think any of those lengths you can do a lot of updos with.



2. I saw on Wikipedia that it takes 7 years for hair to get waist length? Is that true? If so I will cry. :(

Thanks,
Shannon

Well MAYBE it would take that long if you were bald, and your hair grew fairly slowly... but if you grow at about 1/2" a month (which is pretty average), you'd take a couple of years to get there from shoulder length hair (if that).

I'm pretty sure that even if I shaved my head, I could hit waist length in 4 years if I didn't cut it too often, and my hair doesn't grow super fast!

[christine1989]

As for what length is more versetile that really depends on your hair thickness and texture. For me personally with wavy, coarse, ii/iii hair waist is the most versetile for updos and braids.

I agree with the above comments that if you were totally bald it may take 7 years to get hair to waist. I started growing about a year and 6 months ago (starting at a chin length bob) and I'm about an 1.5-2 inches from waist now (with VERY frequent trimming too) just to give you some refrence.

[CurlyCyndi]

well I started out with pretty much no hair. like less then pixie because well i lost it al in August of 2008... My longest length now is 23" which is BSL for me (But I cut and trimmed my hair like 5+ times since then). My first goal is Waist length while straight (29"-30")... My Ultimate goal is 32-35 so that it is waist length while curly. :) It will all depend if my curl pattern loosens because of the weight of the hair.

But I went from pretty much nothing to BSL in under 3 years and a few months... I have been BSl since November but stayed the same length because I needed a serious trim...

[Grejs]

It took my hair a little less than three years to get from my shoulders to where I am now, which is about 1.97 inches above my waist. So I would say 7 years sound a bit extreme. :) Unless, like others already have written, you start from scratch. I can only remember having one trim during all that time, and then I only took about 1.57 inches off.
My hair would probably have benefited from more trims to be honest. :p

I don't really have an answear for the first question tho, sorry.

[krissykins]

A Nautilus bun is not a very forgiving style for shorter hair. Some i thicknesses may be able to do it as short as APL. ii thickness generally seems to get Nautilus to work somewhere in the BSL to waist area. iii seems to pretty much require waist length for it to work, tho some of the barely iii might manage it a bit shorter.

I have a pony circumference of 4.5" and I still cannot do a Nautilus bun. I couldn't do it before my recent trim either (I was an inch past waist). So no, the Nautilus is definitely not forgiving.