What is the average circumference...

[CinnamonCurls]

...for hair to taper as it grows??

As mine continues to grow, I am just not pleased with the thickness at the ends compared to when I maintained a blunt hemline....this fairy tale thing is wearing on my pride a bit, I am just not used to seeing such thin ends to my braids. So I thought I would start this thread to see what a general average taper amount amongst us is. Would you all be willing to measure the thickness of your hair at various intervals?

I see some women with over 50" of length who have a hemline that doesn't even lessen an inch from nape to ends, and yet some who begin with a 5"+ circumference, are reduced to not even an 1" where they normally tie off their braid (and that is even with leaving 6+" of wispies loose below the hair tie)

I'd love it if you all could help me understand the average ratio of thickness, length and taper for those of us with long hair by providing the following info and measurements:

- Thickness: F, F/M, M, M/C, C
- Volume: i, i/ii, ii/iii, iii
- Current length:

- Nape circumference:
- Length from nape to ends:
Now, please take this last number and divide by 5. That will give us 4 points of measurement no matter how long or short your hair is, and you're already 20% of the way done as you've already done one of them. :D
- 1/4 or 25% circumference:
- 1/2 or 50% circumference:
- 3/4 or 75% circumference:
- 100% may not be measurable on most of us depending on hemline, but if you can, go for it! If not maybe try for a 90% or 95% measurement?
- All done!

Any replies to this would be helpful for help me see if I just need to love my hair the way it was created, or to find out if there are more ways to reduce damage and therefor breakage to the hair as it tries to grow to it's fullest potential until it's anagen period is over.

Thanks!

[Mesmerise]

I think this is an interesting idea, even if it's a little challenging!

I won't do it myself because I've had too much shedding and thus I don't think my taper would be "average" at all. I have a lot of short hairs that don't even go in my ponytail, but some of the shorter (regrown) hairs will be in the ponytail, making it thicker at the nape than it was when I had my shedding, but also making the taper greater than it should be (if that makes sense).

I guess I mean that it will take a loooong time for my normal thickness to return fully! (Like 3 to 4 years LOL). It will get thickest at the roots first, then the new hair will all fit into the ponytail, and then gradually, gradually, gradually the ends will start catching up!

[Jomo]

I'm pretty sure that when my hair was cut last it was layered somewhat, as it was a shoulder length cut. So my last two measurements might not be very applicable. However, I do certainly lose some fullness along the way down naturally.

But my results are:

Type: about a F/M ii
Length 33"

Nape - 3 1/4"
1/4 down - 3 1/4"
1/2 down - 3"
3/4 down - 2"
about 9/10 down (I have major unmeasurable fairy tale ends from 2 years without any trims) - 1"

I think that the hemline considerably thickens after you reach whatever length you're after and start trimming up to that, allowing the slower-growing strands of hair to 'catch up' - unless of course you're growing to terminal length, since many of the hairs will never get to that long.

[frizzinator]

Over the past couple of years, I maintained a length of between 33 to 36 inches, in an effort to thicken the hemline.

What I've learned is that sometimes shedding and breakage is out of my control, and the thickness of my hair will change.

I have increased the thickness of my hemline from less than an inch, to an inch and a half.

The circumference of the top of my ponytail has been more variable than the hemline! When I started this maintenance a couple of years ago, it was two and a quarter inches.

By treating my hair gently as if it were "old lace", the base of my ponytail increased to three and a quarter inches.

Then my hair went through several months of breaking and shedding, and the circumference at the base decreased to two and three quarter inches, yet the hemline circumference remained at one and a half inches!

[Firefox7275]

My hair is not long enough to help you, but I am not sure you can come up with an average without knowing more about each individual. My hair tapers a lot due to mechanical damage, some have little taper because post-childbirth sheds have kicked a high percentage of hairs into the same growth cycle.

[Mesmerise]

My hair is not long enough to help you, but I am not sure you can come up with an average without knowing more about each individual. My hair tapers a lot due to mechanical damage, some have little taper because post-childbirth sheds have kicked a high percentage of hairs into the same growth cycle.

This is true, but I still find it an interesting/useful exercise! I'm really interested in how people's hemline increases in thickness when they start maintaining a length. It will be years before my hemline can really thicken up, but it's nice to think it CAN happen! I just need to avoid any more massive shedding :rolleyes:. My goal is to have a circ of at least 3" at the nape, and if I can achieve 1.5" at the end of my hair, I'd be rapt (no idea what it is now...but fairly sure it's well under an inch, and probably unmeasurable).

[princessp]

I am wearing braids today so these may not be 100% accurate.

My length is around 37" and thickness is about 4.75 as I go down in equal intervals it goes like this:
4.75"
4"
3"
2"
1" hair sticking out of the end of my braid

I have a long way to go to get that 4.75" thickness all the way down! But I have to say I noticed the other day that I am thicker in longer places than I have ever been in the past so my routine is definitely working. I guess the trick is just grow doing your occasional trims to help thicken up your ends.

Great thread!

ETA: Ooops I didn't do the math!

-Thickness: M
- Volume: iii
- Current length: 37"

- Nape circumference: 4.75"
- Length from nape to ends: 27"

Now, please take this last number and divide by 5. That will give us 4 points of measurement no matter how long or short your hair is, and you're already 20% of the way done as you've already done one of them. I'm not sure what you are asking here, is it the nape-end length? If so mine is 27 so it would =5.4"

[Fairlight63]

This is interesting! I wear my hair in a braid a lot of the time & the end seems so thin.
I will give it a try.
Thickness: F
Vol. ii
Current Length: 35"
Length from nape to ends: 21 1/2
Nape cir. 2 3/4
1/4 down: 1 5/8
1/2 down: 1 1/2
3/4 down: 1 1/4"
9/10 down 1"