Thickness perception

[Herb]

My ponytail circumference is just over 4" (11 cm), and I often think: "Oh, my hair would be great if it could be twice as thick as it is now."
In reality, over 8" thickness is probably madness, not to mention almost impossible for anyone to have!

What have you done to my brain, LHC? :p
Anyone else as silly as me?

[christine1989]

Yes, even thick seems thin to me after joining LHC. I once actually saw a woman who must have had close to an 8 inch pony circumfrence and I was practically drooling as I stared at the back of her head! :laugh:

[gthlvrmx]

Me!!
8 inches sounds perfect! More than perfect! :D Braids as thick as your wrists. Im sure it's possible right? Maybe.
I remember seeing a woman with a THICK braid, i mean it was almost completely covering her neck, it was huge in thickness, no taper whatsoever at the bottom.

[HintOfMint]

I used to think I had thick hair at a 4 " ponytail circumference. Then I came here and saw other members, and definitely felt a little... wilted.

[Mairéad]

I haven't been able to get an accurate pony tail circumference since I can't make a pony tail, but I've always perceived my hair to be thin. That was until I started hearing from people on here that my hair has at least average thickness and maybe even more. And you know what? It does!

I guess years of hearing people say, "Oh, your hair is much too thin to be long," got me to. But screw them. My hair isn't thin! It also isn't baby fine! People lied to me. Not there's anything wrong with thin baby fine hair; I just don't have what people keep telling me I do. It made me really confused as how I should care for it. Now, I've figured myself out.

[Yame]

Before coming here I actually thought my hair was very thin! Before measuring, I was convinced I would be an i.

Then I found out I am actually an ii at 4'' circumference, which is pretty cool.

Still, my hair is obviously not thick, and I still consider it thin simply because most individual strands are so course, which is what I think gives it some thickness. If my strands were fine, I think my hair would be truly thin.

Either way, it's nice to know I have more thickness than I thought. But I do find myself thinking the same thing as you... "if only I had just double the amount of hair I do now!" I think my hair would look great at twice the circumference!

On the other hand, it would be muuuch much harder to care for, so I do feel lucky that my hair is medium thickness. I get the best of both worlds (it doesn't look too thin, but doesn't come with the hassles of being too thick!)

[islandboo]

Sigh, I long for 2" and would be insanely overjoyed to have 3"!!

[Monkey962]

I once had a dream where my ponytail wasn't 5" in circumference, but in diameter. It was like an actual pony's tail. It was to my knees, too.

[chopandchange]

Do you mean like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11981955@N07/2357473932/

*sigh*

[pink.sara]

Lol, mine has only ever measured 5.5 to 6.4 depending on if I have it thinned or if my fringe is included, but it still feels like I'd want more. It was only this week when it was really hot and I bought a "L" Ficcare and it was too small at less than APL ( :( ) I remembered how heavy and annoying super thick hair is!

[Madora]

Well, take it from someone who had very thick hair in her salad days...you do NOT want to put up with all the rinsing to get out the shampoo and conditioner!! You rinse and rinse and rinse some more! Definitely not fun!

[ALYSSA]

Do you mean like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11981955@N07/2357473932/





wpw! my jaw dropped i showed my sister and her jaw dropped too her hair is beautiful i couldnt handle ll that but wow its amazing :) i dont know if my hair is thick or thin it just matters who i compare t too i guess alot of people tell me its full .some say thick , alot say medium ive gotten thin a few times. im confused! i dont know how to measure it and i dont care to i wish some one would just tell me what my hair was.

[pink.sara]

Well, take it from someone who had very thick hair in her salad days...you do NOT want to put up with all the rinsing to get out the shampoo and conditioner!! You rinse and rinse and rinse some more! Definitely not fun!

Thats true, there's always a bit above my ear and behind my crown that never gets properly rinsed... Even though I know it's there! eugh, luckily the rest hides the stringy bits if you don't get it!

[chopandchange]

wpw! my jaw dropped i showed my sister and her jaw dropped too her hair is beautiful i couldnt handle ll that but wow its amazing :) i dont know if my hair is thick or thin it just matters who i compare t too i guess alot of people tell me its full .some say thick , alot say medium ive gotten thin a few times. im confused! i dont know how to measure it and i dont care to i wish some one would just tell me what my hair was.

All you do is get a tape measure and wrap it round your hair at the nape of your neck (as though you were going to use it to tie a ponytail). Then see how much it measures.

[AnnaJamila]

I have a good bit of hair but it's so straight it all kinda collapses together and I get no body. I would love to have enough to have two thick hanks over each shoulder then still have tons going down my back!

I blame Disney.

[flourish]

I guess I'm the odd person out on this. I have thick-ish hair (around 5.5 or so I think) and I have absolutely no desire to have thicker hair. It's already hot and coarse and terrible to deal with during the summer heat. When it's short it's absolutely terrible to keep off my neck and when it's longer and pulled up it's a pain to get it to stay up without using massive amounts of bobby pins.

[elbow chic]

nope, I do not want any more thickness. Mine is a little over 4.5, and even at BSL it doesn't lay nicely-- it sort of hangs there in a solid "block" around my shoulders. I had really hoped that getting to BSL would improve its drape, but I'm still waiting. :laugh:

Plus it's hot as all get outs.

Good think I like braids, because I am living in them this summer!

[SwordWomanRiona]

I have medium thickness (3.3'' circumference), but after seeing all the gorgeous thick heads of hair here in LHC, the main complaint I have about my hair (apart from the fact that it isn't copper red :)) is that it isn't thick enough :rant:!! I would love to have a thicker hemline. And the fact that my hair is very fine doesn't help, of course.

[Charlotte]

Sigh, I long for 2" and would be insanely overjoyed to have 3"!!


Me too Islandboo! :o I would be SO happy if I even had three inches! Boo hoo... :p :blossom:

[torrilin]

Then I found out I am actually an ii at 4'' circumference, which is pretty cool.

Guess what? 4" is the maximum for the ii category, same way 2" is the minimum. You probably should type yourself as a ii/iii at the absolute lowest, and iii would be better. Because of the way circles work geometrically, you've got something like twice as much hair as my 3" circumference, and if I get much thicker I should probably think seriously about a ii/iii typing.

Why?

Coz the thickness measure helps you figure out what styles you can do. Me saying "oh of course you can do a figure 8 bun at BSL" is pretty much meaningless advice, despite us both typing ourselves as ii... you would need a lot more than 25" of hair to manage that bun!

And of course if I gave the same advice to someone who is at 2" circumference, she'd find she likely doesn't need anywhere NEAR the hair length I would to do a figure 8, so she can probably do it at BSL even if she's a lot shorter than me. (whee! long torso and tallish means a lot of the 5'10" ladies hit BSL at the same length as me)

[Sunshineliz]

I WISH mine were 4"....even 3" Last I checked it was 2.5 in. (I rather hope it'll get thicker with better care.) I'm getting used to wurls and it seems to me that the people with the prettiest ones around here always have the thicker hair--never seems to be any air between those curls. :(

[InTheCity]

I WISH mine were 4"....even 3" Last I checked it was 2.5 in. (I rather hope it'll get thicker with better care.) I'm getting used to wurls and it seems to me that the people with the prettiest ones around here always have the thicker hair--never seems to be any air between those curls. :(

Ugh, I totally agree. My waves look piece-y and my ponytail is a joke. Even at 25" it tapered into nothingness. From 2.5" at base to about .25" at the bottom...

[archel]

Be careful what you wish for, I bet my sister's hair is that thick, and it's a nightmare for her to try to deal with!

[UltraBella]

No thank you ! I would never want thicker hair than I have now. That does not sound appealing at all......

[luthein]

I am at between 3.0 -- 3.5" and I'm okay with it. I was fine with it pre-LHC. I came here and got self-conscious, and now I'm mostly over it.

[DakarNick]

Just remember the math! Having a 4" circumference and wishing you had 8" doesn't mean you have twice the hair. Circumference to area is not linear. You would actually have four times as much hair.

2" circumference equals .32" area
3" circumference equals .72" area
4" circumference equals 1.27" area
5" circumference equals 1.96" area
6" circumference equals 2.89" area
7" circumference equals 3.87" area
8" circumference equals 5.10" area

Someone with 5" circumference has 2.7 times the hair as one with a 3" circumference.
Someone with 5" circumference has 1.54 times the hair as one with a 4" circumference.

[jojo]

4.4" and yet my hair doesnt seem thick to me, but I love it as it is.

[Chetanlaiho]

My hair is about 8 cm so I think I could do with tripling it xD

My hair is not even that thin but it just feels sooo thin xD (especially after some really heavy shedding lately =( I remember being over 9 before v_v)

[littlenvy]

Sigh, I long for 2" and would be insanely overjoyed to have 3"!!

^5 ! Me too! Maybe one day.

[littlenvy]

Just remember the math! Having a 4" circumference and wishing you had 8" doesn't mean you have twice the hair. Circumference to area is not linear. You would actually have four times as much hair.

2" circumference equals .32" area
3" circumference equals .72" area
4" circumference equals 1.27" area
5" circumference equals 1.96" area
6" circumference equals 2.89" area
7" circumference equals 3.87" area
8" circumference equals 5.10" area

Someone with 5" circumference has 2.7 times the hair as one with a 3" circumference.
Someone with 5" circumference has 1.54 times the hair as one with a 4" circumference.
hhmmm ... I don't think having a bigger circumference always means that you have more hair than another person :?
You can have loads of straight fine hair in the same circumference as a person with much less coarse curly hair.

However; I agree with you if we are talking about the same person who just grew more hair or lost some.

[battles]

I'm currently a 2.5", but I have bangs and my layers aren't fully grown out.. I hope that adds a little extra.

[princessp]

nope, I do not want any more thickness. Mine is a little over 4.5, and even at BSL it doesn't lay nicely-- it sort of hangs there in a solid "block" around my shoulders. I had really hoped that getting to BSL would improve its drape, but I'm still waiting. :laugh:

Plus it's hot as all get outs.

Good think I like braids, because I am living in them this summer!

Yeah me too. I can't remember what my pony circumference is at the moment, but I am considered thick by LHC standards. Anyway, it is a lot to maintain as is. I have no need for more thickness (just length please~ that's sounds so dirty). Anyway if anything I would like to have straight blue-black classic length shiny hair (if only it would look good on me).

ETA: Okay found my pony circumference it measured 4.5 inches last year and 4.8 inches this year so it is likely someone between there now ~ gah that is too much hair for someone who is only 5'4" (cousin It anyone?).

[MissManda]

I'm nowhere near the high end of iii and wouldn't so much as dream of doubling my current volume of hair. Even though I'm just at 4.1-4.25" thickness, rinsing out shampoo and conditioner is a royal pain and I even have to be careful about getting my hair completely soaked through because the water from the showerhead will not penetrate it without a little extra manipulation. Not to mention it's about 100 degrees F where I live and it's just terrible. No way would I want a 6" pony circumference! :tmi:

I do have my days where I feel like I don't have enough hair, though, because I have a fairly straight texture that disguises the true thickness and I don't like getting the occasional "Your hair is thin," comment. I have days where I think a 4.5-4.75" pony would be nice, but then I realize that I do have a good amount of hair and that thickness isn't everything when it comes to beautiful, healthy hair.

Overall, though, I'm quite happy with what I've got.

[Lostsoule77]

I always thought I had thick hair until I came on here and measured my ponytail circumfrance (not that I can remember what that was. ETA - I just checked & it's only 4.25, thicker than when I joined, still can't remember what that measurment was.) The only time I wish for more is when my hair is braided. I love the look of a nice thick braid with no taper. I can't even imagine having thicker than I have though because even I have difficulty getting conditioner out. I too used to have problems getting all of my hair wet. I still do when I'm not home and have to wash my hair. It's a real pain and can't imagine having to deal with it if it was thicker. I think the women on here with thick hair have absolutely gorgeous hair, I just wouldn't want to have to deal with it. :)

[rapunzhell13]

I wouldn't want thicker hair. I'm not exactly sure what my circumference is, but it's definitely "iii". It's like a thick blanket, which is nice for winter and not so nice for summer. It gets heavy. It takes a long time to wash and each wash uses up a lot of product. It takes a long time to dry. If you want to get something done at a salon they charge a lot more for thick hair. Having said all that, it does look amazing. Not necessarily more than thin hair, but it does have wow factor. On the other hand, thin hair can do all those pretty intricate styles that reminds me of fairies. :) I think the best thing to do is to remind yourself what it is you like about the thickness you have. When you feel good about your hair, it's much easier to resist cutting it back.

Is there anyone with very thick hair that wants more thickness? It seems to me that it's mostly people with hair on the thinner side that want super thick hair.

[C.H.]

I started to think my hair was on the thin side in recent months, and now that I've spent some time on LHC, I absolutely consider my hair thin. My pony circumference seems tiny to me at 2.5 inches. I have a hard time believing that it's really in the normal range. Anyway, I truly admire and do sometimes envy the thicker-haired members.

But in reality, I probably wouldn't change it. First of all, I have a lot of body and minimal taper which makes it appear thick even though it's not. So cosmetically it's comparable to some thicker hair most of the time even though I know the truth. Also, being on LHC has made me realize there are a lot of advantages to thinner hair which I would not want to give up. Chief among them being able to do more intricate updos. Also, it is not too heavy, not too hot, and I can use smaller and more delicate hair toys. Plus, if my hair was thicker I'd go through products much faster (costing me money), and it would take my hair even longer to dry (costing me time). No my braids are not the soul of thickness, nor do my updos look quite as dramatic as some others. But on the whole, I think I come out okay and have struck a pretty good balance.

[UltraBella]

Is there anyone with very thick hair that wants more thickness? It seems to me that it's mostly people with hair on the thinner side that want super thick hair.

It may also have as much to do with texture as it does thickness, in my opinion. Someone who has the same circumference as I do, but with straight sleek hair, may have an easier time caring for it. Not only is my hair 5.8" in circumference, but it is medium AND coarsely textured and frizzy/wavy. Someone else may have a much easier time dealing with the same amount of hair because it behaves entirely differently.
It's just like looking at the hair albums on here. Someone with the same circumference as I have can look like they have WAY less hair than I do. It's all about texture and some textures are far more easy to take care of. I could understand someone with hair that doesn't tangle, frizz out or misbehave - wanting more. I would NEVER want more and if fact cut mine to rid myself of some of the hassle. So, I think thickness is just one aspect of it.

[ibleedlipstick]

It may also have as much to do with texture as it does thickness, in my opinion. Someone who has the same circumference as I do, but with straight sleek hair, may have an easier time caring for it. Not only is my hair 5.8" in circumference, but it is medium AND coarsely textured and frizzy/wavy. Someone else may have a much easier time dealing with the same amount of hair because it behaves entirely differently.
It's just like looking at the hair albums on here. Someone with the same circumference as I have can look like they have WAY less hair than I do. It's all about texture and some textures are far more easy to take care of. I could understand someone with hair that doesn't tangle, frizz out or misbehave - wanting more. I would NEVER want more and if fact cut mine to rid myself of some of the hassle. So, I think thickness is just one aspect of it.

So true. SOOOO true. I am sitting here rather shocked, because I have a 6.1" circumference, and I thought that my hair was way thinner than yours... I have super straight hair that frizzes some, but only really "waves" the day after I wash it (after it is *finally* dry.) Texture can be everything.

I would never want more hair than I have. I did have a major shed a year ago — I lost an inch, roughly, and it scared me. However... thick hair can be evil. I can't wear certain hair clips, I can use hair ties as weapons that my hair spits out, and washing/drying/styling it can take forever. Also, it is the heaviest thing in the summer, and is everywhere. You thought that you had all of your hair in the braid you made in three seconds... well, now that you/your partner/your dog/your meal is laying on top of the half inch that you missed while braiding.

Going into get it cut is always fun — stylists loooooove to thin hair. They really do. Guess why? Because it is an epic pain to try to create a trendy style with masses of hair.

[rena]

I'm coming to terms with my lack of thickness, despite having parents who had iii/iiii thickness in their day. It gets so poofy and big that I don't need more hair to actually look full. I shudder to think what it would be like if it actually WAS thick!

[UltraBella]

So true. SOOOO true. I am sitting here rather shocked, because I have a 6.1" circumference, and I thought that my hair was way thinner than yours...


6.1" is crazy ! Especially when you consider that thread you posted last August about your massive shed and your hair only being 3" in circumference. What a giant difference a year can make, huh ?

I don't know what my thickness would be if my hair was not layered, thinned a bit with a razor (oh, how I love a good razoring) and if I didn't have bangs. However, I do not plan on ever finding out, lol ! I think I would look a bit bizarre.

[kwaniesiam]

If I had twice as much thickness I'd still be on the thinner side of average. Sigh...

[maria_asa]

If I had twice as much thickness I'd still be on the thinner side of average. Sigh...

This

I would like thicker hair but not super thick, it'd be way too much work for me.

[jeanniet]

Thick hair isn't all it's cracked up to be. Yes, it's nice and full, but mine tangles easily and has to be up or braided when I'm outside, because one gust of wind and it's a nightmare mess. Plus it has to be really long to do much in the way of different updos. Right now I'm almost at waist and I can barely do a lazy wrap. I won't be able to do anything like a Figure 8 or nautilus until I'm at hip. I keep changing my goal length because I want to be able to do more updos!

[Aveyronnaise]

Well , I am satisfied with my hair but I am going to have to adjust to thicker hair sometime soon. Right now i am like 5 and 1/4 with bangs but i had a series of massive sheds after pregnancy , and extended breastfeeding. I am just now learning to style with what I have.
All along my crown and actually all over my head I have a ton of little post shed hairs they are like 5-6 inches long.
I am one of the ones that isn't knocked out over the idea of lots more hair. I had a roomie with long TB red hair on the thin side back in the day and she could do all of those cool twisty hair styles and she didn't get headaches from the weight of her hair. It was so pretty like copper wires you could bend into fun shapes.
I'm not going to lie , it's nice to have abundant hair but past a point it becomes really limiting.

[Earth Angel]

Sigh, I long for 2" and would be insanely overjoyed to have 3"!!

me too! I'm also just under 2"......no fair :(

[Mesmerise]

Haha what I find disturbing is the people on here saying, "Oh my hair's only 4" thick" or "My hair's thickish at only 5.5""!!! I wish mine were 3" and I'd be happy ;).

Guys if you've got 4" you've officially got "thick" hair in my book :D. If you're over 5" then...wow...

And just being mathematically anally-retentive, 8" is more than twice the thickness of 4"! In actual fact hair with a 5.6" circumference actually has twice the area of a 4" circumference! (That's if my rapid calculation is correct lol).

[Toadstool]

Too HOT!!!

[FluffSpider]

Me!!
8 inches sounds perfect! More than perfect! :D Braids as thick as your wrists. Im sure it's possible right? Maybe.
I remember seeing a woman with a THICK braid, i mean it was almost completely covering her neck, it was huge in thickness, no taper whatsoever at the bottom.
My wrists are so puny my ii hair would need a solid shed:p My mum's reaction too seeing my hands is 'um, DD, you a spider?'


I haven't been able to get an accurate pony tail circumference since I can't make a pony tail, but I've always perceived my hair to be thin. That was until I started hearing from people on here that my hair has at least average thickness and maybe even more. And you know what? It does!

I guess years of hearing people say, "Oh, your hair is much too thin to be long," got me to. But screw them. My hair isn't thin! It also isn't baby fine! People lied to me. Not there's anything wrong with thin baby fine hair; I just don't have what people keep telling me I do. It made me really confused as how I should care for it. Now, I've figured myself out.

THIS!


I have a good bit of hair but it's so straight it all kinda collapses together and I get no body. I would love to have enough to have two thick hanks over each shoulder then still have tons going done my back!

I blame Disney.
*dreamy stare* that would be aweeeeesome.*snaps back to reality*. Yup. It's Disney's fault alright.

[pink.sara]

Just a small hijack, I've used henna quite a few times recently and have heard it increases your hair thickness so I got my SO to measure my ponytail and he came up with 6.4 inches!! I was thinking wow thats pretty huge (I normally measure 5.5) so I measured it myself today and sure enough... 5.5.
Turns out he measured over the elastic, even though I told him not to. Honestly! I was about to run in a panic to the nearest hairdresser and demand they razor it more! It's too hot to wear down as it is let alone if it really were 6+ inches.
Moral of the story? Thick hair is hot! (And my SO does not take my hair obsession seriously enough ;)

[PorkChop]

Haha what I find disturbing is the people on here saying, "Oh my hair's only 4" thick" or "My hair's thickish at only 5.5""!!! I wish mine were 3" and I'd be happy ;).

Guys if you've got 4" you've officially got "thick" hair in my book :D. If you're over 5" then...wow...

And just being mathematically anally-retentive, 8" is more than twice the thickness of 4"! In actual fact hair with a 5.6" circumference actually has twice the area of a 4" circumference! (That's if my rapid calculation is correct lol).

I agree, i think my hair is 3 inches, and ive always thought its looked average thickness. Getting worried now with people with 4inches complaining :(

[Gulbahar]

Within the last year I increased my thickness from <7.5cm to >8.5cm (thats about 3.4in). But my hair tapers so much that it doesn't really help. I'll have to wait and see if the thickness travels down or not. But I've always had lots of hair that never grew longer than about 20cm which makes English braids impossible for me if I don't want to look totally dishevelled after one hour or so.
I'd be very happy if i had the same thickness that I have now but no or only little taper. That would make a huge difference.

[Theobroma]

I agree, i think my hair is 3 inches, and ive always thought its looked average thickness. Getting worried now with people with 4inches complaining :(

I think that being on LHC tends to skew our perceptions of what is and isn't average. All the time I was growing up I was always the one with the thickest hair in my class (actually, I was sometimes told my hair was too thick and I should have it thinned). And even then I didn't have much more thickness, if any, than I have now, which is 3" or so. I know this because I still have the classic-length braid I chopped to about APL when I was twelve.

I think that people with very thick hair are over-represented on LHC than among the general population, so that hair that would count as thick anywhere else starts to look no more than average here. The trick is not to let this fact mess with your mind! :)

[Mesmerise]

I agree, i think my hair is 3 inches, and ive always thought its looked average thickness. Getting worried now with people with 4inches complaining :(

Since joining LHC I've really started to notice people's ponytail circumference :D. As 3" is smack bang in the middle of the ii category, I think it's pretty much just average! I've seen my share of people with thinner circs (maybe i or i/ii) and I've seen a few with thicker circs. Of course it's impossible to estimate from just seeing other's hair, but you do get a feel for how thick/thin someone's hair is.

I actually think LHC may have a higher proportion of iiis than out there in the "real world" as a lot of thinner haired ladies have been led to the idea that they can't grow their hair long, so they don't! Of course, there are a bunch of us with i and lower ii hair here who are striving for length too, which is great!

But still I think if you measured the circumferences of a wide range of people, you'd find most in the iis, and your average would be around 3".

I've spent a lot of time envying those with thicker hair, but I'm starting to think that a nice average thickness isn't so bad at all! It's not so hot and heavy in summer, and it's easier to do updos when it's not so long! I do love thick hair, but I'm starting to see the positive side of havving thinner hair too. I just hope that I can eventually grow to hip without see-through ends. If I do that I'll be rapt even if my hair isn't all that thick!

[Chetanlaiho]

My thickness is just about 3.4 inches I think, when I went to get my bangs trimmed the stylist said my hair was 'nicely thick' and my reaction was basically? 'Really? I think it's fairly average' xD But yea I often glance to the i's category of the classifying system on the side and I definitely see more iii's on this forum than IRL, which doesn't help me trying to make peace with ii ^^;

[Anje]

If I had twice as much thickness I'd still be on the thinner side of average. Sigh...
I'm with you... Twice as much hair would still leave me in the ii range.

[spidermom]

Goodness, no! I have about 4" and that's more than enough to deal with. Please powers that be; don't send more!

[Jenw777]

Wow the comments on this are weird! They shouldn't have make me laugh. Boy her hair is amazing though!


Do you mean like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11981955@N07/2357473932/

*sigh*

[Jenw777]

Oh, also I just measured and my circumfrence is 4.5 inches. It's larger than I had thought.

I have bangs, layered, razored hair. Oh and I couldn't stand how thick it was and had them use the thinning shears quite a few haircuts in a row. I've stopped that how but dread the rethickening of my hair.

It was a nightmare!

[halo_tightens]

Mine is over 4", and kind of coarse and wild like UltraBella described hers. It's hot as hell, and sometimes a real pain to detangle. At very close to waist, I still can't do most of the buns I'd like to do.

Nonetheless, I would still happily take more if it showed up! When I set out to grow my hair a little over 2 years ago, I decided that I wanted the longest, thickest, BIGGEST mass of hair that my head is capable of producing. It may be a pain, but bring it on. :)

[Spring]

Do you mean like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11981955@N07/2357473932/

*sigh*

That braid is incredible. I never thought a braid like that existed. :crush:

[Yame]

Haha what I find disturbing is the people on here saying, "Oh my hair's only 4" thick" or "My hair's thickish at only 5.5""!!! I wish mine were 3" and I'd be happy ;).

Guys if you've got 4" you've officially got "thick" hair in my book :D. If you're over 5" then...wow...

Although my circ is 4'', my hair looks a lot more like ii hair than iii hair. I hear what you and others are saying, but I can't in good conscience type myself as an iii. I know what my hair looks and feels like and it just isn't thick.

My haircuts (when professionally done) take about two seconds because there isn't that much hair to section. At the end there is hardly any hair on the ground afterward (my ends don't even taper that much).
I go through my whole head S&Ding the whole length in maybe 20 min.

I think 4'' looks different on different people. Also, different people have different preferences and goals when it comes to their own hair. I don't see a reason why my preferences on my own hair should affect or disturb you or anybody else.



And just being mathematically anally-retentive, 8" is more than twice the thickness of 4"! In actual fact hair with a 5.6" circumference actually has twice the area of a 4" circumference! (That's if my rapid calculation is correct lol).
Great point there. Clearly I am math-challenged! :)
(someone else made this point earlier in this thread, so thank you both for setting it straight)

[Mesmerise]

I think 4'' looks different on different people. Also, different people have different preferences and goals when it comes to their own hair. I don't see a reason why my preferences on my own hair should affect or disturb you or anybody else.


I think it's just that when people who have circs of 2.5" or less read that 4" isn't much or whatever, they feel sort of depressed about their own hair because 4" sounds so thick in comparison! So yeah, you are right we shouldn't feel disturbed because you want thicker hair, but a few of us will feel a little sad that 4" isn't enough for someone when we'd be happy with less :o.

However, I do sort of understand what you're saying, because I have seen people whose hair doesn't look that thick wear it in a ponytail, and the circ is surprisingly large and I wonder "where did all that hair come from??"

After posting this I realised something else too... my hair...when not in its current shed state, has probably got a circ of near 3" (maybe just under) and yet it used to look fairly thick when I wore it out. Well, not thick so much as boofy! But the boofiness gave an illusion of thickness I guess. I suppose when I read 4" I am comparing it to my hair which is probably not quite 3" and looks thickish, so 4" to me probably sounds thicker than it does for you because your thicker hair doesn't seem all that thick, possibly because it's not boofy?! I guess that's maybe cause you've got 1a hair which probably isn't the least bit boofy :o.

[Chetanlaiho]

Hmm I don't think I'd want to double my circumference, that'd be too much. But there's not much I wouldn't give to have my hair be about 4-5 inches in circumference xD (but I think I could live with my current thickness if my ends weren't so damn thin! =( )

[RitaCeleste]

Mine is only about 3 inches. I've had it thinned many times in the past. Straightened, I feel bald. Wavy it looks like tons of hair. I have decided to stop thinning it and see how much hair I grow. I don't wish for thick hair though, just less short hairs adding poof. My hair use to be thicker and I was always getting thinned. I'm not feeling like hearing Cousin It comments again. I think if I ever have more than 4 inches, I'd be tempted to have it thinned.

[princessp]

So true. SOOOO true. I am sitting here rather shocked, because I have a 6.1" circumference.

Wow now that's a lot of hair! I think you should call yourself a iv. :p

[Chetanlaiho]

Wow now that's a lot of hair! I think you should call yourself a iv. :p

This haha xD I think the categories should include iv and v, because now I feel like ii is really i ^^;

[Roseate]

My ponytail circumference is just over 4" (11 cm), and I often think: "Oh, my hair would be great if it could be twice as thick as it is now."


Not me, I'm still in the opposite camp! I mean, on one hand I love my thick hair; it is sturdy and reliable and I never have to obsess with the old-lace treatment.

But OTOH, it is heavy and hot, hard to rinse, prone to scalp problems because of being hard to rinse, and too thick to go nicely into many styles: I envy thinner, more flexible braids very much! My braid is like a club, not graceful at all. I think I'd be very happy with a circumference of, oh, maybe 3" or so? Something a little more modest like that.

I'd definitely not have long hair if my hair were twice its current circumference. It would be kept cropped for sure, I would not want to deal with that much hair.

[McFearless]

I really don't like how thick hair is the ideal here. I've also seen the i and ii thickness people talk like their hair is less impressive. Not true!!

[McFearless]

Do you mean like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11981955@N07/2357473932/

*sigh*

The comments..

:|

[MissManda]

I really don't like how thick hair is the ideal here. I've also seen the i and ii thickness people talk like their hair is less impressive. Not true!!

This.

The most impressive braid that I have ever seen belonged to a man who had i or i/ii hair. He was a substitute teacher at my high school and I would find myself staring in awe at his lengthy braid. It couldn't have been wider than two of my very petite fingers put together, but that didn't detract from the WOW factor because it looked so intricate, dark, and shiny. His braid went all the way down to somewhere in the vicinity tailbone or classic length and I found myself feeling a little envious of the length (I had a pixie at the time). He always seem to keep it neat and tidy, too, no braid fuzzies whatsoever.

I have seen some pretty thick looking braids, yes, but NONE of them were as beautiful or inspiring and I have yet to see another braid that gave me such a sense of enchantment.

[Spring]

I really don't like how thick hair is the ideal here. I've also seen the i and ii thickness people talk like their hair is less impressive. Not true!!

There are some very beautiful ii's on this forum.

[Roseate]

I really don't like how thick hair is the ideal here. I've also seen the i and ii thickness people talk like their hair is less impressive. Not true!!

Definitely not true!! I love those long, slender, whiplike braids a i/ii can have. The tightly coiled, low-profile updos. I love the way thin fine hair slips over the body, it's so soft and lovely. Thinner hair has a lot going for it!

LHC has helped me to love my own hair for what it is, and it really is too bad if thinner, finer textures don't feel the same way.

[Sunshineliz]

Do you mean like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11981955@N07/2357473932/

*sigh*

The comments..

:|

:agape: :run:

Wow, that's a good example of why you should be careful with your picture on the net.

[Busybee]

I don't actually know what my circumfrence is. I admit LHC has made me envious of others, and scared to even measure, as I think I will shed more tears along with my already shedding/damaged hair.

Measuring my circumfrence will go 2 ways:

Direction 1) I am depressed about my hair and knowing my pitiful circumfrence will make me check it over and over, obsessively, making myself cry that it's getting nowhere.

Direction 2) I am trying to be positive about my hair and knowing my circumfrence will give me something to compare to when my hair starts to improve.


Direction 1 usually wins....so I still haven't measured yet.

[pepperminttea]

Definitely not true!! I love those long, slender, whiplike braids a i/ii can have. The tightly coiled, low-profile updos. I love the way thin fine hair slips over the body, it's so soft and lovely. Thinner hair has a lot going for it!

I have to agree! There's something so elegant about thinner hair, like a sheet of silk. And when my big ol' bun is knocking against my headrest in the car, hurting my neck even though I'm practically looking my lap, I would love to able to have the length without the 'mass'; to be able to tuck my hair into a beautiful, unassuming style, and to be able to do more intricate styles at shorter lengths... the thickness envy definitely goes both ways!

[headtrip_honey]

I don't actually know what my circumfrence is. I admit LHC has made me envious of others, and scared to even measure, as I think I will shed more tears along with my already shedding/damaged hair.

Measuring my circumfrence will go 2 ways:

Direction 1) I am depressed about my hair and knowing my pitiful circumfrence will make me check it over and over, obsessively, making myself cry that it's getting nowhere.

Direction 2) I am trying to be positive about my hair and knowing my circumfrence will give me something to compare to when my hair starts to improve.


Direction 1 usually wins....so I still haven't measured yet.
If I were you, I'd measure.

Speaking as someone who also suffered a medicinal shed, measuring my ponytail circumference actually helped a lot.

a) It let me know that my circumference was about 2.75", which is normal, and
b) I have a way of gauging that it's NOT getting worse (which I sometimes panic it is), and hopefully will show me when it starts getting better.

I have no idea what my circ was before my shed, but my guess is probably around 3.25". I haven't lost an obscene amount, but enough to make me have to wrap my hair band once more when I make a ponytail, and enough to make a barette that used to be difficult to put in now easy peasy to put in.

[stefalupagus]

When I was growing up, my best friend had really, really ridiculously thick hair (probably a 6"+ circumference when we were 7-17), so I kind of always assumed that my hair was "thin" to her "thick," as though there were only two options. I got over that in college, where I decided that my hair is fine, but I have lots of individual hairs. I was still always a little self-conscious about my shrimpy braid or tiny bun, though. Now that I've come to LHC and actually measured, I've decided that my 4" ponytail is nothing to sneeze at, and that I should really just be happy with my hair the way it is. *steps off soap box*

[Lady Malys]

Well, when I joined LHC I measured the length of my hair, but not the thickness because I just *knew* it was going to be i and I would be disappointed. But in reading this thread I decided to measure ... and I am at 2.5" ... I am so excited (and a bit surprised)!! :happydance:

[terpentyna]

I accept my 3". I do.

>_>

[stefalupagus]

It may also have as much to do with texture as it does thickness, in my opinion. Someone who has the same circumference as I do, but with straight sleek hair, may have an easier time caring for it. Not only is my hair 5.8" in circumference, but it is medium AND coarsely textured and frizzy/wavy. Someone else may have a much easier time dealing with the same amount of hair because it behaves entirely differently.


This too! That same friend is of partial Amerindian descent and has incredibly coarse hair; we joked that it was like a horse's tail when we were kids. Texture in concert with actual number-of-hairs plays a huge role in perceived thickness.

[BlazingHeart]

Oh heavens, as someone who measures in between 5.5 and 5.8 (Not because of different fluffiness due to proximity to wash day, but because I can't get an accurate measure with my funky joints in my hands), I most assuredly do NOT want more and often think I would rather have less.

At waist, I can't do a single bun with sticks. Not one. I can sort of get a cinnabun...well, I can get 1 1/4 turns which means if I put several claw clips in it will sort of stay. But at this point, STILL, the primary way I can secure it is in a peacock/twist/fountain. I've tried a gibson tuck, but the sheer volume of hair I was trying to tuck in made my head hurt and made for a lumpy, bumpy, awkward looking style. A single braid eats up so much length that with an 8" tassle (because my hair has loads of layers from growing out from very short) my hair just barely reaches APL, if that.

Not to mention that just to wet my hair - not to rinse it or try to get things in or out of it, just to WET it - I have to section it into about 6 vertical sections. If I don't section vertically, it takes even more.

When I'm finally able to make buns, I probably won't ever be able to make the fancier ones and my buns will take up the whole back of my head. No nice neat little thing. Most of my hairtoys have to be bigger, which is more expensive. Also, my hair eats things. I also can't sleep with my hair up because it's such an enormous lump.

~Blaze

[Audrey Horne]

I was told my hair is thin. Once by my parents, the second time by one guy when I had a bad hair day. I still think my hair is very thin... Even if inches say otherwise. It isn't coarse and one length, so it feels extremely thin to me.

[Yame]

I was told my hair is thin. Once by my parents, the second time by one guy when I had a bad hair day. I still think my hair is very thin... Even if inches say otherwise. It isn't coarse and one length, so it feels extremely thin to me.

Your hair isn't thin at all! It looks like an iii to me.

[Audrey Horne]

Your hair isn't thin at all! It looks like an iii to me.

Thank you! My bangs are thick, though and sadly not long enough to get into the braids, that's why my braids are always very thin, especially when I start to get greasies... And of course, fine hair! All solid M or C types I see with the same inches or less - look thicker to me than my own hair.

[Kathie]

I couldn't go thicker :( Its already quite heavy when its wet.
I've already been thinking how hard its going to be as it gets longer and that I'm happy that it can take a bit of time to grow so I can get use to the weight.

[Mesmerise]

Well it's really interesting reading people's replies! I used to envy thick hair a lot, but when I read about some of the challenges I'm glad mine isn't so thick!

I think my hair just depresses me because of the bad taper, which is sort of made worse because my hair is boofy. Hard to explain, but because the new hair is growing in it makes the hair around my head boof out more thickly (even though it's not really that thick) but this makes the stringy ends look stringier. When I used to straighten my hair this wasn't so apparent (although of course the ends were so thin).

I think I'd be okay with the current thickness of my hair if I didn't have all that shedding related taper! My hair doesn't look at all thin usually, although I've always known that it was on the thin side.

But yeah, I've realised how much our perceptions of our own hair affect our perceptions of other people's hair! When I read someone has 4" hair I think "THICK" because mine is so much less... but it never really occurred to me that someone with 4" hair could have hair that appears thinner than mine (unless it's in a ponytail and the circumference is apparent!!) because they don't have the boofiness of my hair.

It's also interesting reading comments from those thick hairs about how they like the look of thinner hair (and vice versa lol). There DOES seem to be a perception that thick hair is "superior" and it is really not a fair perception (it's like the idea that taller is superior to shorter, or thinner is superior to fatter or whatever). I know I've seen very pretty thin hair, that's just as pretty as thick hair, and yet I've felt sort of "inadequate" about my own circumference... as if there's something wrong with not having a gazillion hair follicles or something!

Meh... in a couple of years I'll probably be all over my thinness paranoia anyway, because my hair will have grown back in so it won't look so thin even though the circ will never be that big.

[Kelikea]

My pony is right at 4in around. I feel like my hair is looks thick because the wave gives it a lot of body and also because when we would bun it for dance, I had the biggest bun. I sometimes would like it thicker, like for two braids so each is a good size, but in reality it would be too much hair for me. I'm 5'3" and my head is sorta small and my hairline is kinda far back so it sort of poofs out behind me and I look like a pinhead. And I'm sure if it was thicker it would be heavier and give me a headache.

[Theobroma]

I think my hair just depresses me because of the bad taper, which is sort of made worse because my hair is boofy. Hard to explain, but because the new hair is growing in it makes the hair around my head boof out more thickly (even though it's not really that thick) but this makes the stringy ends look stringier. [...]

I think I'd be okay with the current thickness of my hair if I didn't have all that shedding related taper!

I can relate so well to this! I'm growing out from a severe shed three years ago, and with my wurly/curly texture the thin ends do show up painfully. I'm just about brushing hip at this point and the bottom seven inches of my length are all of an inch in circumference (tapering down from three at the nape). It annoys me to no end, and the only way I can deal with it is by keeping my hair up. Although thin, the ends are useful as they give extra stability to certain buns. But they don't do a lot to counter the hair anorexia that seems to lie in wait for people who spend too much time reading longhair forums! It makes me feel as though I have about half as much hair as I really have, and, like you, I can't wait to grow it out and trim off the thin bits...

[Guenhwyvar]

Mine is only 3" when it used to be really thick.

I do have rather heavy side bangs with a lot cut round my chin that wont reach my hairband (I have always had bangs).

My hair is a lot tamer now though. Im 5"1 with a very small head (children's hats, sunglasses, Alice bands etc) so its probably about right.