Measuring...

[Amber_Maiden]

Having a hard time figuring out how long my hair is, because it has so many layers in it... Do I flip my hair over my head and measure it, or get my husband to measure it down my back? With a clothing measuring tape (the seamstress kind... It rolls up and is flexible), or should I use a yardstick? Tips please! I've never really measured it before... And since everyone brags about what length they are at, I want to too! :D

[spidermom]

I take a picture to monitor growth. Tape measures lie, especially if you have wavy hair. Some months it actually looked like I had lost length - very discouraging.

People who measure put the tape measure at the forehead/hair line and measure over the top of the head to the longest bits in back.

[Amber_Maiden]

I take a picture to monitor growth. Tape measures lie, especially if you have wavy hair. Some months it actually looked like I had lost length - very discouraging.

People who measure put the tape measure at the forehead/hair line and measure over the top of the head to the longest bits in back.


Really? they measure in an arch, not like the longest bits of hair they can find from root to end?

And yes, I'm having a very hard time figuring out what my length is because my hair is so wavy! I was shocked when I realized that I was at waist again within 3 weeks... I guess the waves made it look like I'd lost more length than I really had...

[blondie9912]

I would definitely go for the monthly photos if I had waves! I saw a member who took her photos with a book balanced on her head to ensure that she didn't tilt her back/forward, but rather kept it perfectly balanced in all her photos. It got me thinking...

[Amber_Maiden]

I would definitely go for the monthly photos if I had waves! I saw a member who took her photos with a book balanced on her head to ensure that she didn't tilt her back/forward, but rather kept it perfectly balanced in all her photos. It got me thinking...

hmmmm... But what about knowing how long your hair is? A lo of people around here talk about how many inches their hair is... It makes me feel left out... Weird I know. but "40in" and "Waist" sound very different.. because 40in looks impressive... haha... (the 40in was a guess btw.. just an example).

[Narya]

When I measure I do the tape-at-the-forehead and then down the back, stretching the hair so the wurls do not eat any (or hardly any) length. This way the measurements are consistent by themselves, even if my hair looks shorter that I say it is, but I measure just as a reference for myself to see how much is it growing/stalling. If that's what you want, I recommend it.

ETA: As far as I know, this is the "standard" method of measuring around here, so it's not that bad for comparing lengths between people: even if heads will be a different size I don't think it will make as much a difference as everybody measuring from a different point would.

[jojo]

I measure from the tip of my widows peak and over by doing it this way its more consistent, though not always reliable to be honest. I prefer photos, I do have a long thread going in the photo a month thread here > http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35093 .

[Amber_Maiden]

I measure from the tip of my widows peak and over by doing it this way its more consistent, though not always reliable to be honest. I prefer photos, I do have a long thread going in the photo a month thread here > http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35093 .

Thanks for the info! Btw, I joined your thread! Great idea! :)

[Mesmerise]

Measuring your hair really just involves using a soft tape measure, taking it from your hairline at the front, and measuring to the longest length of your back (stretching out any curls or wurls!).

When I first measured my hair I tried to just measure the longest bits, which were about 22" I think, and then I learned how to do it this way and got another 4" lol.

When I was younger, I used to just measure my fringe to see how fast my hair grew (when I was growing my fringe out) and used to record it in a diary! I think that was maybe a wee bit more accurate than this for recording growth speed, but didn't give me a "length" I could compare to other people's length.

Of course, if you've got any waves, it probably doesn't reflect how long your hair looks anyway. A 3a with 30" hair will have much much shorter hair than a 1a with 30' hair!

[spidermom]

I think saying something like "34.5 inches" is meaningless because that's a different length on each body type. On a tall person, that might be hip. On a short person, it could be classic length. I don't think people see someone with long hair go by and think "38 inches!" They think "butt length!" (or whatever applies)

But yes, if you must measure, measure in an arc as described. That's so that you have a stable point from which to measure at each time.

[Amber_Maiden]

I think saying something like "34.5 inches" is meaningless because that's a different length on each body type. On a tall person, that might be hip. On a short person, it could be classic length. I don't think people see someone with long hair go by and think "38 inches!" They think "butt length!" (or whatever applies)

But yes, if you must measure, measure in an arc as described. That's so that you have a stable point from which to measure at each time.

Good point... Sometimes I can be pretty silly :rolleyes:

I'll definitely measure though. Should I measure wet or dry? Is there a difference?

[teal]

I'd measure dry so your hair doesn't stretch and skew the measurement.

[MaryRose]

I measure wet each time to be sure to have a much more accurate measurement. My hair is curly/wavy, so wet for me is much more accurate than pulling a dry curl straight for an accurate length.

[Amber_Maiden]

I measure wet each time to be sure to have a much more accurate measurement. My hair is curly/wavy, so wet for me is much more accurate than pulling a dry curl straight for an accurate length.

Thank you for letting me know! :)

[spidermom]

My hair curls up when wet. I tried to measure dry on the 3rd or 4th day after washing when my hair was straightest (back when I measured - I was looking for growth rate).

[Kelikea]

I try to measure at least once a month, and comb first to pull the waves down a bit. Measure with a fabric tape from hairline, over head, and down back. HB helps! If it seems the same or shorter than the month before, we do it again and pull the tape nice and straight. I also take pictures of the back, with my hand at tailbone (my goal.) You can see the growth from my waist (indention) to my hand :) Wearing the same form-fitting shirt or stripes can also help you see the growth.

[Amber_Maiden]

I've done it!!! Took a fabric tape and measured as directed. I did it on dry hair, and had my husband pull my waves out to see what the length was. 31in!!! :D

[Pierre]

I use a fabric tape, but I misplaced it, so I used my longtape last time I measured. Not that I expect my hair to grow 50 meters long, but it is flexible. I pull my hair taut and ignore 2 cm of variation, since it's curly and has fairytale ends. The left side is longer than the right.