Measuring for length - dry, wet, or pulled out straight??

[Egana]

I am trying to decide how I will measure my hair. I can measure it dry (lose 4 - 5" or so due to curl), wet (still lose 2" or so unless it is DRENCHED and the weight of the water is pulling down the hair) or pulled out straight down my back.

What method do you use, recommend?

[Hollyfire3]

My hair can be frusterating like this too because it tangles up on itself during the day, my BSL hair literaly looks only SL. I would say, coming from a fellow curly, measure soaking wet so that you include all your hair and do not loose length to curls.

[Arctic]

It's really up to you, just stick with one method so you can compare ffrom month to month.

I don't measure anymore, but when my hair was longer and I did measure, I measured wet and pulled straight. I figured it would give most consistent results. For me this is the most logical option.

For curlies there are two points to consider: waves and curls tend to look different from day to day and it they are not pulled straight, can look deceiving.

On the other hand if one only or mostly wears the hair curly, many think what's the point measuring the hair pulled straight (or wet) when it doesn't look that long in it's natural (curly) state.

[Hollyfire3]

It's really up to you, just stick with one method so you can compare ffrom month to month.

I don't measure anymore, but when my hair was longer and I did measure, I measured wet and pulled straight. I figured it would give most consistent results. For me this is the most logical option.

For curlies there are two points to consider: waves and curls tend to look different from day to day and it they are not pulled straight, can look deceiving.

On the other hand if one only or mostly wears the hair curly, many think what's the point measuring the hair pulled straight (or wet) when it doesn't look that long in it's natural (curly) state.



I secong the find which method works for you but, i do not want to be cheated of length just because i have curly hair. My hair truly is long, even if it doesnt look it so why would i say it is SL when the strands say otherwise? Just being the devil advocate, not trying to argue.:D Good point though, i guess to most people, my hair looks pretty short if i have not just used a comb.

[Copasetic]

I have 3b hair as well, and I pull it straight down my back to measure it.

[Amber_Maiden]

My hair is wavy, I pull it straight when it's dry to measure it.

[akilina]

Can someone even tell me how you measure your hair? Ive heard a few different ways. i mean do you measure it from your scalp to the ends or do you measure from the front of your head to the very bottom? i personally dont measure. i dont think i need to obsess about that on top of all the other things i obsess about when it comes to my hair. :S

[CurlyMopTop]

When I measure, I pull my hair straight down my back as well. It doesn't matter if it's wet or dry, pulled straight it's pretty much the same. I can't see how any curly could measure their actual hair growth without pulling the hair straight. That's how I see it anyway...

[Lostsoule77]

The few times I've measured my hair it has been dry and pulled straight. My hair is longer when wet so I feel measuring it then would be cheating. :shrug:

[Ceisdein]

I do it dry and pulled straight.

[spidermom]

I just look at where it hits me on my body now, but when I measured, I found the best time was about the 3rd day after washing. My hair is as straight as it ever gets then. Pulling it down was unreliable, and my hair curls up when it's wet.

[TooShort]

Hello All,
I am a newbie. Since my hair is still very short, I measure from the scalp to the end of my hair. Thank you for having me on this forum.

Grow Hair Grow..

[Mina17]

My hair is wavy and I always measure it when it's wet. I don't think it matters much as long as you measure it the same way every time.

[jacqueline101]

I don't really measure mine I pull it straight when dry and hold a tape to the ends and measure to my goal length mini goal that is.

[blondie9912]

I don't have curly hair, nor do I measure my hair with a measuring tape (I only take monthly progress photos), but it would probably make the most sense to measure dry and pulled straight, but to photograph dry and curly.

I used to think it was a bit odd that curly haired individuals who don't ever straighten their hair measure it when straight, until I learned that some days their hair is curlier (and therefore looks shorter) than others. Who knew! :)

[Lostsoule77]

I don't really measure mine I pull it straight when dry and hold a tape to the ends and measure to my goal length mini goal that is.
That is a great idea! I think that'll be my way to measure starting after January 1st. :)

[Maraz]

The few times I've measured my hair it has been dry and pulled straight. My hair is longer when wet so I feel measuring it then would be cheating. :shrug:

Same here, I think I'd get at least two more inches if I measured it wet.

[Audhumla]

I always measure my hair when wet just after washing because it helps get a consistent result unlike dry measurements which can fluctuate a lot for me.

[ScarlettAdelle]

Flat Ironed for me. I can lose between 6-8" when it's curly and dry.

I don't think it matters as long as you're consistent with your measuring method.

[Dars]

I measure by eye on the day of a wash, after my hair is 100% dry and unstretched! I do this because it represents my hair best to it's truest form. I don't straighten my hair, nor do I go walking around pulling my hair down so it can look longer. It is what it is. My goal is to have my hair reach a certain length by itself, so it'd be silly of me to stretch it :)

[fridgee]

I measure my hair by stretching it when its dry, but I call my length by where it hits on my body if that makes sense? So I measure its actual length in inches, but would say it was shoulder, or APL or whatever depending where it fell in its 'usual' state, not where that number of inches comes to on me.

[Orangerthanred]

I check the length of it when it is styled normally. I don't straighten my hair and my hair isn't permanently wet, so why would I say my hair is longer than it truly is?

[katsrevenge]

I take pics when its dry and clean/brushed but measure by pulling a strand down. It's mostly waist.. but doesn't always look it! (today it looks apl+) I have to pull it to be sure.

[CurlyCap]

I have curly hair. Measuring progress can be really frustrating, especially if you are starting a shorter length.

If i'm being paranoid and wondering if my hair is growing, I pull it straight and see how much further "down" it is.

However, I measure progress by where it is dry "on average". My TBL hair used to hit me at around BSL. It didn't matter what it looked like straight, what people saw was BSL. And I think that is the fairest way to measure.

For what it's worth, my hair is just brushing shoulders when dry and APL when straight. It's a huge difference, but I just shrug it off as part of being a curly. :D

[jojo]

My hair is wavy, I pull it straight when it's dry to measure it.

me too! theres no wrong or right way, its consistancy what matters!:blossom:

[jojo]

Can someone even tell me how you measure your hair? Ive heard a few different ways. i mean do you measure it from your scalp to the ends or do you measure from the front of your head to the very bottom? i personally dont measure. i dont think i need to obsess about that on top of all the other things i obsess about when it comes to my hair. :S

The LHC way is you measure from your hairline at the front and over you head and down your length. Its up to you if you measure wet or dry, stretched or unstretched, just make sure you do it the same every time for a correct measure.

[maria_tasha]

I measure my hair when dry and take monthly pictures but the issue with very dark hair is that it's really hard to find the right lighting for it to be as close to reality as possible.

[holothuroidea]

I think it depends on what your purpose is when you measure it.

If you are trying to describe your hair to others (for example, the hair stats under our usernames), I think the official way to do it is when it is air dried for a hair typing photo and it's better to use body measurements than inches. This is a personal opinion, of course, plenty of people use inches in their hair stats. I find that they mean nothing to someone else, though. If I see that someone's hair is x inches long that could mean any length on their body depending on how tall they are or what their proportions are and how curly their hair is.

If you are trying to determine exactly how much your hair has grown in x time, it is better to measure it in inches, stretch it out, and do it either dry or wet but consistently each time.

[Egana]

so many different, interesting preferences... thanks, everyone!

[BlazingHeart]

I'm only moderately wavy, and I brush my hair, which makes it even less wavy. I measure dry, stretched and unstretched. The first because it lets me track my hair growth rate, the second because it lets me track what it looks like.

[lm119]

I have to pull otherwise it will be at my shoulder.

[ladylovecraft]

It's really up to you, just stick with one method so you can compare ffrom month to month.

I don't measure anymore, but when my hair was longer and I did measure, I measured wet and pulled straight. I figured it would give most consistent results. For me this is the most logical option.

For curlies there are two points to consider: waves and curls tend to look different from day to day and it they are not pulled straight, can look deceiving.

On the other hand if one only or mostly wears the hair curly, many think what's the point measuring the hair pulled straight (or wet) when it doesn't look that long in it's natural (curly) state.

I second this. For consistency, knowing how much your hair grew that month, etc, wet and/or pulled straight makes the most sense. But to me you're not ata length until your hair is that wasu most of the time. Ex: if you pull straight to tb but you wear your hair curly and its usually waist, youre waist. It doesnt make sense to say youre tb when 95% of thr time, the average person on the street wouldnt call you that.

[Egana]

sigh - so I need 50 inches of hair length to call myself BSL... I'm going to have to stop measuring, I think - because it will be WAY too discouraging to say "yay, another inch of growth this year! only 5 more years till i reach BSL!"

sigh...

[Carissamarie08]

I just see how much my color has grown out.

[Anje]

I'd say it depends on why you're measuring. If you're just giving a measurement to indicate where your hair hangs when it's loose to the other folks here, measure it curly and dry. But if you're trying to monitor your growth month-to-month, you've definitely got to stretch it! Curly hair is WAY too variable for you to get a good idea of growth when measuring it curled.

[PriscillaCherel]

Pull it straight when it is dry..!

[kitschy]

I call my hair waist length, because that's where it sits when it dries and curls up - that's how people see it. I measure it when it is dry and pulled straight. It is 32". That's how I gauge my growth progress.

[DarkSky]

pulled straight when dry. I only loose an inch when it waves or curls up since my longest layers near the nape of my neck fall into a loose 2a pattern.

[rags]

I do mine wet, but I am barely a 2a, so I don't lose too much to waves (except for the rare days it decides to actually form small curls! You just never know!) But that is to monitor my growth progress. For identifying to other people I use wherever it is when dry (APL, etc.)

[Emaebe]

This might be a silly question...

but how DO you measure it?
Does someone help you? because I've tried a few times to measure my hair and have gotten into a fight with my tape measure, and the tape measure always wins >.>

[fridgee]

This might be a silly question...

but how DO you measure it?
Does someone help you? because I've tried a few times to measure my hair and have gotten into a fight with my tape measure, and the tape measure always wins >.>

Haha this made me laugh, because it sounds so much like me! :D Yes I ask DBF to help. I have tried measuring it myself but as you so wonderfully put it the tape measure always wins! Also I'm bad with getting numbers mixed up and forgetting them in the split second between reading it and writing it down (I'm dyspraxic), so it helps to have him read it off, tell me and then check I've got it right! Sorry single gals, I have no idea how you manage! :p