What's the circumference of your ponytail?

[katfemme89]

Anyone else measured the circumference of their ponytail? I measured mine yesterday and it was 4 1/2". What is yours?

[petali]

3.5"
10 characters

[lundmir]

Mine's exactly 4". Or it was before I cut bangs, I'll have to measure again.

[coneyisland]

Barely two inches.

[katfemme89]

Mine's exactly 4". Or it was before I cut bangs, I'll have to measure again.

I measured mine with my head flipped over (brushed out of course) so that I could include my bangs in the measuring. So yours is probably the same circum. as mine.

[katfemme89]

I measured mine with my head flipped over (brushed out of course) so that I could include my bangs in the measuring. So yours is probably the same circum. as mine.

I misread what you said. I thought you said it was 4" AFTER you cut bangs. My bad.

[akilina]

Does anyone else with layers brush all their hair upside down and make a pony on top of their head with as much hair as possible?
I did hear this was acceptable. It makes me feel better because if I do a pony at my nape, my circumference is HORRIBLE.

On the top of my head I am like 3 1/8 :(
I have had really really bad shedding the last few weeks and I believe I was at 3 1/2 before that. I never really took note though.

[katfemme89]

Does anyone else with layers brush all their hair upside down and make a pony on top of their head with as much hair as possible?
I did hear this was acceptable. It makes me feel better because if I do a pony at my nape, my circumference is HORRIBLE.

On the top of my head I am like 3 1/8 :(
I have had really really bad shedding the last few weeks and I believe I was at 3 1/2 before that. I never really took note though.

That's exactly how I measure. I have lots of layers and bangs. So if I don't do that, then it's not an accurate measurement at all.

3 1/8 is still thick, don't frown :-)

[mckenzie]

If I gather all the hair on top of my head I get a little over 3 inches, squeezing the measuring tape pretty much as hard as I can :) Ponytail at nape measures 2.5

[MissPetite2010]

4 inches :)

[vanillabones]

2" exactly

[salisem]

Are we supposed to tighten the tape measure as hard as we can when we measure?

I get about 2.5" at my nape. Hope someday for 4"+.

[Shepherdess]

About 6 inches (including bangs).

[CharleaMurphy]

I keep trying to put off measuring mine until my layers have grown enough for me to get every last bit of my hair in a ponytail...because otherwise the thinness will just make me cry.:rolleyes:

[jojo]

4.5" for me but I have a chin length fringe which I have Not counted in!

[Elithia]

Somewhere between 4.5 and 5.25.

[Pearly~91]

3 3/4 Inches.

[lole18]

1.7 i want to be atleast 2 :( how can i do that? :(

[mckenzie]

Are we supposed to tighten the tape measure as hard as we can when we measure?

+.

I don't know if we are supposed to, anyone else ???

[Elithia]

I don't know if we are supposed to, anyone else ???

I make a normal ponytail and then measure its circumference--whatever is normal for you, that's what I'd do.

Your ponytail circumference can very by a lot of other factors too -- like where you place the ponytail (low v. high).

[petali]

About 6 inches (including bangs).

wow! I don't know if I'd be able to cope with that much hair!

[blondie9912]

Barely two inches.

Same here. Sometimes when I cover my hair with a silk scarf overnight, I feel like my hair is SO fine in the morning (because it smooths down a lot). Ugh! Fortunately, after I stopped bleaching lasts summer, I have tons of new growth that should fit into my ponytail in about 6 months :)

[oktobergoud]

Exactly 3 inches! So pretty average :)

[katfemme89]

The correct measurement (in my opinion) includes your bangs, in other words ALL of your hair. I have to flip my head over to get my bangs in there. Pull the string as tightly as possible, otherwise if you pull it loosely you're getting an incorrect measurement of your hair + air lol.

Shepherdess, was that an actual measurement or a guesstimation? Reason I ask is I've never heard of hair that thick but if it is that's AMAZING! I wanna see pics!

[katfemme89]

The correct measurement (in my opinion) includes your bangs, in other words ALL of your hair. I have to flip my head over to get my bangs in there. Pull the string as tightly as possible, otherwise if you pull it loosely you're getting an incorrect measurement of your hair + air lol.

Shepherdess, was that an actual measurement or a guesstimation? Reason I ask is I've never heard of hair that thick but if it is that's AMAZING! I wanna see pics!

[jacqueline101]

Mine is 3 inches even.

[MissPetite2010]

I had to double check and it's 4 in a half. Lol I was wrong. I checked it a few times. Lol surprised it's not 5, as thick as my hair is. :/ not complaining, just not a fan of my uncontrollable bad hair days. Lol depending on humidity too.

[AdaClare]

Mine is 3.5 inches. :)

[smrider]

4.5 inches

[Anywhere]

I think I was about a 3.5 or 3.6" last I measured.

[earthnut]

Mine is 3.25 inches. I'm hoping it's getting a little thicker, when I first joined it was 3 inches. It feels thinner than when I was a teen, but maybe I don't remember correctly. :shrug:

[InTheCity]

2.5"

and 0.0000005" at the bottom of my pony tail :(

[Shepherdess]

wow! I don't know if I'd be able to cope with that much hair!

I usually keep it braided all of the time, so it isn't so bad. :)

The correct measurement (in my opinion) includes your bangs, in other words ALL of your hair. I have to flip my head over to get my bangs in there. Pull the string as tightly as possible, otherwise if you pull it loosely you're getting an incorrect measurement of your hair + air lol.

Shepherdess, was that an actual measurement or a guesstimation? Reason I ask is I've never heard of hair that thick but if it is that's AMAZING! I wanna see pics!

I measured it upside down so I could get my bangs in, but it was somewhat hard bending upside down because I got dizzy after a while, lol. My hair is also curly, so that probably added more volume to the ponytail.

I retried again and took some pics. I hope I am measuring it the right way! :o

My regular ponytail looks like it is about 6 inches, and putting it in a really tight ponytail looks like it is close to 5.5 which is probably more accurate.

Ponytail pics.
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s396/littlenorthwind/ponytails.jpg

My frizzy hair.
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s396/littlenorthwind/hair-1.jpg?t=1345425706

[Silverbrumby]

2.8 inches, an increase from 2.4 10 months ago.

[jojo]

The correct measurement (in my opinion) includes your bangs, in other words ALL of your hair. I have to flip my head over to get my bangs in there. Pull the string as tightly as possible, otherwise if you pull it loosely you're getting an incorrect measurement of your hair + air lol.

Shepherdess, was that an actual measurement or a guesstimation? Reason I ask is I've never heard of hair that thick but if it is that's AMAZING! I wanna see pics!

Well you can't if you have a fringe! I have a work colleague who's circumference is the size of my wrist and that's after she has flat ironed, I've never in my life seen such thick hair. Would love hair that thick!

[~honeyflower~]

Mine is 5 1/2 inches.

[CouteauCouture]

I measured in at 4.5". :happydance: Heh, and to think people used to tell me I had thin hair...makes me wonder what they would've considered thick. I have to admit though, I'd love even more volume.

[Raging Wolf]

Mine is 3 inches.

[BrightEyes]

Mine is 2.5 inches.

[katfemme89]

My regular ponytail looks like it is about 6 inches, and putting it in a really tight ponytail looks like it is close to 5.5 which is probably more accurate.

OMG that's lovely!!!! Wow! And yes I think 5.5 is more accurate, but still. WOW.

I feel like my hair used to be thicker when I was young, but I don't know. I measured it once but now I can't remember what it was, lol.

[PeaceTeaRules]

Mine was 4" without bangs in the equation; so what would it be if I did include them? :grin:

[katfemme89]

Mine was 4" without bangs in the equation; so what would it be if I did include them? :grin:

Probably like mine, 4.5"

[katfemme89]

Mine is 5 1/2 inches.

Woah. Pictures! I looove pictures of super thick hair!

[katfemme89]

I'd LOVE to know what LadyLongLocks (JJJ to us youtubers) circumference is. I'm betting 5".

[Maybe]

With the bangs it is almost 5"

[MrsGuther]

Mine is around 4 inches. :)

[Shepherdess]

OMG that's lovely!!!! Wow! And yes I think 5.5 is more accurate, but still. WOW.

I feel like my hair used to be thicker when I was young, but I don't know. I measured it once but now I can't remember what it was, lol.

Thank you kindly! :flower:

I have noticed that the longer I have grown my hair, the thicker it seems to become. Perhaps it has something to do with the oils I have been using this last year, because it seems my hair is much thicker than a few years ago?

In this India hair care youtube video that I watched a week ago, I found some good tips for hair care and the lady in the video has such gorgeous thick almost floor length hair (it looks thick all the way down!). :thud:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5o1ZCwefiQ

[ludwig20]

My ponytail circumference is still at 5 inches. I like my thickness, but I dislike having "triangle hair." As you can see in my pic, my hair is wide and sticks out. :o

[RapunzelKat]

1.7 i want to be atleast 2 :( how can i do that? :(

If you have thinning from damage (like bleaching) lots of gentle care (no heat, dyes, wearing it up, etc.) can help your hair thicken over time. :)

Mine was 2.5" last time I measured. :)

[SilverDoe]

2.4". It's on the low end of ii, but I started out at 2"or below this year & my hair is extremely fine.
The biggest factors in my thickness increase is finally quitting the never ending 7 year cycle of black chemical dye this February, and henna.
I'm sure when all new growth is long enough to measure, it will continue going up. My goal would be 3".

[Kayla Nyx]

if I measured correctly, it was a little over 4 inches.

pony:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8314&pictureid=127613


and my braid:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ClIclrPMHfw/UC7JG-5LE-I/AAAAAAAAAVA/Xkd8b4vGkMs/s512/IMG_20120817_174304.jpg

[pink.sara]

Currently 15cms or 6 inches, but I just hennaed 3 times in the past month so that's bumped it up loads.

Before henna and in my normal state its 5.5 (see plait below) but because it's so fine and slinky you wouldn't realise it was so thick unless you see it braided or feel it. Blasted straight hair, I'd love some 3b curls!

[Neneka]

2,8 inches when I last measured but it gets thicker all the times because my layers get longer. I am expecting it to be at least 3 inches when all the layers and my bangs are grown long enough to reach ponytail.

[Accalia]

2,9" I'm so glad! :D a year ago it was about 2". So glad i stopped bleaching and dying.

[FrannyG]

My circumference is 3 inches. That doesn't include my bangs and face-framing layers.

I'm quite proud of my 3-inch circumference, especially since my hair is so very fine.

When I first joined LHC, I only measured at 2.25 inches. The two things I credit my thickness increase to are: no longer using heat styling, and coating my hair with coconut oil before touching up my roots with colour.

Back when I used heat styling, I had split ends before I reached APL. Now, I have no split ends at all. And no, it's not my eyesight; I have used a magnifying glass, and I really have no splits. :eye:

[Amorice]

two inches exactly.

[palaeoqueen]

2.75" I'm quite happy with this, my hair is baby fine and I still have layers to add into that. I also have a heavy fringe but it's impossible at the moment to get that into the ponytail as it's a short fringe and my hair just isn't long enough to reach the very front of my head. I'm also hoping that I'll gain a bit of thickness now I've stopped bleaching and straightening my hair. 3" would be lovely.

[vanillabones]

My goal is to get over that 2 inches and be able to be a 'ii' :( I don't know if that will happen.

[Vampyria]

Went from 3.5 inches to 3. With most of my bangs.

[lapushka]

4.25" last it was measured.

[Silverbrumby]

3" tonight for the first time. I'll take it lol.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

4.25 last time I measured.

[Venefica]

Let me see we use cm not inches in Norway, my ponytail circumference is 10,5 cm which is 4,1 inches. I also have an inch or so in bangs.

[Lissandria]

2" exactly but not including my fringe. I would happily take 2.5" one day.

[CharleaMurphy]

I know an Indian girl whose hair is SO thick that I can only just wrap my fingers around it.
I'd love to know her circumference :O

[katfemme89]

I know an Indian girl whose hair is SO thick that I can only just wrap my fingers around it.
I'd love to know her circumference :O

I've always watched videos on youtube of indian ladys brushing and oiling their hair and it seems like they all have SUPER thick, luscious hair. I think it's genetic maybe. So cool!

[silverstars]

I think mine was a little over 2in the last time I measured it. My bangs are quite thick though. They are just starting to be able to go into a really high ponytail so I think I will try doing that later and see what I get. I gave up blow drying and straightening a little over a year ago and any damage I have from that is still growing out. I also haven't maintained my hair at any one length for years. Hopefully I can work my way up to 3in one day.

[raingirl]

Wow. I think I win for the thinnest pony tail at 1.1 inch. This is circumference around the pony tail holder, right? Or am I doing it wrong?

I knew my hair was thin but I didn't know how bad it was.... I really didn't do anything bad to my hair before coming here either, except the odd blow dry a few times a week. Henna hasn't made it thicker either that I can tell....

I'm so sad now. I do have a lot of bald/thinning spots on my scalp which is somewhat genetic (my mom has thin hair and balding as well). I don't think there is anything I can do about that is there?

[katfemme89]

Wow. I think I win for the thinnest pony tail at 1.1 inch. This is circumference around the pony tail holder, right? Or am I doing it wrong?

I knew my hair was thin but I didn't know how bad it was.... I really didn't do anything bad to my hair before coming here either, except the odd blow dry a few times a week. Henna hasn't made it thicker either that I can tell....

I'm so sad now. I do have a lot of bald/thinning spots on my scalp which is somewhat genetic (my mom has thin hair and balding as well). I don't think there is anything I can do about that is there?

You can try coffee rinses, I have heard that caffeine kills DHT which is the chemical responsible for most hair loss...

Also, you're supposed to measure the hair itself. if you measure around the hair tie, you're just measuring your hair + hair tie which will be inaccurate.

[renia22]

I just measured it and got 2''. And that's all of my hair, including the front, pulled back in a ponytail at the back of my head. It used to be at least twice that :(


3" tonight for the first time. I'll take it lol.

Silverbrumby- may I ask what caused your loss of density & how did you get such a big increase? Wow, that's impressive!

[katfemme89]

I just measured it and got 2''. And that's all of my hair, including the front, pulled back in a ponytail at the back of my head. It used to be at least twice that :(

It's ok, sometimes hair thins as it gets longer. Also, when it was thicker, it could have been because you had a lot of shed hairs stuck in the length, or you could've measured on a humid day when your hair shafts were swollen with moisture, etc.

When I oiled my hair heavily and measured it, it shrunk all the way down to 3.5 inches! I suppose because the oil smoothed everything down and made it fit together very snugly. But yeah, ponytail circumference can be very variable, so do not despair, m'dear!!!

[katfemme89]

Also renia22, it is also possible that because of your age (not saying you're old at all so don't get the wrong idea) that your hormones could be declining a bit (my mom went through menopause at 45!) so possibly taking a natural hormone supplement could help you thicken back up if you have indeed lost hair. Also taking hair skin and nail supplements are awesome, and also caffeine (cofe or tea) rinses help because the caffeine eliminates DHT, the chemical that can cause hair loss.

[Apriori]

2,6" last I measured

[Silverbrumby]

Wow. I think I win for the thinnest pony tail at 1.1 inch. This is circumference around the pony tail holder, right? Or am I doing it wrong?

I knew my hair was thin but I didn't know how bad it was.... I really didn't do anything bad to my hair before coming here either, except the odd blow dry a few times a week. Henna hasn't made it thicker either that I can tell....

I'm so sad now. I do have a lot of bald/thinning spots on my scalp which is somewhat genetic (my mom has thin hair and balding as well). I don't think there is anything I can do about that is there?

I found that monistat for me, helped combat the thinning spots because of it's possible effects on blocking Dht on the scalp. You can buy monistat over the counter and try it like this.

On wash day squeeze out 1/2 an inch then dab finger tips in, rub on section of scalp when hair is still wet. Repeat till most of scalp is done. Each wash day you do that and most of the scalp gets covered.

You'll know in about 4 to 6 weeks if it's making a difference because you might see really fine hair coming in the thin spot. I had that then the fine hair fell out and then I had normal hair replace it. I'm happy with the results but please note that it really depends on the underlying issue.

Most will recommend blood tests to rule out:

1. Iron def.

2. Vit D def.

3. thyroid disease

4. Hormonal imbalance.

[renia22]

Also renia22, it is also possible that because of your age (not saying you're old at all so don't get the wrong idea) that your hormones could be declining a bit (my mom went through menopause at 45!) so possibly taking a natural hormone supplement could help you thicken back up if you have indeed lost hair. Also taking hair skin and nail supplements are awesome, and also caffeine (cofe or tea) rinses help because the caffeine eliminates DHT, the chemical that can cause hair loss.

The measurement was done at the densest part, closest to my head, so I think 2" is it. Yes I think part of my problem is hormones. Also I was using every shampoo, scalp treatment, Chinese remedy, etc under the sun (not all at once of course) to try to see what would help the shedding and I think my scalp is just irritated from all of the sulfates, herbs, essential oils, etc. I started using a shampoo & conditioner by Curelle recently and the shedding has already decreased dramatically. Also someone mentioned aloe vera on another thread, and I had some in the fridge & used it 3 times now & along with the Curelle and my scalp feels soothed & a lot less hair is coming out in the morning. Maybe I will add a little coffee or tea to the aloe, like you suggested. I have a tendency to panic from the shedding & switch horses mid-stream a lot (so to speak), so since this seems to be helping I am going to give it 3-6 months & remeasure. I have never measured before, I just remember how my hair used to feel & I can see in pictures how much more there used to be. (I do use a high quality fish oil, vitamins & probiotics to help with food intolerances already).


p.s. is that you in the avatar? Your hair is very nice!

[kidari]

I can't get the front shorter layers/bangs into my ponytail but it fluctuates between 3 and 4 inches all the time.

[renia22]

2.4". It's on the low end of ii, but I started out at 2"or below this year & my hair is extremely fine.
The biggest factors in my thickness increase is finally quitting the never ending 7 year cycle of black chemical dye this February, and henna.
I'm sure when all new growth is long enough to measure, it will continue going up. My goal would be 3".


Silverdoe- do you mean you replaced your black chemical dye with henna, or you used both chemical dyes & henna in the past and quit both?

[katfemme89]

(I do use a high quality fish oil, vitamins & probiotics to help with food intolerances already).

p.s. is that you in the avatar? Your hair is very nice!

Fish oil is THE BOMB DIGGITY! I take a lot of it every day and I no longer have joint aches, less flaky skin, and my hair is much smoother. So kudos on that!

I've also noticed that when I "jump around" with products as you mentioned, my hair seems to get kinda crappy, like it can't figure out what I want it to do. So that very well could be the reason for your hair loss (different products have different pHs and pH imbalances can definitely cause hair loss). Maybe a couple months of healthy neglect and a gentle shampoo and conditioner (maybe even try baby shampoo?) will help.

And yes, that is me in my avatar. (but it was taken like 6 years ago when I was 16 or 17 LOL!):p but thank you!!!

[ladylowtide]

When I joined LHC it was 2.75.

Now it is just shy of 3.5"

I attribute the change in thickness to three things:
1. Growing out heavily layered hair (its been layered for 10 years)
2. I stopped bleaching and and using normal dyes.
3. I have seen a thickness increase for a lot of my finer hairs (I have F/M hair that is like 50% M hairs 50% F), looked beefier after hennaing them.

[Hollyfire3]

With all hair included, about middle of head- 4.75- 5 depending on the time from wash day.

[Wildcat Diva]

I'm at solid three inches.

[Savvyhorsez]

Half an inch to an inch.

[renia22]

I've also noticed that when I "jump around" with products as you mentioned, my hair seems to get kinda crappy, like it can't figure out what I want it to do. So that very well could be the reason for your hair loss (different products have different pHs and pH imbalances can definitely cause hair loss). Maybe a couple months of healthy neglect and a gentle shampoo and conditioner (maybe even try baby shampoo?) will help.

And yes, that is me in my avatar. (but it was taken like 6 years ago when I was 16 or 17 LOL!):p but thank you!!!

Wow, your hair looks so shiny & pretty. My dream hair! All of you 3 inch-plus ladies, I so want that! But I would take any increase at this point!

And 'healthy neglect', absolutely, that's the plan. I am sticking to the Curelle, aloe, occasional henna gloss & once in a while ends-only coconut oil treatment. That's it. I've also drastically reduced the supplements the past 2 months too. You hear a lot about deficiencies, but I am wondering if I got over-zealous & was over-supplementing. I do go anemic & have had low vitamin d levels before, so I supplement those & get tested every 6 months. But getting too much of certain fat soluble vitamins or minerals can can cause hair loss too (like zinc or selenium?) and I am starting to wonder if I was over-doing it. My Naturopath comes back from vacation in a few weeks so I will check that out too.

[katfemme89]

Oh wow I didn't know zinc and selenium could do that, thanks for telling me that; I'm gonna be careful about that from now on.

The henna will definitely beef up your hair.

[Yozhik]

Last time I measured I was between 3.75-4". :)

I'm happy with this, because when I joined (almost 3 years ago!) I was at 3 inches. Yay for gentler haircare!

[renia22]

Oh wow I didn't know zinc and selenium could do that, thanks for telling me that; I'm gonna be careful about that from now on.

The henna will definitely beef up your hair.

Yes I think it would need to be pretty excessive & in quite large doses, but toxicity can happen with those or any other mineral or with fat soluble vitamins. I didn't even realize until I had my son that iron is the #1 cause of poisoning in children (from eating vitamins like candy) and that's why so many kid's vitamins leave it out. Too much can also contribute to heart problems. So I am very careful about getting bloodwork done since I do supplement my iron . I was taking all kinds of multiple vitamin/ mineral supplements for quite some time & then it dawned on me maybe I was making things worse..now I mostly stick with fish oil, chewable iron with vitamin C, calcium/ D, SamE for joint pain, probiotics & only take other supplements occasionally.

Henna is nice! I usually do a 1/2 cassia, 1/2 henna roots only gloss and don't lose much hair from it. I get a nice coppery brown. The color & texture I do like, just not the losing it part :(


Last time I measured I was between 3.75-4". :)

I'm happy with this, because when I joined (almost 3 years ago!) I was at 3 inches. Yay for gentler haircare!

A one inch difference, wow! Inspiring! May I ask what you changed in your routine to get such a great improvement?

[ingvild]

Mine is about 9.5 cm at the nape, or 3.75". It has increased a bit. I have a picture of my ponytail on my profile. :)

[Alva]

Somewhere between 2,5 and 2,75 inches. I do have some bangs I am growing out, with them in I can get to a max of 3 inches.

[silverpiper]

my ponytail is 2.5

[Colourful]

Mine is about 2,6 inches.

[MissAlida]

2,6 inches here aswell.:( It used to be so much thicker.

[1nuitblanche]

Mine is 3 1/4" without my bangs.

[vanillabones]

Will cassia beef up my hair? I would like to try but afraid I'll mess up somehow.

[raingirl]

I found that monistat for me, helped combat the thinning spots because of it's possible effects on blocking Dht on the scalp. You can buy monistat over the counter and try it like this.

On wash day squeeze out 1/2 an inch then dab finger tips in, rub on section of scalp when hair is still wet. Repeat till most of scalp is done. Each wash day you do that and most of the scalp gets covered.

You'll know in about 4 to 6 weeks if it's making a difference because you might see really fine hair coming in the thin spot. I had that then the fine hair fell out and then I had normal hair replace it. I'm happy with the results but please note that it really depends on the underlying issue.

Most will recommend blood tests to rule out:

1. Iron def.

2. Vit D def.

3. thyroid disease

4. Hormonal imbalance.

Thanks. I may consider trying that. I saw that monistat can help in passing, but was afraid to try it.

I do have chronic severe iron deficiency though, so that could be contributing to it.....

[maborosi]

I can't remember what it was when I started coming here, but these days, it's about 3" without the bangs and the short pieces of my hair, so I estimate about 3.25" with the bangs and shortest layer of my hair.

Henna and not heat styling/chemical dyeing has definitely made it thicker- my individual strands especially. I used to be f/m but now I'm mostly M with some F strands.

~maborosi~

[Shepherdess]

Will cassia beef up my hair? I would like to try but afraid I'll mess up somehow.

I have read that cassia (or sometimes called senna) works very much the same way as henna, only without the coloring effect and it helps make hair healthier and thicker. I am hoping on trying cassia soon since I have heard really good stuff about it!

Here is a very informative thread with all you need to know about cassia! :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=42754

[Silverbrumby]

Thanks. I may consider trying that. I saw that monistat can help in passing, but was afraid to try it.

I do have chronic severe iron deficiency though, so that could be contributing to it.....

Did your dr discuss possible iron shots? I had my oby/gn give me a lecture. I didn't end up getting them as the monthly cycle settled down and my iron levels stabilized.

[maborosi]

I have read that cassia (or sometimes called senna) works very much the same way as henna, only without the coloring effect and it helps make hair healthier and thicker. I am hoping on trying cassia soon since I have heard really good stuff about it!

Here is a very informative thread with all you need to know about cassia! :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=42754

Its effects are also temporary compared to henna (at least, the coloring effect is).

~maborosi~

[raingirl]

Did your dr discuss possible iron shots? I had my oby/gn give me a lecture. I didn't end up getting them as the monthly cycle settled down and my iron levels stabilized.

I'm actually having surgery in October for Endo, cysts, fibroids, and a uterine septum, all which may be causing heavy cycles. If it doesn't improve after that, I will pursue other options. One specialist I'm seeing now thinks I may have Celiac/gluten issues that could be causing me to not absorb iron....

Either way, I really hope I can figure it out soon as I would love thicker hair without balding spots!

[CaitlinMarie93]

Mine is 3 3/4 inches :)

[Yozhik]

A one inch difference, wow! Inspiring! May I ask what you changed in your routine to get such a great improvement? snip

Renia, I think I can attribute almost all of my hair thickening to gentler hair care: gentle detangling techniques; wearing hair in a bun, braid, or bonnet to sleep (on a satin pillowcase); not piling my hair on top of my head when washing; stopped using hair elastics; and stretching washes. :)

The change was fairly gradual, but I have definitely had at least .75 of an inch of increased circumference in my almost 3 years of being on LHC and learning about gentler haircare techniques. :)

[renia22]

The change was fairly gradual, but I have definitely had at least .75 of an inch of increased circumference in my almost 3 years of being on LHC and learning about gentler haircare techniques. :)

Wow, that is fantastic! A silk pillow case sounds lovely. It must be nice for the skin, too.. I have been on & off this board, but I will stick around to pick up more tips. So far less is more seems to be what my hair needs too. I hope to report back with an increase down the road.. I refuse to give up just yet! :)

[vanillabones]

I have read that cassia (or sometimes called senna) works very much the same way as henna, only without the coloring effect and it helps make hair healthier and thicker. I am hoping on trying cassia soon since I have heard really good stuff about it!

Here is a very informative thread with all you need to know about cassia! :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=42754


Thank you for this, I will start reading up. Something I'm surely interested in trying then. :o

[renia22]

Thank you for this, I will start reading up. Something I'm surely interested in trying then. :o

Cassia is nice. I use it to cut the color of henna to get more copper tones instead of auburn. I've been doing a roots only gloss for years now, and though I wouldn't say it's made my hair thicker, the color is pretty & I don't lose a lot of hair when doing the gloss.

[Loveisaverb]

2,6 inches here aswell.:( It used to be so much thicker.

If your hair is 2.6 hair, then your hair would be in the ii range not i/ii.
Since its 2 inch - 4 inch in the ii range



And my hair is exactly 4 inches on the mark, not including bangs.

[Silverbrumby]

I'm actually having surgery in October for Endo, cysts, fibroids, and a uterine septum, all which may be causing heavy cycles. If it doesn't improve after that, I will pursue other options. One specialist I'm seeing now thinks I may have Celiac/gluten issues that could be causing me to not absorb iron....

Either way, I really hope I can figure it out soon as I would love thicker hair without balding spots!

I'm sorry and I did have a friend who had those issues which resolved after surgery to the point where she was able to fall pregnant.

I hope you have a lot of gluten free options where you live. I live in the land of hippies just out of San Francisco so it's easier for me to get gluten free. I'm sure the surgery and follow up will definitely help with the hair.

[KittyBird]

This thread made me so curious that I had to take down my bun, make a ponytail and measure. The measuring tape said 6.6", but I did a henna treatment yesterday, my hair is pretty poofy right now and I wasn't sure how tight to pull the measuring tape. It's probably a bit less than 6.6".

I love having thick hair, but a downside is that it's difficult to do fancy buns and updos because the thickness eat up most of my length.

Edit: Forgot to mention that this measurement does not include the bangs I'm currently growing out ;)

[alexis917]

About four inches, woohoo! But if I make a ponytail at the nape of my neck...well, I think I could cut that measurement in half! I'm trying to grow out all these little layers...

[alexis917]

@raingirl: I had heavy cycles too, I ruined my favorite jeans down to my knees. At school. It was awful. I was put on birth control (which is odd at my age but it was a last resort) and iron supplements. As for gluten free options, Yoplait yogurts are gluten-free and taste absolutely delicious!

[KittyBird]

This thread made me so curious that I had to take down my bun, make a ponytail and measure. The measuring tape said 6.6", but I did a henna treatment yesterday, my hair is pretty poofy right now and I wasn't sure how tight to pull the measuring tape. It's probably a bit less than 6.6".

I love having thick hair, but a downside is that it's difficult to do fancy buns and updos because the thickness eat up most of my length.

Edit: Forgot to mention that this measurement does not include the bangs I'm currently growing out ;)

I decided to measure a second time, this time making a pony on the top of my head in order to include my bangs. I also pulled the measuring tape tighter than last time. 6.3" :D

[katfemme89]

I decided to measure a second time, this time making a pony on the top of my head in order to include my bangs. I also pulled the measuring tape tighter than last time. 6.3" :D

Ya gotta pull the tape as tight as possible to get an accurate measurement. Still, anywhere near 6" is impressive!

[KittyBird]

Ya gotta pull the tape as tight as possible to get an accurate measurement. Still, anywhere near 6" is impressive!
I did do that this time, although it was a bit tricky to measure because my hair was all over the place. Braid circumference would be a lot easier ;)

[Elanadi]

I have read that cassia (or sometimes called senna) works very much the same way as henna, only without the coloring effect and it helps make hair healthier and thicker. I am hoping on trying cassia soon since I have heard really good stuff about it!

Here is a very informative thread with all you need to know about cassia! :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=42754

Thank you for posting this! I didn't realize cassia was similar to henna without the color. :)

My pony is 3", yay!!! It was 2.75" when I first measured it towards the beginning of this year; I think the change is mostly from using clarifying treatments, and switching to an organic, cone free shampoo and conditioner. My hair was MISERABLE on regular products, and I didn't even realize that until coming here. Thank you, LHC! :)

[silverthread]

At the middle back of my head, mine is 2.75 inches. I hope that changes when my layers and bangs grow out.

[Shepherdess]

Thank you for posting this! I didn't realize cassia was similar to henna without the color. :)

My pony is 3", yay!!! It was 2.75" when I first measured it towards the beginning of this year; I think the change is mostly from using clarifying treatments, and switching to an organic, cone free shampoo and conditioner. My hair was MISERABLE on regular products, and I didn't even realize that until coming here. Thank you, LHC! :)

You are welcome! I have read that cassia does sometimes leave a golden tinge, but it isn't permanent. I really want to buy some soon!

[hellebora]

Mine is 3.25 inches - that's the first time I measured it. I always thought I had really thin hair, so that is quite reassuring!

[Long_hair_bear]

I did do that this time, although it was a bit tricky to measure because my hair was all over the place. Braid circumference would be a lot easier ;)

I get my wonderful hubby to help me. I'm at 3". :p

[Syvelocin]

Little over 4 inches and that's without frizz, straight after fully air-dried. Probably the thinnest it gets.

[islandboo]

I'm at 1.75". I would love to get up to 2" but I have been babying my hair for years so I don't have much hope of it improving (and in fact I may be looking at losing thickness from hormonal changes as I head into menopause).

[CurlyCap]

I never could do this, because I can't compress my hair to the same degree each time...so the number jumps around everywhere. All I know is that it's getting thicker as my layers grow out because I have to use more and more sections to access the roots evenly.

[katfemme89]

I never could do this, because I can't compress my hair to the same degree each time...so the number jumps around everywhere. All I know is that it's getting thicker as my layers grow out because I have to use more and more sections to access the roots evenly.

Why don't you just do it as tightly as possible every time? And by tightly as possible I mean until you cannot possibly cinch the measuring string any tighter.

[mmmag]

My hair is at 3" right now. It feels thinner than it was when I was a teenager, but I guess that's normal.

[theodora]

It's 4 inches right now, but I can't get my bangs/front layers in my ponytail right now (as well as some of the nape) since I cut most of my bleach damage off. It's nice to know I've recovered from my big shed that happened a year ago where I lost a bunch of thickness.

[katfemme89]

It's nice to know I've recovered from my big shed that happened a year ago where I lost a bunch of thickness.

Yay! :cheer: I'm glad to hear that.

[lydiajo]

Mine's barely 2 inches. My hair is healthy and growing so it's okay.

[dani18]

Mine is only 3 1/8 inches

[beautifulending]

mine is 4.25.:D

[bunzfan]

Mine is now 3.9 "

[kittymallow]

i am abot 3.1 inch :) and i hope that i am not going to shed like a crazy person since i have started to take isotretonoin/accutane :S

[Freija]

I think mine is somewhere between 3.5 and 4". I'll have to measure it properly at some point.

[terylenerose]

I just measured and came out with 3.5. That makes me a little sad because it was more like 3.7 before, at least assuming I converted centimeters to inches correctly. I haven't really been shedding that much more lately, so maybe I'm imagining things, but in any case I think this puts me at a solid ii. And I'm the person who always wondered why everyone else needed more volume.

[SugarPlumDreams]

I measured the other night and found that I have a 3.25" pony tail circumference.

I will remeasure in January when my bangs and the very underneath layer of my hair actually tuck up into the hair band.

[Henrietta]

10.5 cm/4.13", freshly measured :) I'm a brand new iii, after some time of ii'ing.

[auburntressed]

I'm wanting to get my sister in law a Ficcare for Christmas, but I have no idea what size to get her. She's only got shoulder length hair, but I can't even guess at her pony circumference.

I'm trying to figure out how to ask her what her circumference is without sounding crazy, suspicious, or snotty. -_- This is just not the type of question that is asked outside LHC! But obviously I don't want to blow $40something on a Ficcare if she hasn't got enough hair to use it.

Oh the joys of normal LHC questions like pony circumference being weird in real life.

[katfemme89]

I'm wanting to get my sister in law a Ficcare for Christmas, but I have no idea what size to get her. She's only got shoulder length hair, but I can't even guess at her pony circumference.

I'm trying to figure out how to ask her what her circumference is without sounding crazy, suspicious, or snotty. -_- This is just not the type of question that is asked outside LHC! But obviously I don't want to blow $40something on a Ficcare if she hasn't got enough hair to use it.

Oh the joys of normal LHC questions like pony circumference being weird in real life.

Does she wear her hair in a ponytail often? If so, just look at the ponytail and guesstimate a coin that would correspond with the size: dime, penny, nickel, quarter, and then take the circumference of the corresponding coin :D

[lunalocks]

3.5 inches plus 1.0 for bangs = 4.5inches. I am shocked!

[Hairizona]

I have got to make this comment: On the old LHC site when measuring ponytail circumference was first introduced, the directions were NOT to compress the hair or put it in a rubberband or elastic, but to gently pull the tapemeasure/string around it and then measure.
I think this somehow mutated into compressing it as tightly as possible at some point, and the result is a lot of people who wouldn't measure so "thinly" are now focusing on hair that they think is considered thin by current LCH standards...but this was not the standard then.
Myself, I can now fit into the ii range or the ii/iii range, whereas before, I fit in the ii/iii to iii range, depending on how conditioned my hair is or how long since a wash, or even what product was used.
I am of the opinion that hair changes too much, depending on the above, nevermind damage you are growing out to put too much creedence in this circumference method.
My hair can actually look thicker than some who list their circumference as bigger than I do, and conversely, my hair can look thinner than some I see on this site who list their hair as the same as mine or less than mine.
I do not put much stock in this method, since mistakes are made either way; whether the first LHC method is used or the current one

[katfemme89]

I have got to make this comment: On the old LHC site when measuring ponytail circumference was first introduced, the directions were NOT to compress the hair or put it in a rubberband or elastic, but to gently pull the tapemeasure/string around it and then measure.
I think this somehow mutated into compressing it as tightly as possible at some point, and the result is a lot of people who wouldn't measure so "thinly" are now focusing on hair that they think is considered thin by current LCH standards...but this was not the standard then.
Myself, I can now fit into the ii range or the ii/iii range, whereas before, I fit in the ii/iii to iii range, depending on how conditioned my hair is or how long since a wash, or even what product was used.
I am of the opinion that hair changes too much, depending on the above, nevermind damage you are growing out to put too much creedence in this circumference method.
My hair can actually look thicker than some who list their circumference as bigger than I do, and conversely, my hair can look thinner than some I see on this site who list their hair as the same as mine or less than mine.
I do not put much stock in this method, since mistakes are made either way; whether the first LHC method is used or the current one

It doesn't make any sense not to pull the string as tightly as possible. When you measure your waist or bust, do you leave the measuring tape loose so that it's hanging away from your body? No, you pull it so that it's flush with the skin and gives an accurate measurement.

When holding it loosely you could take three measurements, holding it at slightly different tensions each time, and come up with three completely different measurements. If I don't pull mine tightly as possible, I would wind up with measurements anywhere between 4.5" and 6" and that just seems highly inaccurate to me. The best results of any measurement of anything come when it is measured the exact same way each time, and when you hold the string or measuring tape loosely, accuracy cannot be achieved.

It is true that depending on the products/humidity thickness will vary slightly, but that cannot be helped. Accurate measuring technique, however, can.

[auburntressed]

Does she wear her hair in a ponytail often? If so, just look at the ponytail and guesstimate a coin that would correspond with the size: dime, penny, nickel, quarter, and then take the circumference of the corresponding coin :D

Yeah, problem is she lives in another state. I asked my mom, though, and she estimates it to be about a quarter-sized pony. So that's roughly 3", I guess. She also said my sister in law's pony is about 2/3 the size of hers (my mom's), and I can say with accuracy that my mom's is probably right on the dot of 3". I've been styling my mom's hair for a good part of my life, so I have a very keen idea of what her hair is like.

So to my mind, I'd guess anything that is a medium flexi or a small Ficcare ought to work on shoulder length, mid-ii hair, right?

[katfemme89]

Yeah, problem is she lives in another state. I asked my mom, though, and she estimates it to be about a quarter-sized pony. So that's roughly 3", I guess. She also said my sister in law's pony is about 2/3 the size of hers (my mom's), and I can say with accuracy that my mom's is probably right on the dot of 3". I've been styling my mom's hair for a good part of my life, so I have a very keen idea of what her hair is like.

So to my mind, I'd guess anything that is a medium flexi or a small Ficcare ought to work on shoulder length, mid-ii hair, right?

It probably should. However, another thing to take into consideration is how fine or coarse her hair is, and how slippery it is. My M/C, super slippery hair liked to fight with hair accessories when it was shorter, sometimes popping them out and flinging them across the room! So I don't think it would hurt to go with a larger ficcare if you are in doubt.

[NoRush]

My pony is 9.5cm (~3.8") after a bit of a shed, it was 10cm (4") in june, so I'm hoping to go back to that :)

[fiðrildi]

I'm going to revive this thread ;)

I just measured my pony, and I am between 3,5 and 4 inches... I can't seem to get an accurate result. I tried to measure as thigh as possible, but at the same time I try to include the short lock of new hair that's growing now (some months ago I cut off a dreadlock, and the new lock reaches the end of the neck, but it doesn't reach all of the pony to get an accurate measure).

If I part my hair in two (2 ponies) and measure them separately, including all the new hair that's growing, I get 4,7 inches as a result, which is crazy (aaah, wouldn't it be perfect if this measure was correct? But nay!)
If I measure a single pony, right under the holder, I would get 3,5 inches, but if I measure above, I get a little more (3,8 or so). Including the new hairs (1cm circumference) could I say that my thickness is 4 inches? If so, am I ii/iii by LHC standards? I'm in a sea of doubts! :hmm:

[Johannah]

I'm going to revive this thread ;)

I just measured my pony, and I am between 3,5 and 4 inches... I can't seem to get an accurate result. I tried to measure as thigh as possible, but at the same time I try to include the short lock of new hair that's growing now (some months ago I cut off a dreadlock, and the new lock reaches the end of the neck, but it doesn't reach all of the pony to get an accurate measure).

If I part my hair in two (2 ponies) and measure them separately, including all the new hair that's growing, I get 4,7 inches as a result, which is crazy (aaah, wouldn't it be perfect if this measure was correct? But nay!)
If I measure a single pony, right under the holder, I would get 3,5 inches, but if I measure above, I get a little more (3,8 or so). Including the new hairs (1cm circumference) could I say that my thickness is 4 inches? If so, am I ii/iii by LHC standards? I'm in a sea of doubts! :hmm:

If you're between 3.5 and 4", I'd classify your hair as ii. Maybe when your new growth is longer you can measure again.


My pony is around 3.4", I guess.

[fiðrildi]

Thanks Johannah, I guess waiting is the best option to clear up doubts... but I'm too impatient! :bigtongue:

[YGDW]

It's between 3.8 and 4 most of the time. It's a bit hard to gather all my layers, and it also depends on washing, waviness etc. When it was at day 6 or something and a little more wavy, I can go over the 4 inches, while when it's freshly washed and all straight and compact, it ends up being a bit smaller. When I recently did henna it also seems to be thicker. Strangeness!

[Johannah]

Thanks Johannah, I guess waiting is the best option to clear up doubts... but I'm too impatient! :bigtongue:

Know how you feel! Got this problem as well (I got REALLY thick blunt bangs and a part of it is grown out, but I can't gather all of it in a ponytail :p)

[Wosie]

Johannah, We're ponytail circumference buddies then, I'm also at 3.4". :) I personally consider this to be pretty thick hair! I measure right below the ponytail holder, so it might be a tad thicker than what I measure, but not much at all.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Kittybird, that's pretty amazing!

Everytime i measure, there's a huge difference between high ponytail circ. and low ponytail circ. I wonder why? I have grown out bangs but they're long enough to enter my low ponytail. :confused:

[Mimha]

Hello all ponytailers here !

This thread kind of make me think about men comparing their (...), ha ha ha ! What is there to be proud or ashamed of about our ponytail circumference indeed ?? None of us has decided about her/his genetic heritage, so I personally think that the true proud ones should be those who had been able to make the best out of what Mother nature gave them :). Concerning this, I was amazed to discover that in some cases, people had been able to improve really significantly their hair quality, just by caring properly and having healthy nutrition and life ! It is of great support to know this, I think.

Well, to come to the very point, I had to take several measurment to reach what I would call "a decent average" : I tried to measure at nape and on top of the head, when my hair is clean, oily, wet, very tightly attached or just normal, etc. It gave me a fork of 8 cm (tight nape) to 9.5 cm (top of head), so I would say I am around a little 3.5", with a small room for improvement in caring (I brush too strong when my hair is wet), and recovering from my health problem (I had lost about a quarter of my hair mass due to nutritional disorder).

Long life to healthy long hair !!!!

[Wosie]

Dreams_in_Pink, There's a difference in circumference for me too, depending on where I measure. I made a somewhat high pony tail now, and it was 0.2 centimetres thicker than when I make one by my nape. I have a feeling it's 'cause the hair's not lying as it's used to so it poofs a bit making it 'thicker'?

Also, a question, should you press as very hard as you can when measuring?

[earth]

3.5 inches.

[blace]

3.75"
...up from 2.5" a year ago due to better care and growth.

[Zesty]

3.5", down from 4" when I first joined (due to a stress shed). My regrowing hairs are around mouth length now though, so there's hope for a rebound in a few years. :)

[RainbowBowser]

3.5" or so :)

[BroomHilda]

I m currently 3.5" and i m shedding so many hairs that I m getting depressed.
I ve been lossing like 150 hairs a day the last month.
Wanna cry
(wrong topic tho)

Wish I had 4-5"

[Johannah]

Johannah, We're ponytail circumference buddies then, I'm also at 3.4". :) I personally consider this to be pretty thick hair! I measure right below the ponytail holder, so it might be a tad thicker than what I measure, but not much at all.

:cheer: :p

[Johannah]

This thread made me so curious that I had to take down my bun, make a ponytail and measure. The measuring tape said 6.6", but I did a henna treatment yesterday, my hair is pretty poofy right now and I wasn't sure how tight to pull the measuring tape. It's probably a bit less than 6.6".

I love having thick hair, but a downside is that it's difficult to do fancy buns and updos because the thickness eat up most of my length.

Edit: Forgot to mention that this measurement does not include the bangs I'm currently growing out ;)

Oh my goodness, didn't know that was even possible!! :thudpile:

[dogzdinner]

Mine is decidedly average. 3.25" (without my bangs, so maybe 3.5" with).

[KittyBird]

Oh my goodness, didn't know that was even possible!! :thudpile:
I'm down to around 5" now (had a big shed due to iron deficiency), so it's significantly thinner than when I joined. It was pretty shocking in the beginning because my hair felt so thin, but I've embraced it now. Bunning is much easier, and technically it's still thick :)

[Johannah]

I'm down to around 5" now (had a big shed due to iron deficiency), so it's significantly thinner than when I joined. It was pretty shocking in the beginning because my hair felt so thin, but I've embraced it now. Bunning is much easier, and technically it's still thick :)

I can imagine making a bun with 6.6" pony circumference is quite a challenge. Gosh. And 5" is still really thick, considering mine is 3.4" :p

[AlKhazzaR]

Mine ponytail is 4.72"(12cm) in circumference, exactly year ago was starting with 2.75"(7cm) and there's still lots of baby hairs growing what makes me happy.Never felt so good with mine own hair they was always so thin! Of course it's still not amazing thick like some of you, but I'm still proud because they never was like that.Daily herbal massages and gentle care helps a lot! Sadly single strands are still baby fine and that won't probably change, so mine braid isn't same as close to 5" thick strands hair one but still difference is significant for person which always had mouse tail as they call it over here.

[StellaKatherine]

Mine is 3,22 inches :(

[Larki]

I started at 3.25", and now's it's 3.8", or 4" if I include my bangs. :)

[FallingDarkness]

4.5ish inches.
I wish it was thicker. :(

[Lindenare]

About 5 inches. I can't seem to get the same measurement twice, but the ones I trust most cluster about there.

[lapushka]

Know how you feel! Got this problem as well (I got REALLY thick blunt bangs and a part of it is grown out, but I can't gather all of it in a ponytail :p)

What if you put the ponytail on top of your forehead. That should do it. Easy to measure right there, as well.

[MidnightMoon]

Mine is close to 3 inches. A bit less, so around 2.9 inches. My hair is really thin.

[Trin]

I've got almost exactly four inches, just a hair (haha) under. I've not been gentle with my hair recently, so I can probably get that up to make me an iii. I've just joined the site so I'm reading like crazy for tips and advice to getting past tailbone length.

[meteor]

Guys, do you get thicker measurements when your hair is dry and clean vs. heavily oiled? I get a difference of up to 1.5 inches. I hope I'm not the only one who gets such different results...

[Lindenare]

Guys, do you get thicker measurements when your hair is dry and clean vs. heavily oiled? I get a difference of up to 1.5 inches. I hope I'm not the only one who gets such different results...

You're not the only one; I have the same measurement range of 1.5 inches. I haven't kept track of the condition my hair was in when I've measured so far, though, so I can't say when my hair's thickest.

[meteor]

Yay, thanks, Lindanare! It's good to know! :) I get this big difference and I wonder if it's a iii problem: because 1.5'' is less of a margin of error (percentage-wise) for somebody with, say, 6'' thickness vs. 2'' thickness, for example.
It's kind of like heavy shedding if you are iii: people with iii thickness probably shed more on average (because there is a healthy normal percentage of hair that needs to be renewed every day). I'm basing this purely on my observation, and I could be completely wrong...

[MidnightMoon]

Yay, thanks, Lindanare! It's good to know! :) I get this big difference and I wonder if it's a iii problem: because 1.5'' is less of a margin of error (percentage-wise) for somebody with, say, 6'' thickness vs. 2'' thickness, for example.
It's kind of like heavy shedding if you are iii: people with iii thickness probably shed more on average (because there is a healthy normal percentage of hair that needs to be renewed every day). I'm basing this purely on my observation, and I could be completely wrong...

That would be if people with a larger circumference actually had more hair.
Considering how fine, yet abundant my hair is, I believe my measly circumference is cause by thin strands, not a lower amount of them.

[PurpleSunshine]

Mine is around 4.25 inches, if I did it right, but... I think its right. Wish it was thicker throughout it starts tapering about 5-6 inches from the ends, don't want to maintain at current length though, must get to knee length.

[Lindenare]

Yay, thanks, Lindanare! It's good to know! :) I get this big difference and I wonder if it's a iii problem: because 1.5'' is less of a margin of error (percentage-wise) for somebody with, say, 6'' thickness vs. 2'' thickness, for example.
It's kind of like heavy shedding if you are iii: people with iii thickness probably shed more on average (because there is a healthy normal percentage of hair that needs to be renewed every day). I'm basing this purely on my observation, and I could be completely wrong...

You're making me want to calculate reasonable margins of error for each thickness category, now. As far as your observations on shedding, that sounds reasonable for those of us with high hair density. I can't give much weight to your observations otherwise, though, as I apparently have a quite low shed rate. And yet I still have hairballs collecting in corners. However, fairly high shedding seems to be common among thick-haired people that I know.


That would be if people with a larger circumference actually had more hair.
Considering how fine, yet abundant my hair is, I believe my measly circumference is cause by thin strands, not a lower amount of them.

Yeah, that's the problem with measuring ponytail circumference. It really doesn't take hair density vs. strand thickness into account. It seems to me, though, that many people with iii hair do have high density, not just coarse hair. Of course, people with both can have some stunning ponytails.

[sarahmargera]

3 inches! It was 3.5 when I first measured it back in May but I've shed a lot recently. Hopefully some of that will start filling back in.

[hennalonghair]

4.75 one week after washing
5.20 after washing not including thick bangs

[StellaKatherine]

Hmmm.. when reading this it seems like most peope here have actually close or over 4 inches thickness. Eather this is true or, the ones who have smaller rarely put their measurement ?

[mamaherrera]

Ok Here are my observations, in different textures/quantities. I measure (at back of my head, not nape, but right in the middle), a 3.75 with a 2cm error left or right, depending on wash/braids/etc. My daughter measures 4. 15" but she has a mix of F/M/C and I have M/C. So even though we are SO close, well 1/2 an inch is a lot more hair than me, but taking into account her fine hairs, she has more than just a 1/2 inch on me, because she needs a lot more fine strands to make up that difference. For the rest of you who have M/C and are ii. is that why are parts are wider than are fine-haired friends because their strands are closer together?? cuz my daughter's hair looks a lot more closed, in the fact that her pores are closer together, and mine are more separated so you see more "carne/scalp", which makes my part look wider, even though it's very little difference, but the more separation of strands, more light enters!! Mine gets poofy so I look like I have more, but hers is a lot more heavy . . . don' t know if the rest of you notice this among your fine-haired friends who measure at a ii, but still their parts are "Skinnier"

[Sparklylady82]

4 inches here :-)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I think perhaps the folks with smaller circumferences don't post here so much. Which is a shame, it would be good to get everyone on here so we can see what the most common circumferences are. I suppose we could do a poll?

[mamaherrera]

There already is a poll out there I believe.

[Estrid]

9.7 cm (bangs not included).

It's funny how I need 0.3 cm to get to the border of iii when it is cm we're counting and 0.5 cm when it is inches we're counting. Le system ish not perfect! :grnbiggri

[Platzhalter]

11-13 cm so far. Thick hair seems to run in our family... though I've rarely seen it as that thick before measuring.

[LongHairLesbian]

Hmmm.. when reading this it seems like most peope here have actually close or over 4 inches thickness. Eather this is true or, the ones who have smaller rarely put their measurement ?

I think it's that folks with smaller circumferences don't feel comfortable posting here. 4 inch thickness or above is not the average, even at LHC. But it is certainly praised and preferred; this thread is a very clear example of that. People with 4 inch ponies or above post about it happily and confidently, and the REALLY thick ones get praise and admiration. Those with 3.5 inches or less post about how they want more thickness, are working to grow their thickness, or are despairing about their lack of thickness. It's one of the only things that really bugs me about LHC; the less tapered the better, the thicker the braid the better, the bigger the bun, the better. You might also notice that those who post in the bun or braid picture thread skew thicker, because a thicker braid/bun always gets more praise and attention than a smaller one in the same style. It's a really unfair, damaging paradigm, because, barring damage and health issues, thickness isn't something you can control. Everyone who comes to LHC deserves to feel like their hair is beautiful and amazing, no matter what the thickness. I've never measured my ponytail, and I don't think I will. I classify it at ii because I don't have thick or thin hair issues, and in my opinion it looks and feels medium density. I don't want to let a number define how I feel about my hair. You shouldn't either, StellaKatherine! Your hair is darn near perfect, to me at least. :D Of all the heads of hair I've seen on this site, yours is the one I wish I had the most.

[NormaJean]

I think it's that folks with smaller circumferences don't feel comfortable posting here. 4 inch thickness or above is not the average, even at LHC. But it is certainly praised and preferred; this thread is a very clear example of that. People with 4 inch ponies or above post about it happily and confidently, and the REALLY thick ones get praise and admiration. Those with 3.5 inches or less post about how they want more thickness, are working to grow their thickness, or are despairing about their lack of thickness. It's one of the only things that really bugs me about LHC; the less tapered the better, the thicker the braid the better, the bigger the bun, the better. You might also notice that those who post in the bun or braid picture thread skew thicker, because a thicker braid/bun always gets more praise and attention than a smaller one in the same style. It's a really unfair, damaging paradigm, because, barring damage and health issues, thickness isn't something you can control. Everyone who comes to LHC deserves to feel like their hair is beautiful and amazing, no matter what the thickness. I've never measured my ponytail, and I don't think I will. I classify it at ii because I don't have thick or thin hair issues, and in my opinion it looks and feels medium density. I don't want to let a number define how I feel about my hair. You shouldn't either, StellaKatherine! Your hair is darn near perfect, to me at least. :D Of all the heads of hair I've seen on this site, yours is the one I wish I had the most.


So, basically, ponytail circumference is the longhair equivalent of another certain famous measuring contest that humans are famous for. Gotcha.

[LongHairLesbian]

So, basically, ponytail circumference is the longhair equivalent of another certain famous measuring contest that humans are famous for. Gotcha.

Your words, not mine. But I can certainly see the comparison, haha ;)

[fiðrildi]

So, basically, ponytail circumference is the longhair equivalent of another certain famous measuring contest that humans are famous for. Gotcha.

Gosh... I can see the comparison too :eyebrows:

LongHairLesbian, I agree, every kind of hair is beautiful regardless of its thickness/colour/texture. When I first joined LHC, I was totally unaware of thickness, I had always thought that my hair was "big" (I had a perm!), so I didn't measure, I just assumed I was a iii. Later on, I measured my ponytail out of curiosity, and my hair resulted to be "average", which didn't change at all the way I felt about it. I can understand that some people feel unhappy about their thickness though, because often we have the "it’s better to have too much than too little" kind of thought. Personally, ponytail circumference is for me like any other hair measure (length, or wave pattern), to classify hair. And to me, if hair is healthy, it doesn't matter if its thicker or thinner: it's beautiful either way :)

[SnowbirdRose]

I think it's that folks with smaller circumferences don't feel comfortable posting here. 4 inch thickness or above is not the average, even at LHC. But it is certainly praised and preferred; this thread is a very clear example of that. People with 4 inch ponies or above post about it happily and confidently, and the REALLY thick ones get praise and admiration. Those with 3.5 inches or less post about how they want more thickness, are working to grow their thickness, or are despairing about their lack of thickness. It's one of the only things that really bugs me about LHC; the less tapered the better, the thicker the braid the better, the bigger the bun, the better. You might also notice that those who post in the bun or braid picture thread skew thicker, because a thicker braid/bun always gets more praise and attention than a smaller one in the same style. It's a really unfair, damaging paradigm, because, barring damage and health issues, thickness isn't something you can control. Everyone who comes to LHC deserves to feel like their hair is beautiful and amazing, no matter what the thickness. I've never measured my ponytail, and I don't think I will. I classify it at ii because I don't have thick or thin hair issues, and in my opinion it looks and feels medium density. I don't want to let a number define how I feel about my hair. You shouldn't either, StellaKatherine! Your hair is darn near perfect, to me at least. :D Of all the heads of hair I've seen on this site, yours is the one I wish I had the most. I agree with everything you said. Except I have measured my ponytail nubbin out of curiosity. But like you I wont post the number. I'll be happy with healthy hair.

[StellaKatherine]

I think it's that folks with smaller circumferences don't feel comfortable posting here. 4 inch thickness or above is not the average, even at LHC. But it is certainly praised and preferred; this thread is a very clear example of that. People with 4 inch ponies or above post about it happily and confidently, and the REALLY thick ones get praise and admiration. Those with 3.5 inches or less post about how they want more thickness, are working to grow their thickness, or are despairing about their lack of thickness. It's one of the only things that really bugs me about LHC; the less tapered the better, the thicker the braid the better, the bigger the bun, the better. You might also notice that those who post in the bun or braid picture thread skew thicker, because a thicker braid/bun always gets more praise and attention than a smaller one in the same style. It's a really unfair, damaging paradigm, because, barring damage and health issues, thickness isn't something you can control. Everyone who comes to LHC deserves to feel like their hair is beautiful and amazing, no matter what the thickness. I've never measured my ponytail, and I don't think I will. I classify it at ii because I don't have thick or thin hair issues, and in my opinion it looks and feels medium density. I don't want to let a number define how I feel about my hair. You shouldn't either, StellaKatherine! Your hair is darn near perfect, to me at least. :D Of all the heads of hair I've seen on this site, yours is the one I wish I had the most.

Awww, you are too kind to say so ! Thank you :o

It actualy was so weird when for my wedding day I had to do a hairdo and my hairdresser was like " Ohh, you have such a thick and long hair" and I was like " Nope, no way this is THICK, it is just average " And my hairdresser looked at me like I was a madhead :D Yeah in a way LHC screwed my head as I never considered my hair thin or my buns small before joining here. But I am learning to love my hair as it is again ( as I really loved my hair before joining here....). I really wish that more of the girls with i and smaller ii would post their photos and talk about their hair. As I've always though those were beautiful!

[mamaherrera]

I always think that too. THat it feels less hair than when I was teen, but honestly I dont remember.

[amanda_the_tall]

As someone with super thin hair (1.5" circumference) it does get depressing to be on this forum sometimes because it seems no one has hair as thin as I do. Very rarely can I find a long hair motivational picture with less than ii thickness... I know I'm in the minority of super thin but I wish other thin haired people would post more pictures so it wouldn't be so aggravating as no one else I know has this thin hair minus the elderly.

[Zin79]

4.5 inches.

[LauraLongLocks]

Mine is 7.5 cm or 3". All my life I thought my hair was terribly thin, but since joining LHC I realize I am smack-dab in the middle of average. I am still highly sensitive to "thin" comments though. When a fellow student at school saw that my hair was at hip length but it was compacted into such a small bun, she said, "Wow, your hair must be really, really THIN to have such a small bun." Ouch. That stings. So I went on to put my hair into my largest sock bun form and asked her if my bun was now the appropriate size for the length of hair. She said yes. Then I put it into a fake bob and she asked why I cut my hair and I said because my hair was so thin and my bun so small there was no point in having it long. Yes, I really let it get under my skin. I am VERY sensitive to being told my hair is thin. Happened on YouTube, too. A troll went through several of my videos and criticized my hair for being so thin, AND saying that I misused the descriptors fine and thin. I didn't. My hair is FINE and has AVERAGE thickness, so I sometimes will get thin hair problems like scalp cleavage, and that was what I was referring to on my video... scalp cleavage from having fine hair. The troll said no, it was THIN hair, not fine. Whatever. I know my hair is fine and average thickness, and sometimes these two pieces come together and cause similar issues to medium texture thin hair.

However, when I tried to fit in with the fine/thin thread here it wasn't a good fit because a lot of those who posted there felt I had hair that was too thick (even though it is fine as well) and wondered why I was hanging around their thread.

Those with smaller ponytail circumferences can learn to love their own hair volume, but it's really tough when they feel picked on. I don't feel I fit anywhere with fine hair of average thickness.

[SnowbirdRose]

As someone with super thin hair (1.5" circumference) it does get depressing to be on this forum sometimes because it seems no one has hair as thin as I do. Very rarely can I find a long hair motivational picture with less than ii thickness... I know I'm in the minority of super thin but I wish other thin haired people would post more pictures so it wouldn't be so aggravating as no one else I know has this thin hair minus the elderly.

At almost 49, you might consider my elderly ;) As you can see in this picture, my hair is very thin.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3929/15228737189_60a059179c_s.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pcHg1i)

[Entangled]

This is interesting. I'm fairly comfortable with my hair, and having the thicker end of medium circumference means I get the better ends of the thick and fine haired sticks. However, before coming here, I though my hair was thin! Now, I realize it's not. I love looking at fineor thin hair, though. They makes braids look more intricate and petite.

[lapushka]

Mine is 7.5 cm or 3". All my life I thought my hair was terribly thin, but since joining LHC I realize I am smack-dab in the middle of average. I am still highly sensitive to "thin" comments though. When a fellow student at school saw that my hair was at hip length but it was compacted into such a small bun, she said, "Wow, your hair must be really, really THIN to have such a small bun." Ouch. That stings. So I went on to put my hair into my largest sock bun form and asked her if my bun was now the appropriate size for the length of hair. She said yes. Then I put it into a fake bob and she asked why I cut my hair and I said because my hair was so thin and my bun so small there was no point in having it long. Yes, I really let it get under my skin. I am VERY sensitive to being told my hair is thin. Happened on YouTube, too. A troll went through several of my videos and criticized my hair for being so thin, AND saying that I misused the descriptors fine and thin. I didn't. My hair is FINE and has AVERAGE thickness, so I sometimes will get thin hair problems like scalp cleavage, and that was what I was referring to on my video... scalp cleavage from having fine hair. The troll said no, it was THIN hair, not fine. Whatever. I know my hair is fine and average thickness, and sometimes these two pieces come together and cause similar issues to medium texture thin hair.

However, when I tried to fit in with the fine/thin thread here it wasn't a good fit because a lot of those who posted there felt I had hair that was too thick (even though it is fine as well) and wondered why I was hanging around their thread.

Those with smaller ponytail circumferences can learn to love their own hair volume, but it's really tough when they feel picked on. I don't feel I fit anywhere with fine hair of average thickness.

Meh, let them troll. Don't let it get to you! Easier said than done, I know, but still. 3" isn't bad at all. My mom's hair is on the border of i/ii and that is thin and I see the difference versus your hair in your videos pretty darn well. With 3" you can be very happy. It's a nice average to have! And thick hair is overrated, anyway, coming from someone who's 4.25". ;)

[Avis]

I personally think all types of hair look beautiful when they're well taken care of. I wouldn't want super straight hair, curly hair or thinner hair, but there are TONS of ladies and gents here who pull off those looks VERY well.

I measured today for the first time in about a year and it remains that same at 3.75".

[fairy_hair]

3 inches :\ :D

[Aderyn]

Mine's right around 4 inches, maybe a little bit above.

I'm content with the thickness. I would like to get rid of some of my taper, though.

[ashke50]

Mine is 3 inches. When I started on the forum it was 2.5, but taking better care of it has reduced damage and breakage so it went up by half an inch. That thickness is stil working its way down my length though, so I have a fair bit of taper.
Like LLL I have had a number of comments from people IRL about how thin my hair is, so I was surprised to find I was in the average range.
Mostly I like my hair thickness, it's not too heavy and looks delicate and graceful. Watching Torrin Paige videos can be a little disheartening though, I remember one where she split her hair into six plaits and kept apologising for how thin they were, but they were probably thicker than the plaits I get if I split my hair in half!

[StellaKatherine]

Mine is 7.5 cm or 3". All my life I thought my hair was terribly thin, but since joining LHC I realize I am smack-dab in the middle of average. I am still highly sensitive to "thin" comments though. When a fellow student at school saw that my hair was at hip length but it was compacted into such a small bun, she said, "Wow, your hair must be really, really THIN to have such a small bun." Ouch. That stings. So I went on to put my hair into my largest sock bun form and asked her if my bun was now the appropriate size for the length of hair. She said yes. Then I put it into a fake bob and she asked why I cut my hair and I said because my hair was so thin and my bun so small there was no point in having it long. Yes, I really let it get under my skin. I am VERY sensitive to being told my hair is thin. Happened on YouTube, too. A troll went through several of my videos and criticized my hair for being so thin, AND saying that I misused the descriptors fine and thin. I didn't. My hair is FINE and has AVERAGE thickness, so I sometimes will get thin hair problems like scalp cleavage, and that was what I was referring to on my video... scalp cleavage from having fine hair. The troll said no, it was THIN hair, not fine. Whatever. I know my hair is fine and average thickness, and sometimes these two pieces come together and cause similar issues to medium texture thin hair.

However, when I tried to fit in with the fine/thin thread here it wasn't a good fit because a lot of those who posted there felt I had hair that was too thick (even though it is fine as well) and wondered why I was hanging around their thread.

Those with smaller ponytail circumferences can learn to love their own hair volume, but it's really tough when they feel picked on. I don't feel I fit anywhere with fine hair of average thickness.

My hair is F/M , some hairs are really fine and some hairs are medium and my ponytail is 3,14. Because of the wave/fluffy pattern of my hair, it can look kinda big when open. But then I braid it, bun it - and it all compacts in a suprisingly thin braid or small bun. I too feel like I do not belong anywhere. In a fine and thin threads my hair is too big looking and not all of my hair is fine. And then there is super thick thread where I am in no way belong eather. We just are those in between :D Maybe we need to do our own thread for everyone who feels they are in between thick and thin ? ;)

[StellaKatherine]

Mine is 3 inches. When I started on the forum it was 2.5, but taking better care of it has reduced damage and breakage so it went up by half an inch. That thickness is stil working its way down my length though, so I have a fair bit of taper.
Like LLL I have had a number of comments from people IRL about how thin my hair is, so I was surprised to find I was in the average range.
Mostly I like my hair thickness, it's not too heavy and looks delicate and graceful. Watching Torrin Paige videos can be a little disheartening though, I remember one where she split her hair into six plaits and kept apologising for how thin they were, but they were probably thicker than the plaits I get if I split my hair in half!

Oh I love Torrin's videos. But it it can be little depressing when you try to recreate heir hairdoes and notices that her "small " braid is actually eating the half of your hair :D

[two_wheels]

3.25" here, though I measured on a floofy day. I don't wanna know at the moment because autumn shed is horrifying...

I too have been told my hair was thin, by various people with damaged hair that would probably compress to smaller than mine :shrug:

Unless it's damaged, you can't change this, so why stress about it? The only reason to measure is to find similar people so you can estimate what length you need for certain updos, or what size hairstick will work at your goal length, things like that.

ETA I love Torrin too and let's be clear, it would be awesome to have her hair! But I'd also love to look like a supermodel. I don't, but I don't scrub up too badly, you know what I mean?

[bexcalo]

Wow i just shocked myself when i measured mine just now I'm 4"
Thats thick right? or the higher end of average? Im not sure

[Wosie]

bexcalo, I think most people who land smack dab on 4 inches usually put their classifier to ii/iii. :hmm:

---

The last time DBF measured my hair, he pulled the measurement band as tightly as possible (up to the point of saying "I'm worried about damaging your hair"), and then it was a tad lower than what I wrote in my last post (...8.4cm, right?). But like I said, I don't know if you're supposed to measure that tightly in the first place. :o

[Stray_mind]

It dropped from 3.14 inches to only 3 inches.... Kinda sad, but what ya gonna do... Autumn shedding is not good for my hair. It's better now, but i still shed way more than in the summer. I also experience brakage. The chemically damaged hairs are breaking off. It's much harder to keep them safe while my hair gets longer.

[mamaherrera]

yes I still don't know what is the correct way to measure. My husband says there is no need to tighten the string we use because the ponytail holder does all the work. But if I tighten it can change from his measurement 3.9" all the way down to 3.7", so there is definitely that change that can cause confusion and make it hard to keep track of if there is change, depending on how you do it. But yes, mine can look big and poofy, but put it in a braid and it feels so light and looks so small, same with ponytails, buns, etc. My hair causes lots of illusions, but just put me next to my daughter, and I hear comments, "wow she has a lot more hair than you." It's hard to hear it all the time and see her thick hair all the time.

[Wosie]

Stray_mind, 3 inches isn't bad at all! Also, you have fine hair, which compacts quite a bit. You surely have more hairs than me, who is M/C. :)

mamaherrera, That was exactly how it was for me as well, I went down two millimetres when the measurement tape was pulled as tightly as possible. :agree: Also, your daughter seems to have extraordinarily thick hair if it makes people compare the two of you and say such things when you have quite thick hair yourself!

---

The main reason to why I want to regularly check my ponytail circumference at the mo' is due to autumn shedding. I also have a skin disorder which makes me lose more hair than I would without the condition, so I want to monitor any kind of thinning, so I can see that I'm not losing too much hair too quickly.

[mamaherrera]

No I hear you Wosie!! And thanks for the compliment. Mine went down 4 mm. but I'm thinking/hoping it might be the autumn shed, but honestly I don't get it. I'm not shedding more than normal 100-120 per day, so it's nothing for me. for three years I was losing like 150 per day and my ponytail measurement didn't change a bit. Now why it would change with this postpartum shed/autumn shed of 100-120, that is beyond me. That's what has me a bit worried. Do you do anything to control your skin disorder? I'm trying to treat what I think is SD right now too, so I hear ya. But yeah, this is the first time in my life of checking circumference (6 years doing it now) that it's changed, which has had me stressed a bit. It did go up 4mm after the pregnancy (from all the no-shed) but I didn't think 100-120 daily could make it go down within 3 months.

[LauraLongLocks]

My hair is F/M , some hairs are really fine and some hairs are medium and my ponytail is 3,14. Because of the wave/fluffy pattern of my hair, it can look kinda big when open. But then I braid it, bun it - and it all compacts in a suprisingly thin braid or small bun. I too feel like I do not belong anywhere. In a fine and thin threads my hair is too big looking and not all of my hair is fine. And then there is super thick thread where I am in no way belong eather. We just are those in between :D Maybe we need to do our own thread for everyone who feels they are in between thick and thin ? ;)

Yes, the AVERAGE thread, lol!

[nakima]

mine is a little over 3 inches. I have always been told I have fine hair but I have a lot of it "especially for a blonde" what ever that means? lol!

[Mainesongbird]

Mine is 4.5" also! =D

[Timea]

13cm or about 5 inches

[Nadine <3]

Mine is an inch :shrug: ....I know it would be small but that's TINY.

[Eastbound&Down]

Why is pony circumference important? I see people on here talk about it all the time, but does it really affect anything?

[burny]

Eastbound&Down, it's not really 'important', it is just the standard measurement, for comparing how thick one persons hair is with another.

[Eastbound&Down]

Ok, I didn't know if it would affect how you would treat your how based on thickness or something.

[amanda_the_tall]

Mine is an inch :shrug: ....I know it would be small but that's TINY.

But is that including your bangs? (I'm guessing you still have bangs like your picture looks). Mine was the same thickness when I had bangs as well. Now that I've grown them out it's up to 1.5" :) just a thought.

[lapushka]

Ok, I didn't know if it would affect how you would treat your how based on thickness or something.

It's good to know information, for yourself, especially to know and predict when you can do buns, etc.

[Timea]

Ok, I didn't know if it would affect how you would treat your how based on thickness or something.

also, it affects how long it takes to wash and dry it. saturday was wash day for me and i put it into four sections, braided each one, unbraided one at a time and washed each section, spent an hour total trying to get the shampoo out of my scalp (i don't put shampoo on the length, just the scalp)...and it was still sticky from soap after it dried! (sectioning it was a new thing i was trying to help get all of it clean because i miss spots no matter how long i spend on it otherwise.)

people with very thin or very thick hair have to use different hair care techniques to take care of their hair :shrug:

[YvetteVarie]

6'' when compacted

[LauraLongLocks]

6'' when compacted

Wow. That must be a lot of hair to manage.

[ExpectoPatronum]

Mine's a solid 4.0" including my bangs. It would be nice to see it increase now that I've got my hormones regulated. We'll know in a few months!

[Sparklylady82]

I'm at 4 inches but my hair is layered. I put it in a high pony tail to try and get it all ;-)