Shoulder | Armpit

**browneyedsusan** · August 30th, 2013, 01:05 PM

Welcome, emilylightning! I wear my hair like that often, too. Believe me, you can do hairsticks when your hair is long enough. It's easier than French or dutch braiding by a long shot!

Haybop, I'm with you. I have no idea what APL is on me. It looks very different every time I look at it. Towel test, stick my arms out, look at bra strap... ??? It's almost there. It's a long way off. It's almost there... *sigh* If all of you would be so kind as to boot me off the thread when I need to go, I'd deeply appreciate it!

**Nique1202** · August 30th, 2013, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by browneyedsusan

Haybop, I'm with you. I have no idea what APL is on me. It looks very different every time I look at it. Towel test, stick my arms out, look at bra strap... ??? It's almost there. It's a long way off. It's almost there... *sigh* If all of you would be so kind as to boot me off the thread when I need to go, I'd deeply appreciate it!

I'm with you both on this! I measured APL at about 22 inches with a towel test a while back, and my hair is at that length now but now the towel test is looking like I'm another half inch off when wet and straight! Let alone when it dries and goes wavy. Also, it's getting wavier when dry now that it's longer than it did when it was short, which I totally do not understand.

Getting a little frustrated at it, but on the other hand at least I know I'm close! My hair is finally starting to feel long and I feel like it doesn't look awkward when I leave it down anymore (especially since I got bored and cut some ponytail-above-the-head layers in, leaving the back almost untouched and long) which is a super bonus with winter coming up!

**peepopowitz** · August 30th, 2013, 02:30 PM

Late to the party, but I'd love to hang with some fellow shoulder length friends. Right now, after a fresh trim and measuring 16.5 inches (stretched) my waves hang just above my shoulders. It's hard to tell where it is, milestone-wise, because every day is more humid than the last; as it gets longer, it looks shorter. Rough. Come on New England fall! I need you November weather, you're my only hope.

Two or three inches from now, I think I'll finally be out of the woods as far as totally awkward, impossible hair lengths go. I can only get a little ponytail at this length, and it looks HORRIBLE down. AWFUL. TERRIBLE. But very soon I'll be able to twist it into the tiniest, cutest bun you ever did see and on that day I will smile. Unfortunately, it'll be much, much longer before I can braid. Thanks, layers! But I'm growing from an inch at the longest part pixie, so a layered look is pretty much inevitable. What can you do? It's not like I'd chop off four inches from the bottom to meet the top layers. I just got this ponytail; I don't want to give it up.

At least I made it through almost all of summer without throwing in the towel and returning to pixie-ville. If I can have awkward, neck-length hair through the summer, then pony-able hair in fall is gonna be a cake walk. Probably. Maybe. Here we go.

**stachelbeere** · August 30th, 2013, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by Haybop

See stachelbeere - that's exactly what I need, someone with a private jet

If I meet you at Rochester airport I'm sure we could fly off in your jet to somewhere a bit more exotic to take the photos ;D I'm afraid I only have the camera on my phone to take pics with, but one day ;D

Right... I kind of didn't take that into consideration (camera phone). Sorry about that. What about a picture in the mirror while looking at the display on another hand mirror? I think a self-timer option on phones would be extremely helpful...

I had a few ideas how to show length on pictures. You could make yourself a length check tshirt
the other one might sound a bit insane and maybe not at all helpful but it's the same concept as the shirt. With the help of a mirror but mostly feeling with your hands find your hairlength and use stickers, or tape to mark the length on your back. Obviously you should be careful not to stick your hair to your back. Then put your hair up and observe.

Also; dang it, my super rich billionaire husband is currently using our jet for a business trip to a place ridiculously far away (Bora Bora) and our cat's butler's butler was using the hot air balloon today - with the cat :/ I have to ask dh to buy me my OWN jet *pulls grumpy face*

well, I wish...

**stachelbeere** · August 30th, 2013, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Nique1202

I'm with you both on this! I measured APL at about 22 inches with a towel test a while back, and my hair is at that length now but now the towel test is looking like I'm another half inch off when wet and straight! Let alone when it dries and goes wavy. Also, it's getting wavier when dry now that it's longer than it did when it was short, which I totally do not understand.

Getting a little frustrated at it, but on the other hand at least I know I'm close! My hair is finally starting to feel long and I feel like it doesn't look awkward when I leave it down anymore (especially since I got bored and cut some ponytail-above-the-head layers in, leaving the back almost untouched and long) which is a super bonus with winter coming up!

THIS!!! I have the same result with the towel test; even when I dry my back after showering I catch some hairs under the towel. And on most photos I'm at APL.

**ebullience** · August 30th, 2013, 05:44 PM

Welcome to the thread, peepopowitz! The "awkward" stage of growing out hair is never fun (I remember that I went through ALOT of bobby pins during that stage), but you'll get through it - good luck!

**stachelbeere** · August 30th, 2013, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by peepopowitz

Unfortunately, it'll be much, much longer before I can braid. Thanks, layers! But I'm growing from an inch at the longest part pixie, so a layered look is pretty much inevitable.

You shall braaaid! With layers you could do a waterfall braid!

When I was at shoulder I was also french braiding/ dutch braiding - but then I didn't have layers...
in the meantime - hair bands are always fun?

oh, and welcome

**0xalis** · August 30th, 2013, 08:08 PM

my goodness, this is the most active thread i've been on! peepopowitz, i remember when I got my first tiny ponytail, it was the best thing ever after MONTHS of not being able to do anything with my hair. my mom was first able to french braid my hair at like mid-neck. I also remember when i was finally able to successfully make a sock bun O: greatest day of my life. That's what i missed this time around, I missed buns. last time it was braids.

Just went back through my old pictures and my hair was exactly APL right before the pixie. My hair was a little bit longer than it is now this time in 2011, so i should definitely be APL by the end of this school year. So guys, I guess I'll be here with you until graduation!

**browneyedsusan** · August 30th, 2013, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by peepopowitz

Late to the party, but I'd love to hang with some fellow shoulder length friends. Right now, after a fresh trim and measuring 16.5 inches (stretched) my waves hang just above my shoulders. It's hard to tell where it is, milestone-wise, because every day is more humid than the last; as it gets longer, it looks shorter. Rough. Come on New England fall! I need you November weather, you're my only hope.

Two or three inches from now, I think I'll finally be out of the woods as far as totally awkward, impossible hair lengths go. I can only get a little ponytail at this length, and it looks HORRIBLE down. AWFUL. TERRIBLE. But very soon I'll be able to twist it into the tiniest, cutest bun you ever did see and on that day I will smile. Unfortunately, it'll be much, much longer before I can braid. Thanks, layers! But I'm growing from an inch at the longest part pixie, so a layered look is pretty much inevitable. What can you do? It's not like I'd chop off four inches from the bottom to meet the top layers. I just got this ponytail; I don't want to give it up.

At least I made it through almost all of summer without throwing in the towel and returning to pixie-ville. If I can have awkward, neck-length hair through the summer, then pony-able hair in fall is gonna be a cake walk. Probably. Maybe. Here we go.

Welcome!

Been there. I didn't wear my hair down for at least 6 months. I braided long before that, though. If I hadn't braided my bangs back, I would have gone berserk. I just braided them back and clipped them. Either on the side, straight back from my forehead, or across the top of my head from a deep side part. I started when I had 3 or 4 inches of hair and lace braided with a little gooey product to keep the ends sort of in. Feel free to snoop through my album for some ugly, grown-out pixie hair with no trims until Feb 2013. My siggy shows about 8 weeks of growth in May 2012. I had just gotten the "tail" cut off, and the hair trimmed up to my hairline in back.
Have a look, and feel better. It will pass.

**peepopowitz** · August 31st, 2013, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by browneyedsusan

Welcome!

Been there. I didn't wear my hair down for at least 6 months. I braided long before that, though. If I hadn't braided my bangs back, I would have gone berserk. I just braided them back and clipped them. Either on the side, straight back from my forehead, or across the top of my head from a deep side part. I started when I had 3 or 4 inches of hair and lace braided with a little gooey product to keep the ends sort of in. Feel free to snoop through my album for some ugly, grown-out pixie hair with no trims until Feb 2013. My siggy shows about 8 weeks of growth in May 2012. I had just gotten the "tail" cut off, and the hair trimmed up to my hairline in back.
Have a look, and feel better. It will pass.

Yeah, I don't braid my grown-out bangs back, but I twist them back all the time. With two to four bang twists in place I'll wear the rest of my hair down and be pretty happy with it. Of course, I'm finding bobby pins all over the living room, and the bathrooms, and the car, and...

Honestly, the thing that makes me not like my hair down is more the humidity of the season and less my actual hair. My hair is pretty nice, good wave to it, but in August in New England it is just BIG. I don't have enough length to compensate for the bigness, so, whatever, ponytails until leaves are on the ground. Thanks for all the support. It's almost over, and every month it gets a little better. Mercifully, by next summer I'll have long enough hair to properly put it up. Good times ahead.