Naturals are we "reaching" to claim hair lengths

[hair4romheaven]

I was wondering are we reaching? When we stretch our hair on the sides and or back is that our true length? The reason I ask is because I have no plans on straightening my hair anytime soon as I have never flat ironed my hair even when I was relaxed.
So my question is when you stretch your hair is that your true length even when you straighten your hair? or do you subtract an inch or so?

 

[bajandoc86]

even when you stretch your hair.....you don't see the EXACT length. It's still shorter than your actual length which is demonstrated if you straighten your hair.

 

[youwillrise]

ive been thinking a lot about this.

i think it's why a lot of people who do the stretch thing have SOMEONE ELSE pull the hair down *for* them...because there are so many ways to get inaccuracies. maybe you're leaning or maybe your head is tilted back a little...or maybe your neck is scrunched down. i always wonder how accurate it is when i do my own length stretches. i'm probably off by a bit.

maybe i'll try having another person stretch my hair for me next time i do it. even if they look at me like i'm crazy haha.

 

[B_Phlyy]

Yes, I consider my straightened hair my true length. I don't really stretch my hair because it's not really long enough to do so. Plus my hair is really uneven due to setbacks. So the only time my hair is uniform all over my head is when I straighten.

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

Stretching or reaching is an estimate at best. Its never 100% accurate but for people like me who hardly straighten, its the only way for me to know if I am progressing.... Which is why pics are also important...for comparison. I try to keep my neck straight, an will do a re-take if my head looked obviously bent or pushed forward. Other than pressing, thats how I check length....(shrug).

As far as claiming, its never exactly the same for every1. Some people have no neck, long necks but a short back, I mean we're all anatomically unique. So some people may be able
To claim a certain length before others but so what? All We can do is stretch it and check it via pics....(shrug again)


Sent from my iPhone 4 using LHCF

 

[hair4romheaven]

Stretching or reaching is an estimate at best. Its never 100% accurate but for people like me who hardly straighten, its the only way for me to know if I am progressing.... Which is why pics are also important...for comparison. I try to keep my neck straight, an will do a re-take if my head looked obviously bent or pushed forward. Other than pressing, thats how I check length....(shrug).

As far as claiming, its never exactly the same for every1. Some people have no neck, long necks but a short back, I mean we're all anatomically unique. So some people may be able
To claim a certain length before others but so what? All We can do is stretch it and check it via pics....(shrug again)


Sent from my iPhone 4 using LHCF

@naturalgyrl5199 Why I laughed through this post. Sorry but seriously I feel the same way. I have no plans on straightening so wonder if when I stretch my hair am I reaching due to the elasticity of the hair or what. I was sitting here wondering if I straightened my hair will if fall where it was stretched or shorter due to normal shrinkage. I know when I was texlaxed/relaxed there was still room to stretch the hair so to speak.

 

[youwillrise]

this post makes me want to stretch my hair...though i'm sure it hasnt changed any since the last time i stretched it. ha.

 

[hair4romheaven]

this post makes me want to stretch my hair...though i'm sure it hasnt changed any since the last time i stretched it. ha.

youwillrise LMAO I stay stretching my hair. Stretch girl stretch! LOL
Do you ever straighten it though? If so, was it the same length?

 

[faithVA]

Your straightened hair won't be shorter than your stretched hair. I'm not following that straight hair could be shorter. Your stretched hair still has curls and waves which would make it shorter than hair that has been straightened which has fewer curls and waves.

So if I reach APL stretched (with good posture) it will be APL or longer when I stretch.

 

[bajandoc86]

^^^^ This!

 

[knt1229]

I take the length of my hair after straightening with heat as my true length. The length I get from just pulling on my un-straightened hair or the length of my hair stretched from twists or braids/plaits is several inches shorter than heat straightened hair.

Depending on hair type it's not possible to know your true length without heat straightening. Certain hair types can be straightened with just brushing so if you have that type of hair then knowing your true length would be possible without the use of heat.

 

[Lucie]

It'll be 2 years for me on 2.5.12 and I have never straightened my hair. I have no clue how long it is, except by taking progress shots.

 

[hair4romheaven]

It'll be 2 years for me on 2.5.12 and I have never straightened my hair. I have no clue how long it is, except by taking progress shots.

Lucie do you just take pics while its in the fro state to see progress? How are you checking your progress since you don't straighten?

 

[Triniwegian]

Like Naturalgyrl5599 said, if you don't straighten your hair how will you really know?
I don't need to know down to the millimeter what I have gained but stretching out a lock and see where it falls helps me in knowing whether or not my hair grew.
I am sure other can relate that a wash-n-go today and one year ago look about the same, so stretching the hair is a good way to guesstimate and see progress.

ETA: When I flatiron my hair, I am always surprised of how long it REALLY is, simply stretching the curly hair does not show the true length IMO.

 

[Lucie]

@Lucie do you just take pics while its in the fro state to see progress? How are you checking your progress since you don't straighten?

hair4romheaven, I do a visual progress check. Basically, I have no clue about my true length.

 

[Sweet_Ambrosia]

When I stretch my hair to see progress it’s an estimate not my ‘true length‘. I’m sure if I were to straighten it (which I rarely do)--it’ll be an inch or so longer.

 

[Napp]

i must be odd because my streched hair always seems longer than my straightened hair

 

[faithVA]

i must be odd because my streched hair always seems longer than my straightened hair

Perhaps it poofs but physically it can't be shorter. This last round my stretched hair and straightened hair seemed the same. But the actual length measurement in inches shows the straight hair longer than the stretched.

 

[Nonie]

I personally find there's little difference between my stretched hair and my straightened hair, so don't feel I need to straighten my hair to see my length:

Here's my stretched hair:

Here's my straightened hair:

 

[Solitude]

Due to the elasticity of healthy hair, hair that is pulled/stretched can be pulled down longer than the length the hair would be straightened. Like, a rubber band can stretch out very far if you pull it. But, the same rubber band laid out straight, not pulled, isn't nearly as long.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using LHCF app

 

[davisbr88]

i must be odd because my streched hair always seems longer than my straightened hair

Same for me.
Because the stretching adds weight to my hair that wouldn't be there if it was straightened since my hair is so lightweight. I usually wait a couple of months after reaching a "stretched" milestone to actually claim it.

 

[Curlykale]

Since I have no intention of straightening my hair or relaxing, I stretch only to understand if my hair is growing. for the same reason I only search and destroy and I don't need my end to be trimmed into a perfect line. I consider my length and shape as "more or less".
One thing I don't do is look at other people's growth rate since I have a long neck and torso and my waistlength would probably be another person's knee length or viceversa. Inches/cm are my way of measuring growth and I know my hair is doing well if this year's growth looks like the growth I had last year.
I also have an irregular growth (sometimes it looks like it's taking a rest), so looking at years or 4 months at a time gives me a better idea.
Breakage is the only factor I take seriously since I know it is what could hinder my growth.

 

[Beverly Ann Properties]

Stretching and taking pictures gives me a good indicator on how my hair is growing. I do this more often than flat ironing my hair. I will only flat iron to see if I met a milestone. As soon as I flat iron, my hair starts to revert so I take the milestone picture and let it be. I will continue to stretch my hair and only flat iron for special occassions or 2x a year.

 

[DaiseeDay]

Due to the elasticity of healthy hair, hair that is pulled/stretched can be pulled down longer than the length the hair would be straightened. Like, a rubber band can stretch out very far if you pull it. But, the same rubber band laid out straight, not pulled, isn't nearly as long.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using LHCF app

Not all healthy hair is very elastic though, so it will still vary from person to person.


Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse the typos.

 

[hair4romheaven]

Interesting thoughts ladies. I still have no desire to flat iron as I don't know how, just was wondering for those that do flat iron if your stretched hair is longer than your flat ironed hair?

 

[Rocky91]

Same for me.
Because the stretching adds weight to my hair that wouldn't be there if it was straightened since my hair is so lightweight. I usually wait a couple of months after reaching a "stretched" milestone to actually claim it.

THIS.
I don't *** with stretching-gives me false hope. had me thinking i was APL, and then i straightened..womp to the mothalovin womp.

 

[diadall]

THIS.
I don't *** with stretching-gives me false hope. had me thinking i was APL, and then i straightened..womp to the mothalovin womp.

I agree. If I pull hard enough I can get to near APL but I know I am truly SL. I probably wont be APL until possibly April.

 

[choctaw]

THIS.
I don't *** with stretching-gives me false hope. had me thinking i was APL, and then i straightened..womp to the mothalovin womp.

I gotta take a sip on dat ...

 

[greenandchic]

Interesting thoughts ladies. I still have no desire to flat iron as I don't know how, just was wondering for those that do flat iron if your stretched hair is longer than your flat ironed hair?

I've been wondering that too since I never straighten my hair. Guess I may not be able to claim BSL until the end of the year.

 

[Tamster]

wait a minute, so people are able to pull their hair longer? what? For some reason this does not make sense to me. your hair pulls and is like gum? what?

i get that your straightened hair can be lightweight, but it should still be the same or longer as your pulled straight hair.

So when you pull your straightened hair.... does it reach the length you thought it would be?