Is your stretched hair your true length?

[laurend]

I've always wonder about this after seeing pictures of naturals who straighten their hair. In one picture, it might show the natural person who has straighten her hair and it might hit at the bra line. However, in the next picture, she shows her hair length by pulling it to her mid back. Is that her hair length or is it the bra strap length? Can your hair naturally stretch to the mid back by super straightening it with heat? I'm just wondering. This question doesn't apply to anyone in particular so don't feel I'm talking about you...OK

 

[BeetleBug]

Maybe the straightened hair has reverted some hence the need to stretch it.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

This can be complex because straightening means different things to different people.

For me, straightening means getting my hair absolutely PIN straight and silky. To others....its just about slightly stretching the hair from its fully shrunken state.

So in my case, I would say even when I try to stretch my coily hair with my fingers its not my true length.

My true length is seen immediately after finishing a pin straight silky press. Because in the days going forward it will have subtle slight reversion.

 

[manter26]

Due to the natural elasticity in healthy hair, I would say the pulled on hair is always a little longer than where the hair would fall on its own (no matter how much heat it used).

 

[FebeeSigns]

Some people don't straighten very well. I'm an amateur with the flat iron. When I flat iron my own hair I sweat a lot and I have reversion already happening at my roots. On top of that it's not professionally done and my revlon iron sucks. However, when I get my hair silky straight it is only a few inches longer than when I do it myself. Nothing too serious like going from apl to mbl. My hair in it's shrunken state fools many and barely touches my shoulder yet.

 

[SimJam]

I think stretched (pulled)/straightened(heat applied) hair is ur true length.

especially for naturals with lots of shrinkage, its essential to stretch it to see the true length.

 

[loulou82]

When professionally done my stretched length is the same as my straightened length. However, when I do a flat iron pass on myself I loose .5 -1 inch off my stretched length.

 

[westNDNbeauty]

This can be complex because straightening means different things to different people.

For me, straightening means getting my hair absolutely PIN straight and silky. To others....its just about slightly stretching the hair from its fully shrunken state.

So in my case, I would say even when I try to stretch my coily hair with my fingers its not my true length.

My true length is seen immediately after finishing a pin straight silky press. Because in the days going forward it will have subtle slight reversion.

Totally agree.


SN: LOVING your siggy pic!! You look really flyy!! 2 Y's.

 

[jwhitley6]

My hair pulls down longer than it falls heat straightened. Maybe my hair stretches or my scalp stretches...not sure.

 

[Nasdaq_Diva]

I think some just pull their hair to hard in their pics to give the appearance of longer lengths.

When I do a length check, I'm not pulling my hair to the point where i can feel it from my scalp.

 

[laurend]

I think some just pull their hair to hard in their pics to give the appearance of longer lengths.

When I do a length check, I'm not pulling my hair to the point where i can feel it from my scalp.

I always wondered about that to. Are they pulling so hard, it really is a misconception of what their true length is. I don't think they are doing it on purpose though.

 

[glamazon386]

OP, this happens with my hair. When I stretch it seems longer compared to when I flat iron it. I can still stretch my hair some when straightened. I realized that even when straight my hair still has some degree of shrinkage. My roots are never all the way straight neither is the rest of the hair 100% straight. I can never get my hair as straight as they do at the salon. I hope that made sense.

 

[kmn1980]

My pulled length is shorter than my straightened length because even when I pull there is still some curl in the strand.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

My pulled length is shorter than my straightened length because even when I pull there is still some curl in the strand.

this

i dont pull my hair to the point that it cant stretch any more. a) i dont want to break my hair off lol and b) i need that section to go back to curly or that strand will be longer than the rest when i go out (not cute)

i would say my stretched shots tend to underestimate my true length when flat ironed

 

[lilsparkle825]

This is why all my OFFICIAL length checks are on straightened hair, fresh from the Dominicans. I do unofficial length checks every once in a while (see avi), but I did notice that my hair when I pull a curl seems to be a different length from when I get it straightened. I like going by that length better anyway, since that's what people will see when I wear it straight.

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

The bone straight is the true length...

But like myself, many naturals choose to just pull the hair a little to do a length check to prevent having to use heat. Pulling the natural hair a little is kind of like a "GUESTIMATION"...but not an estimate of truelength since there is still some curl there.... I use the pulling method for length checks unofficially, but I will do my official length check when I straighten which is every 5-6 months or so...HTH.....

 

[Fine 4s]

Good question.

Results may vary.

I would consider my true length where my hair falls naturally with no additional help. This true length is best revealed after a flat iron stretch. One would argue that the flat iron IS additional help. For example my siggy, is not my true length just as my shrunken hair to my ears (last night) wasn't my true length either.

How we define 'true length' will vary.

I'd much prefer using wet hair for my true length though I know some folks don't believe that wet hair is true length b/c water stretches out the hair much more but what about folks who still have curls in the wet stretching? How much is the water really stretching? Can it go further?


My true true length can't be determine b/c you'd have to count the hair inside my scalp. You think I'm WL? Well...I'm really HL. I got mad hairs hiding in my follicles son! j/k

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

I think the true length is the relaxed or flat ironed bone straight length. But I haven't straightened since November so I do my length checks just by pulling on air dried and blowdried hair. And for me, that's an underestimated length because I don't want to tug too hard to, creating stress at the demarcation line.

 

[redantz00]

I agree with the responses that stated that bone straight fresh from the salon is the true length.