should we really be measuring hair from the BACK?

S

Spongebob

Well-Known Member
i always saw people measuring their length from the back (usually with T-shirts)
so I did the same, and decided i'm APL

then i straightened my hair for the first time in more then 2 years. and it turns out my hair just passes my collar bone. nothing close to APL

i'm starting to wonder whether it is such a good idea to measure hair from the back

my siggy suggest im APL. but the pic i just took is a far cry from it

Snapshot_20111111_30-vi.jpg
 
This is really up to the person doing the measurement. Many people wear their hair in layers and not one length so they may choose to measure from the back.

When I was relaxed everything from the ear forward was ear length and the rest was SL.

Most people recognize that the back is longer than the rest and will choose to note their progress when the sides get to the length or all of it.

Like I said its just a personal choice. There's never going to be a consensus on this.
 
Je Ne Sais Quoi said:
So if you are wl in the back and shoulder in the front what would you claim op?
Click to expand...

i'd probably straighten my hair as i did now, and look at the lowest point it naturally hangs at from the front.

altho my length may be apl, anyone would think i'm just a little over shoulder length. i guess i'm just dissapointed that it doesn't look as long as APL.
 
Spongebob said:
i always saw people measuring their length from the back (usually with T-shirts)
so I did the same, and decided i'm APL

then i straightened my hair for the first time in more then 2 years. and it turns out my hair just passes my collar bone. nothing close to APL

i'm starting to wonder whether it is such a good idea to measure hair from the back

my siggy suggest im APL. but the pic i just took is a far cry from it
Click to expand...

You seem like you are disappointed. If that is so, then you can always choice to measure your hair from the points that are going to give you the most satisifaction and feeling of achievement.

I measure from the area below my crown because I really care more about my twist hanging in the back more than anything. I rarely straighten my entire head or wear my hair straight so I don't focus so much on the rest. But at the same time I know that most of my hair is NL and the back is SL. I am good with that.
 
I figure it is about being consistent is all!

To me if you angle your head back 2 inches, make sure you angle it back each time to get a true progress idea.
If you take it from the front, in order to get a true idea of your progress take it like that next time.
and such and such.

Like Faith said it all depends on the individual :grin:
 
faithVA said:
You seem like you are disappointed. If that is so, then you can always choice to measure your hair from the points that are going to give you the most satisifaction and feeling of achievement.

I measure from the area below my crown because I really care more about my twist hanging in the back more than anything. I rarely straighten my entire head or wear my hair straight so I don't focus so much on the rest. But at the same time I know that most of my hair is NL and the back is SL. I am good with that.
Click to expand...

thank you. i think i was just too hasty to claim a length. i now realise that my length from the back is just useless, cause i don't walk backwards, and people don't speak to my back, but to my face :lol:
 
Ya darn right I do! LoL. I work just as hard for that length in the back as I do on my bang!

Like shortdub, my hair grows in layers and I plan to keep them.

Besides, I would feel bad disregarding my nape when there are ladies on the hair boards trying to repair or regrow their napes. I'm grateful for my healthy nape!
 
Is that your straight hair in your siggy & avi? It looks APl to me the side of yoru hair inthe OP looks shorter but thats normal due to growing layers. Do you have a pic from the back from this straightening session?
 
JJamiah said:
I figure it is about being consistent is all!

To me if you angle your head back 2 inches, make sure you angle it back each time to get a true progress idea.
If you take it from the front, in order to get a true idea of your progress take it like that next time.
and such and such.

Like Faith said it all depends on the individual :grin:
Click to expand...

to check your progress, definitely measure your hair!

i just happened to make the mistake of thinking that my length from the back is all that matters. when it fact it doesn't
 
Op, i get what are saying, but you look more than Apl to me! and you can always bring the hair from the back to the front to give you that satisfaction.
 
MzSwift said:
Ya darn right I do! LoL. I work just as hard for that length in the back as I do on my bang!

Like shortdub, my hair grows in layers and I plan to keep them.

Besides, I would feel bad disregarding my nape when there are ladies on the hair boards trying to repair or regrow their napes. I'm grateful for my healthy nape!
Click to expand...

my hair grows in layers to. i'm so annoyed at myself :lol: all this time i thought i was APL. i shall not delude myself like that ever again
 
hair4romheaven said:
Is that your straight hair in your siggy & avi? It looks APl to me the side of yoru hair inthe OP looks shorter but thats normal due to growing layers. Do you have a pic from the back from this straightening session?
Click to expand...

i'll take one in minute for ya. it definitely shows much longer in the back. but that's not what i want. i want to look long from the front instead :ohwell:

g.lo said:
Op, i get what are saying, but you look more than Apl to me! and you can always bring the hair from the back to the front to give you that satisfaction.
Click to expand...

i did bring the hair from the back to the front and that it is what it looks like! :lol: much shorter right?
 
Measuring your hair from the front isn't accurate. It's not a straight line so you dont see all the length after it's over your shoulder and boobs. Your back is flat and lets you hair hang. That makes sense to me.
 
faithVA said:
This is really up to the person doing the measurement. Many people wear their hair in layers and not one length so they may choose to measure from the back.

When I was relaxed everything from the ear forward was ear length and the rest was SL.

Most people recognize that the back is longer than the rest and will choose to note their progress when the sides get to the length or all of it.

Like I said its just a personal choice. There's never going to be a consensus on this.
Click to expand...

Exactly! And the reason for "measuring" is just to keep track. If OP you decide that it's the progress in the front you want to gauge, you can use that. No one needs to feel the pressure to follow anyone else's scale or method.

People who use the back only can find out for themselves that their has has moved to a lower position since the last time they looked, and so share that progress--which is really what it's all about. You can decide it's the hair in the center of your hairline that you will monitor and let that be your guide, and that's OK too. Or you could just decide to stretch your hair to the skies and hold a ruler against it and measure the same section each time and use increase in inches as your scale.

ETA And now that JJamiah has given me an idea, I'm be using a lean-back scale.
 
Last edited:
kittenz said:
Measuring your hair from the front isn't accurate. It's not a straight line so you dont see all the length after it's over your shoulder and boobs. Your back is flat and lets you hair hang. That makes sense to me.
Click to expand...

And some women have Moutains, hills and pebbles :)

The hair would have to go over all that or barely that to be considered Bra strap.

So think of a line, it would have to bend over the shoulder then curve around the mountain, hill or pebble, then over anything else in between. Wouldn't be really a true measurement. Butt.... As long as the measurement is consistent then it is fine :)

BUT... To each his or her own so no worries, Consistent is key
:)
 
JJamiah said:
And some women have Moutains, hills and pebbles :)

The hair would have to go over all that or barely that to be considered Bra strap.

So think of a line, it would have to bend over the shoulder then curve around the mountain, hill or pebble, then over anything else in between. Wouldn't be really a true measurement.

BUT... To each his or her own so no worries, Consistent is key
:)
Click to expand...

I would prefer if you called them mounds versus mountains Thank You :lol:
 
JJamiah said:
And some women have Moutains, hills and pebbles :)

The hair would have to go over all that or barely that to be considered Bra strap.

So think of a line, it would have to bend over the shoulder then curve around the mountain, hill or pebble, then over anything else in between. Wouldn't be really a true measurement. Butt.... As long as the measurement is consistent then it is fine :)

BUT... To each his or her own so no worries, Consistent is key
:)
Click to expand...

Exactly and when you get to even longer lengths like WL and beyond oh my. Traveling over guts and jelly rolls, i'd be G(ut)L FOREVER!!!!:lachen:
 
The back makes the most sense to me. I'm not going to say I'm eyebrow length while my hair in the back of my head drags on the floor just because I have bangs in the front.

But IMO people should do what they feel is best for them. OP if you want to claim collarbone length, versus APL, claim it.
 
Nonie said:
Exactly! And the reason for "measuring" is just to keep track. If OP you decide that it's the progress in the front you want to gauge, you can use that. No one needs to feel the pressure to follow anyone else's scale or method.

People who use the back only can find out for themselves that their has has moved to a lower position since the last time they looked, and so share that progress--which is really what it's all about. You can decide it's the hair in the center of your hairline that you will monitor and let that be your guide, and that's OK too. Or you could just decide to stretch your hair to the skies and hold a ruler against it and measure the same section each time and use increase in inches as your scale.

ETA And now that @JJamiah has given me an idea, I'm be using a lean-back scale.
Click to expand...

:giggle:

Nonie faithVA :spank: You two know what I meant LOL
 
thanks ladies. i understand what ur saying. To measure length, i suppose i can use any point, as long as it's consistent.

hair4fromheaven here's the back pic.

Snapshot_20111111_41-vi.jpg


it's kind of deceiving cause when i bring the hair to the front it looks much shorter

Snapshot_20111111_43-vi.jpg
 
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