How to Measure Your Natural Hair Length

A Longer hair means better style options, but it also has its downsides. It can be hard to manage, especially when you’re in a hurry. But there are ways to measure your natural hair length that will give you an accurate measurement.

How do You Figure out if Your Hair is Actually Growing?

If you’ve been secretly aiming for Rapunzel hair length, measuring your hair length is one way to find out if you’re reaching your hair goals.

The absolute reason to do a hair length check is to see for yourself how many inches of hair you have grown over the course of a year. This helps you to see how well your hair is thriving and if it has been growing thick and healthy.

Categories of Hair Length

• Short Length: Short hair length is usually defined as a bob that is chin length from razor to chin. The length of hair for short hair is usually between 10 cm and 20 cm.
• Medium Length: This is anywhere from the chin to a few inches above the shoulders. This hair length shows from 20 cm to 40 cm.
• Long Length: Long hair length usually refers to the hair under the armpit to how long you want it to be. It shows from 40 cm to 55 cm. But if you happen to have extra-long hair, it will be from 55 cm to 75 cm in length.

How to Measure Your Natural Hair Length

There are many different ways to measure the length of your hair. They range from using a tape measure, a ruler, or a comparison shot. The latter involves taking pictures of your hair over a period of time. You can take a picture of your braids last year and another picture of your braids this year and compare the lengths. Photographing your hair within a 6-month time span also applies to this method.

The above method may be too difficult to do, or in some cases a bit inaccurate. A simpler method is to use your body as a measurement tool. This way, your body can be used as a hair length gauge and you can track your progress while working towards your hair length goals.

Front

This measurement phase is usually for short hair.

• Eyebrow Length (EBL): This is when your hair touches the top of your eyebrows as it is pulled.
• Lip length: If the hair touches the upper lip, it is measured as lip length.
• Nose Length (NL): The hair that touches the nostril when pulled.
• Chin Length (CL): This is the length of the hair measured to the chin.

Sides

Hair measured at this stage is usually considered to be medium length hair.

• Ear Length (EL): When the hair touches the person’s ear.
• Chin Length: This is when the hair touches the left/right chin when pulled.
• Shoulder length: This is the length of hair that reaches the shoulders.

Back

This hair length stage is used to measure long or extra-long hair.

• Bust Belt Length (BSL): The hair that reaches the bust belt.
• Armpit length: hair that touches the armpit.
• Mid Back Length (MBL): Hair that is long enough to reach beyond the bra straps.
• Waist length (WL): When the hair touches the waist near the belly button.
• Hip length (HL): when the hair stops above the hips.
• Tailbone length (TBL): when the hair reaches the tailbone, around the area of the hips.
• Classic Length (CL): When the hair is longer than the hips.
• Thigh Length (TL): This is the hair that touches the mid-thigh.
• Knee Length (KL): This is hair that stops at the knee.
• Calf Length (KL): Hair stops at the calf.
• Floor length (FL): This is when the hair is extra long and reaches the floor.