If you’ve ever tried to describe the length you want and ended up gesturing somewhere near your collarbone, a hair length chart fixes that. It gives you and your stylist the same words, so you can name exactly where you want your length to land.
It's also the simplest way to set a goal you can track. Once you know roughly where bra-strap length falls, you have a number to work toward rather than a vague idea. In this guide, we'll walk through the standard lengths, what each one looks like on curly and coily hair, and then three ways to measure your own hair so you can see where you are today.
What Is a Hair Length Chart?
A hair length chart is a visual guide that maps hair growth milestones, usually running from chin length down to tailbone length. Some charts stop at waist length, while others carry on all the way to the floor.
Hair length charts use specific terms for your hair, such as 'bra strap length', 'waist length', etc., to provide standard terminology for referring to different lengths of hair.
Curl Centric original
Hair length chart, with shrinkage included
If you’ve ever held a length chart up against your own hair and thought none of this matches me, you’re not imagining it. Most charts are built on straight hair. This one gives you the stretched number, plus what that same length looks like once your curls spring back.
| Stretched length | Where it falls | At 50% shrinkage | At 70% shrinkage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 in | Ears and nape | 3 in | 1.8 in |
| 10 in | Grazing your shoulders | 5 in | 3 in |
| 14 in | Upper back | 7 in | 4.2 in |
| 18 in | Mid-back | 9 in | 5.4 in |
| 22 in | Approaching your waist | 11 in | 6.6 in |
| 26 in | Past your waist | 13 in | 7.8 in |
Your stretched length is the real number, and the two shrinkage figures are what the mirror shows you. Looser curls often shrink less than the 50% figure, and tightly coiled 4C hair commonly lands around the 70% one. So if you’ve got 18 inches of hair and it stops at your shoulders, nothing is wrong with your hair. That’s shrinkage doing exactly what it does.
Hair Length Chart Uses
A hair length chart can be used for a variety of purposes, including the following:
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Your hair is already growing. The problem is keeping it.
On average, hair grows a third to half an inch a month, and curlier hair tends to grow more slowly. If your length looks stuck, that’s your hair breaking off as fast as it grows in. Here are the seven causes of breakage and the weekly routine that stops them.
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- Professional Hair Styling: Professionals in hair care and styling use these charts to communicate effectively with their clients about desired hairstyles.
- Hair Growth Tracking: People who are growing out their hair often use hair length charts to monitor progress and set growth goals.
- Visual Representation: Since verbal descriptions of hair lengths can be vague and subjective, a hair length chart provides a standard, visual way to discuss and think about hair length.
How Long Does Hair Grow in a Month?
On average, hair grows about a third to half an inch a month, depending on your hair type. That works out to roughly four to six inches of new hair a year. In a study of 2,249 young adults from 24 ethnic groups, the group averages ran from about a third of an inch to about half an inch a month, and curlier hair tended to grow at the slower end.
Not everyone's hair grows at that pace, though. Your genetics, your age, and your health all play a part in where you land.
In one study, people in the same group grew anywhere from about 2 to 5 inches a year. That spread between two people was wider than the gap between the group averages, so we'd treat any average as a starting point, not your exact number.
How you care for your hair doesn't change how fast it grows. It changes how much of that new hair you get to keep.
With that being said, you can still use this hair growth rate as a general guide to give you an idea of how quickly your hair might grow in a defined span of time.
To cut out the math and get a personalized prediction of how quickly you can reach your hair goals, check out our hair growth calculator.
Does Curly Hair Grow Slower?
Yes, but only a little. In the study of 2,249 adults, researchers also sorted volunteers in Brazil by curl type. The tightest curls grew about 0.41 inches a month, compared with about 0.46 inches for everyone else, from straight hair to looser curls.
That's a gap of a little over half an inch in a whole year. However, curly hair can look like it's growing much more slowly than that, and there are two reasons why.
- Shrinkage: Curly hair naturally coils up, which can make it seem shorter - a phenomenon known as shrinkage. Because of this, even though your hair is growing, it might not look like it's getting longer as quickly as straight hair would.
- Breakage: Curly hair breaks more easily than straight hair, mostly because coils wrap around each other and knot. In one microscope study, 10 to 16 percent of tightly coiled strands had knots, compared with almost none of the straighter strands, and the coiled strands showed signs of breaking again and again. Breakage can make it seem like your hair isn't growing, or is growing slowly, because the ends are breaking off at a similar rate to the new growth at the roots.
Curl Centric original
Same strand, two very different readings
This is one strand of your hair, measured twice. Nothing grew in between, and nothing broke off. All that changed is whether the coil got to spring back. Each mark on the ruler is an inch.
4 inches
What you see in the mirror
Your curl, dry and left alone.
12 inches
What you’ve actually got
That same curl, pulled straight.
That’s 67% shrinkage, and it’s completely normal. The tighter your curl pattern, the more length it hides. That’s why measuring your hair while it’s curly will always give you the wrong number. Measure it stretched every time, so you’re comparing the same thing month to month.
Shrinkage is just your curl pattern, but breakage is something you can slow down. Researchers who measured the hair of 1,042 school students found that combed natural hair reached a certain length within about a year of a haircut and then stayed there. Their explanation: breakage eventually catches up with new growth.
So a length that's been stuck at the same spot for months is normal. Your hair didn't stop growing; your ends are wearing away and breaking off.
To keep more of your new growth, handle your ends gently. Dermatologists recommend combing textured hair while it's damp, with a wide-tooth comb, and a little conditioner helps the comb slide through instead of snagging. Start at your ends and work up toward your roots.
But if you're seeing thinning patches, a widening part, or a hairline that's moving back, that's a sign of hair loss, not breakage, so see a dermatologist. The sooner you go, the better your results tend to be.
Common Haircut Lengths
Now that we understand a little about hair length charts and the standard hair growth rate, let's get into some of the hair lengths that you should know about.
Buzz Cut
A buzz cut is where the hair is cut extremely short, typically less than ¼ inch, and all around the head. This style is most commonly seen in men but is also worn by women. Once natural hair grows a little past a buzz cut, to about 3 inches or less, that short afro is usually called a TWA, short for teeny weeny afro.
It's a low-maintenance haircut that requires little to no daily styling and can look very chic and fashionable. You may want to opt for a buzz cut if you want out of your hair styling routine and want to show off your facial features.
Ear Length (Pixie)
Pixie cuts are short hairstyles where the hair is cut to ear length. This style tends to be longer on top, with shorter sides and back, allowing for a variety of styles. You can go for a totally slicked-down look or a voluminous, tousled mane if you want.
Pixie cuts are a bold choice that can highlight your facial features and are relatively easy to maintain with regular trims. Just know that if you have naturally curly hair and go for a straight pixie, maintenance will be much more involved.
Chin Length (Bob)
The bob is a versatile hairstyle that ends at the chin. This length can add volume and bounce to your hair, which is fantastic for those who struggle with flat hair.
There are numerous variations of the bob cut, including the inverted bob, the layered bob, the shaggy bob, and more. This style is suitable for many hair types and face shapes and can be styled in various ways, making it a popular choice for many.
Shoulder Length
This one is exactly what it sounds like, with your hair reaching your shoulders. It's on the longer side, but not so long that wash day turns into a chore.
Armpit Length
Armpit length hair reaches down to where the arm naturally falls against the torso. At this length, you'll have even more styling options available to you.
Mid-Back Length
Mid-back length hair extends down to the middle of the back. This length provides a full, dramatic look, enabling you to try super elaborate updos. However, it requires more maintenance than shorter lengths and might require more time for washing, drying, and styling. This is a common length for glam wigs and protective styles like extension braids.
Tailbone Length
Tailbone length hair reaches all the way down to the tailbone, as you might expect. This length requires significant upkeep, but for those who enjoy long hair, the variety of styles and the feminine, flowing aesthetic can be worth it.
At this length, it's especially important to condition your hair regularly and to check your ends every couple of months. Trim them when you see splits, because a split end can keep traveling farther up the strand until you cut above it.
Each of these lengths has its own qualities, and the best one for you comes down to your lifestyle, your hair type, and what you like to wear.
Gauging Hair Length for Wigs, Extensions, and Haircuts
Whether you're at the salon, browsing online shops, or scoping out brick-and-mortar wig/extension shops, it can be helpful to know where a specific hair length will fall on your face or body. Here are some general guidelines to give you an idea:
- 2 inches: This is a very short length, longer than a buzz cut, but still quite close to the scalp. It might be enough to style slightly, depending on the hair's texture.
- 4 inches: This length offers a bit more styling versatility. For most, it would cover the entire scalp and touch the tops of the ears or the nape of the neck.
- 6 inches: This length is likely to reach past the ears, possibly touching the neck or even the chin for those with smaller heads or high hairlines. It should accommodate a short bob or a longer men's style.
- 8 inches: This is around the range of a short bob or a longer pixie cut. It might reach the nape of the neck or just past it, depending on the individual's proportions.
- 10 inches: At this length, the hair should hover over the shoulders or graze them.
- 12 inches: This length would typically fall right at or past the shoulders. It is generally considered medium length.
- 14 inches: This length will fall a couple of inches past the shoulders on most people. It's considered upper back length.
- 16 inches: This length of hair is often around armpit level or a bit longer, considered to be a "long" length for many people.
- 18 inches: At this length, the hair usually falls to about mid-back for most people.
- 20 inches: Hair of this length often reaches the lower back.
- 22 inches: This length would typically reach past the mid-back and could be approaching waist length for some people.
- 24 inches: At this length, the hair would generally be just past waist length.
- 26 inches: At this length, the hair typically reaches below the waist. It could be around hip length for some people, depending on their height and torso length.
- 28 inches: This length usually extends to or past the hips for most people. This is a very long length, which could provide quite a lot of versatility for various hairstyles but would also require more maintenance.
- 30 inches: Hair of this length would generally reach down to or even past the tailbone for many people. This is an extremely long length by most standards and would be considered to be in the "extra long" category.
For those who aren’t sure why their hair never seems to match these numbers, here’s the part that matters most on this page. Every description above is based on straight hair.
Wavy and curly hair looks shorter than it really is, because your strands coil up rather than hanging at full length. Stretched or straightened, your hair will show its real length, which is often dramatically longer.
So, when you're measuring or assessing the length of wavy or curly hair, it's crucial to consider the degree of curliness or waviness and the potential for shrinkage. Ultimately, the same measurement in inches or centimeters will look different on straight hair compared to wavy or curly hair.
What Hair Length Is Considered Long?
If you're wondering what hair length is considered long, the first thing you should know is that it's subjective. What one person considers "long" might be considered "medium" to someone else. However, in general terms, hair that reaches armpit length is typically considered to be "long."
Here's a rough breakdown of what's considered long for women:
- Short Hair: This usually includes lengths like the buzz cut, pixie cut, and bob cut, where hair does not exceed chin length.
- Medium-length Hair: This typically includes hair that is longer than chin length but doesn't go beyond armpit length. Shoulder length hair would fall under this category.
- Long Hair: Generally, hair that reaches or passes the armpit is considered long. This includes mid-back length, waist length, hip length, tailbone length, and any length beyond that.
Remember, these categories can vary based on personal and cultural perspectives.
What Men Consider Long Often Differs
The concept of what's considered "long" hair can differ between men and women due to societal norms and cultural perceptions. For men, hair that reaches or covers the ears or the nape of the neck might be considered "long." Here's a rough guideline:
- Short Hair: For many men, short hair typically refers to styles where the hair is cut very close to the scalp, like a buzz cut, or styles where the hair on the sides and back is cut close, like a crew cut or a fade.
- Medium-length Hair: Medium hair for men usually means that the hair has grown out enough to start touching or covering the ears and the nape of the neck. It's typically not long enough to tie back into a full ponytail.
- Long Hair: Long hair on men is often considered to be hair that extends beyond the base of the neck and can be tied back into a full ponytail.
Again, these definitions can vary widely based on individual and cultural perspectives. For instance, in some cultures and communities, men commonly grow their hair as long as women traditionally do, and thus the concept of what's "long" might be very different. Similarly, in the world of fashion and hairstyling, there are always exceptions and unique trends.
Which Hair Length Is Most Attractive?
There's no hair length that's always more attractive than another. Some people favor shorter cuts, while others prefer long hair.
Attractiveness is subjective, and it depends far more on personal preference than on inches.
What truly matters is how a specific hair length complements your unique features, personality, and lifestyle. From pixie cuts to waist-length locks, each hair length has its own charm and appeal.
But above anything, regardless of your hair's length, confidence tends to be the most universally attractive trait. So, whether you're sporting a sleek bob, a shaggy mid-length style, or long, flowing tresses, the key to attractiveness is feeling comfortable and confident in your personal style.
Knowing the chart is only half the job. To place yourself on it you need an accurate number for your own hair, and that's where most people slip up.
How to Measure Hair Length
Documenting your hair's progress is an excellent way of finding out where you are on your hair growth journey. It's also a great way to gauge how different hair care routines or products affect your length retention (and overall hair length, consequently).
Below are several options for measuring your hair, along with the pros and cons.
Comparison Photos for Length Checks
Comparison shots are all over the internet, and they are some of the most interesting photos shared on the web. Curly girls all over the world use them to measure their hair length over time.
Here are some tips for getting good hair length comparison shots:
- Wear your hair in the same hairstyle in both pictures.
- Make sure that your background and clothing contrast with your hair color.
- Take the picture from the same distance in both pictures.
- Leave enough time between the first picture and the second picture.
Comparison Photo Pros:
- Visual: They are a great way to visually track your hair growth.
- Click and Share Ability: They give you the opportunity to share your hair growth progress with your friends and family either in person or over social media.
Comparison Photo Cons:
- Imprecise: They are not the best option if you want to get precise length measurements. Other methods work much better for this purpose.
- Disappointment: You may take two pictures months apart and not notice any growth even though your hair did indeed grow. This could cause unnecessary discouragement.
Use a Length Check Shirt as a Hair Length Guide
Another great way to track your hair growth progress is to get a length check shirt. It's a T-shirt featuring lines at different hair growth milestones - it not only allows you to keep track of your hair length, but it's a fun way to set length goals for the future.
With a length check shirt, you can periodically measure whether your hair has reached a certain length using body parts:
- Ear Length (EL)
- Shoulder Length (SL)
- Armpit Length (APL)
- Bra Strap Length (BSL)
- Mid Back Length (MBL)
- Waist Length (WL)
- Or longer!
Pros of a Length Check Shirt
- Easy measuring: If used correctly, you can track your hair growth inch by inch.
- Click and shareability: Length check shirts are a great addition to hair length comparison photos.
Cons of a Length Check Shirt:
- Inaccuracy: Your hair length measurement may be altered by how you wear the shirt. You might accidentally pull your shirt up, down, stretch it out, or the shirt might become looser with time.
Where Can You Get a Length Check Shirt?
Hair-length shirts are available online. Several online shops offer them for an affordable price. One of the best options is "Spreadshirt" as it offers colors and designs to suit everyone. Amazon and Etsy are other great options.
If you Google the term "length check shirt," you'll find several options available online.
Use a Soft Tape Measure
A soft tape measure (also called measuring tape) is the most accurate way to measure your hair length. The best way to track your progress with a tape measure is to write down your measurements and compare them with future ones.
Here are step-by-step instructions:
- Unwrap your tape measure and find the end with the smaller numbers. Hold the tape measure at that end between your thumb and pointer finger.
- Choose a section of your hair that you want to measure.
- Hold your tape measure so that the end of it touches your scalp (near the hair section you chose).
- Use one hand to hold the tape measure at your scalp and use the other one to stretch out and measure your hair.
- Take note of where your hair ends.
- Repeat the above instructions all over your head (on each side, the crown, the back, etc.)
Curl Centric original
Measure the same section every time
Chances are your crown, your sides, and your nape aren’t all the same length, and that’s completely normal. Which one runs longest is different for everyone, so the section you pick matters as much as the tape does.
- Start at your scalp, not your hairline. Rest the end of the tape where your hair leaves your scalp, so you’re measuring hair and not forehead.
- Pull that section taut in a straight line. Follow the tape, not the curl. A coil that’s allowed to spring back will cost you inches. Stretch it only until it lies straight, never hard enough to hurt.
- Read where your ends stop. Ignore the few strays that run longer than everything else; you want the length most of that section reaches.
- Measure that same section next time. Your crown and your nape are rarely the same length, so switching between them looks like your hair shrank overnight.
Once a month is plenty. At about a third to half an inch of growth a month, checking every week hands you a number too small to see, plus a lot of discouragement you don’t need.
Pros of Using a Soft Tape Measure
- Accuracy: You can check exactly how long your hair is and keep track of your monthly hair growth rate.
- Ease of Use: Once you get the hang of measuring your hair with a tape measure, it'll get easier over time.
Cons of a Soft Tape Measure
- Measuring the hair in the back: You might find it tricky to measure the hair in the back, especially if you've got short curly hair.
Which Hair Measuring Method is the Best
The best hair measuring method will vary from person to person, and this is because we all have different reasons for measuring our hair.
One person may want to do it for social media images - in this case, comparison photos or a hair-length T-shirt will be the best options.
However, for someone who wants accuracy above all else, the soft tape measure method will be best. We suggest you choose which method is best for you based on the pros and cons.
Curl Centric original
Which measuring method should you use?
All three of these work. They just answer different questions, and they ask different amounts of effort from you. Chances are one row already sounds like you, so start there.
| Method | What it costs you | How accurate | Best for | What ruins it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparison photos | Nothing. You already have the camera. | Rough. You'll see change, but you won't get a number. | Seeing months of progress at a glance, and sharing it. | Different lighting, hairstyle, or camera angle. If those shift between shots, the photos will lie to you. |
| Length check shirt | Around $20 to buy, or make one with a plain shirt and a marker. | Good. Accurate to the nearest marked line. | Tracking milestones month to month without doing any math. | Wearing it differently each time. Where the shirt sits on your torso changes the reading. |
| Soft tape measure | A few dollars, and a few minutes each time. | Exact. You'll get your length to the quarter inch. | Knowing your real number, and working out your growth rate. | The back sections. They're hard to reach alone, so use two mirrors or ask someone. |
Whichever you pick, stay with it. Switching methods halfway through is the fastest way to convince yourself your hair stopped growing, because you're comparing two different measurements rather than two points in time.
How Not to Measure Hair Length
Now that you know how to correctly measure your hair's length, let's jump into some things that you should avoid when you measure your hair length.
Measuring it While Curly
Measuring your hair while it's in its curly state is a surefire way to get unreliable measurement results with comparison photos or length check shirts.
Since curly hair shrinks to different levels depending on the level of moisture in the air and how you style it, it's important to stretch or straighten your hair before measurement.
Once you've measured both ways, our hair shrinkage calculator tells you the exact percentage you're working with.
Stretching Your Natural Hair
Measuring straightened hair will give you the most precise measurements. But straightening your hair with heat every time you measure can damage it, so that's not the best option.
Luckily, when you stretch your natural hair, you'll get more reliable measurements than you would if you measured your hair in its curly state. So, at minimum, we recommend stretching your hair.
There are several ways to do this, and we'll focus on three of the most popular ways.
Banding
The banding method of stretching is preferred by curly girls who don't know how to braid and prefer to avoid heat. Here are some steps to follow for this stretching method:
- Wash, condition, deep-condition (optional), and apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair. While the conditioner is in your hair, use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair. After this step, your hair will be ready for the stretching process.
- Part your damp hair into several sections (4 or more) and secure each one with a scrunchie. Ouchless scrunchies are preferred over others, as they won't snag your delicate strands.
- Choose one of the sections, remove any remaining tangles, and begin adding more scrunchies along that section, a little farther from your scalp each time. Don't stop adding scrunchies until you've reached the ends of your hair.
- Allow your hair to air-dry overnight and remove the scrunchies in the morning.
- Detangle your hair gently with a wide-toothed comb.
Braiding
If you know how to braid, this stretching method may be perfect for you. Take the following steps to stretch your hair out with braids.
- Prepare your hair for the stretching process by washing, conditioning, deep-conditioning (optional), and applying a leave-in conditioner to your hair. Detangle your hair with a wide-toothed comb while the conditioner is in your hair.
- Part your hair into at least 4 equal sections and braid them from roots to ends.
- Allow your hair to dry completely - it could take several hours. If needed, let it dry overnight.
- Take the braids down and gently comb through your hair to see it in its stretched state.
Blow-drying
Blow-drying is yet another way to stretch your natural hair. When you use a heated option on your blow dryer, it'll get your hair straighter than the previous two methods. Use the following steps to blow your hair out without damaging it.
- Prep your hair for the blow-drying process by washing, conditioning, deep-conditioning (optional), and applying your leave-in.
- Part your hair into several sections and use clips to keep the sections separate.
- Turn on your blow dryer and set it to low heat.
- Take one of the sections down, spray it with a heat-protectant and then comb it through for even distribution.
- Begin to blow-dry it from roots to tips. If you come across any tangles, use your fingers to detangle and then continue blow-drying.
- Repeat the previous two steps on the rest of your hair.
As you track your hair's growth from this point forward, you should use the same stretching method each time. This will help to ensure that you get reliable measurements over time.
Measuring Too Often
Measuring your hair every week will only end in frustration over how little your hair has grown. At a third to half an inch a month, one week adds less than an eighth of an inch, which is hard to read on a tape. So, we recommend that you measure your hair once every couple of months or so. By then, there's usually two-thirds of an inch to an inch of new growth to see. The less often you do it, the more growth you'll see, and the happier you'll be with your progress.
Switching Between Measuring Methods
If you're keeping track of your hair growth over time, it's important not to switch between hair measuring methods. This will cause your hair growth records to be inconsistent or even downright confusing.
Related Articles
So, there you have it - everything you needed to know about hair length charts. We hope you found all the information you were looking for, and we wish you the best with your hair.
