What defines long hair?

[mamakimberly]

I have a debate with my daughter, and I'm curious what the consensus is...

 

What length defines long hair (for a woman)?

 

For example, if you were to describe a woman (to someone who has not met the woman) as having short hair, medium hair, or long hair what lengths would you place in those categories?

 

Is hair longer than touching the shoulders long hair?

 

Is hair longer than the collarbone long hair?

 

Is hair longer than the armpits long hair?

 

Is hair longer than the bra strap long hair?

 

Feel free to explain....

[Veritaserum]

Short: chin and shorter

Medium: between armpits and chin

Long: longer than armpits

[mamakimberly]

The reason this came up, FYI is that I have been growing my hair for awhile and recently commented that my hair was getting long. It led to a discussion with her about hair length. She said my hair was getting "almost to medium".

 

Anyway, I said both of my girls have medium length hair and that mine was somewhere between medium and long. A recent photo of us is >>here<< if you wish to give your opinion! ;)

[*********]

Short: chin and shorter

Medium: between armpits and chin

Long: longer than armpits

 

:iagree:

[Veritaserum]

I'd call yours medium. Love the pink! :)

[kitten18]

I would consider collarbone or longer to be "long".

[Mommy22alyns]

To me, long hair is below the shoulders.

[Mergath]

For me, the armpit would be the cutoff. However, my hair grows freakishly fast and is currently halfway between my bra and my waist, so my perception may be skewed.

[swellmomma]

For me, the armpit would be the cutoff. However, my hair grows freakishly fast and is currently halfway between my bra and my waist, so my perception may be skewed.

 

:iagree: Mine doesn't grow freakishly fast but it is just past the bra strap now so I tend to think of hair being past the armpits as long because that was when people started to comment on it being long.

[eternalknot]

I have a debate with my daughter, and I'm curious what the consensus is...

 

What length defines long hair (for a woman)?

 

Feel free to explain....

 

Maybe it's relative?

 

The women in my family all wear their hair long (long enough to sit on it). When I cut my hair earlier this year, I went from below my waistline to about where your hair is now (shoulders). So, to me, then and now, your current length is short, bordering on medium.

 

I consider long hair to begin around the bra-strap length; short hair to be anything that makes a pokey ponytail (hairs stick out instead of fall into place), which is generally shoulder-length; and medium to be anything in between.

[Liza Lee]

The last time I got my haircut, I looked at the style books while I was waiting. Their "long" styles were anything that touched the shoulders or below.

[abacus2]

The last time I got my haircut, I looked at the style books while I was waiting. Their "long" styles were anything that touched the shoulders or below.

 

:iagree:

[mamakimberly]

Maybe it's relative?.

 

Yes. It probably is. I have never had hair at or past my bra band, so I am pretty close to the longest my hair has ever been. But if I had always had mine as long as yours I can imagine I might feel the way you do.

 

Anyway, it isn't important. I just thought it was interesting because I hadn't thought about the ways people might classify that differently.

[forty-two]

I've always had my hair waist-length or longer; right now it is the longest it's been at a bit past knee-length. I always thought of "long hair" as being at least waist-length - I was shocked to find out that in the hair industry, long is shoulder length - always thought of that as medium. I voted for bra strap - that's when I look and think long (clearly I've mellowed in my old age ;)).

[Veritaserum]

I've always had my hair waist-length or longer; right now it is the longest it's been at a bit past knee-length. I always thought of "long hair" as being at least waist-length - I was shocked to find out that in the hair industry, long is shoulder length - always thought of that as medium. I voted for bra strap - that's when I look and think long (clearly I've mellowed in my old age ;)).

 

:lol: My hair is usually between my bra strap and my waist. Shoulder-length doesn't seem long to me, either. And those "long hair" style books at the hair salon make me laugh because the styles are so short compared to where I like my length. Those styles look medium to short to me. :)

[elegantlion]

I say shoulder length is long, but many women I know have short, short hair.

[Shellydon]

collar bone or below

[Mrs Mungo]

Past the collar bone is long. Past the armpits is very long. Past the waist is hippie/Jesus-freak long. ;)

[Heather in Neverland]

Well according to my stylist who just charged me the "long hair" rate for a highlight even though two months ago she charged me the "short hair" rate... If it is past your collar bone it is long.

 

I wish she would have told me ahead of time. I would have had her cut a few inches off and save me some money. :tongue_smilie:

[Pretty in Pink]

Chin and above = short

Collar bone to chin = medium

Past the collar bone = long

[gardenmom5]

I voted bra length, but my daughter's has been past her bottom. she'd sit on it, and constantly have to pull it out of her clothes. she's cut it off in the past, and it's back to almost her waist. the longest mine has ever been was bra - but it pulled on my scalp so much it hurt. It's now long enough to wear up. It's past my shoulders, but I do not consider it long.

 

short hairstyles for both of us just aren't worth it - our hair grows too fast and would require a decent hair cut every four weeks. then other dd - her hair grows so. slowly. she can go months without a haircut and you can hardly tell.

[AngieW in Texas]

For me:

 

short is when you can still see some neck

medium is right about shoulder length

long is past the armpits

 

Of course, there's also really long (past the bra) and super long (past the waist).

 

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted my hair to be long enough to sit on. I don't know why. When wet, my hair barely goes past my waist, despite going many years without being cut or trimmed at all. I guess that's my natural maximum length.

[Ester Maria]

I voted for bra length, it has always been more or less like that in my mind. Short is the kind of hair that does not reach shoulders, and somewhere between shoulders and bra is what I consider medium.

[snickelfritz]

I voted below collarbone ( or maybe armpit. I waffled and don't remember which I picked). but I think it's relative. My hair is halfway between bra strap and waist. My avatar fall into the longest that I consider short (that picture is 3 years old.)

Edited November 13, 2011 by snickelfritz

[gardenmom5]

The reason this came up, FYI is that I have been growing my hair for awhile and recently commented that my hair was getting long. It led to a discussion with her about hair length. She said my hair was getting "almost to medium".

 

Anyway, I said both of my girls have medium length hair and that mine was somewhere between medium and long. A recent photo of us is >>here<< if you wish to give your opinion! ;)

short side of medium

 

For me:

 

short is when you can still see some neck

medium is right about shoulder length

long is past the armpits

 

Of course, there's also really long (past the bra) and super long (past the waist).

 

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted my hair to be long enough to sit on. I don't know why. When wet, my hair barely goes past my waist, despite going many years without being cut or trimmed at all. I guess that's my natural maximum length.

 

long enough to sit on is not all it's cracked up to be. My daughter had to pull her hair out of her clothes - and it would take f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to dry. I don't know why she wants it that long again - it's currently at her waist, but she misses ther super long.

Edited November 13, 2011 by gardenmom5

[mamakim]

For me:

 

short is when you can still see some neck

medium is right about shoulder length

long is past the armpits

 

Of course, there's also really long (past the bra) and super long (past the waist).

 

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted my hair to be long enough to sit on. I don't know why. When wet, my hair barely goes past my waist, despite going many years without being cut or trimmed at all. I guess that's my natural maximum length.

 

:iagree: seems right to me, but I'm finding this thread interesting seeing how relative this distinction is. Kind of like, "how many children makes a big family" which has been polled here before.