new thread
I've heard a lot of talk that terminal length does not exist and that your hair will keep on growing and growing if you don't cut it. What about those people who have floor length hair, and then some? Is it because that have a really long terminal length, or is the whole idea simply a fallacy?
~Jenn
Yes, terminal length is real. Usually. I believe there have been a couple rare exceptions, but for the overwhelming majority there is a terminal length. You know how every time you brush or shower you get a little bit of hair in the drain or in the brush? This is because hair grows for so long and then it falls out and grows back. I think the average lifespan for hair is like 6 years. That is why hair is thickest at your head and starts to thin out the further away it is. The different hairs are at different parts of their life cycle. So somewhat on genes and varying because of overall health there is a point hair simply won't grow past. Umm that's the jist of it, right guys?
Terminal length is very real. Simply put, no matter how well one cares for one's hair, every strand of hair on one's head only lives for a genetically programmed length of time. With every stand only being able to grow to a certain length due to time, one can only grow one's hair to a given length.
As for people who can grow hair to the floor, well, there are acceptions to any given norm. It basically falls into one of these catagories:
1) The person has a very fast growth rate. an inch per month would allow one to grow six feet of hair over a relatively long hair life period.
2) The person is short in stature. A 5'0 person would have a much easier chance at growing floor-length hair than would a 6'5 person.
3) The person happens to have hair that has a long lifespan. Remember, there has to be someone with the #1 longest genetic hair lifespan.
4) The person is a fake and is wearing a wig or extensions.
Hope this helped you!
To wrap it all up; the ideal longhair is a midget who has an extremely fast growth rate, with hair that lasts a lifetime and is enhanced with hair extensions.
Lol, well I'm none of those things, so I don't really have much of a chance of having floor-length hair. Hip length is ok for me, and hopefully I'll be able to get there.
~Jenn
In many cases, especially with women, it's often more a case of lack of decent care as opposed to terminal length.
I can't tell you how many women have told me that their hair won't grow past a certain length (what they are sporting now) but as I look over their hair it is clearly bleached raw with ragged ends and curls made from hot irons held in place by hairspray and blowdryers.
Long hair needs a certain amount of common sense care if you want to grow it longer and keep it healthy (can be done).
Which brings me to the next question: what about straightening irons? In a previous post there was a discussion going on about those. I wouldn't dare putting anything hotter than a feverish hand in my hair, whereas some say that straighening irons don't damage the hair.
my hair will only grow to about 4" below my waist. I have kept my hair long (at least mid-back) for the last 6 years. Currently, it is about mid-butt and hasn't grown any more. I also don't trim or anything, I just try to keep it healthy.