hair length · haircut advice
Hair Length Chart: How Long Is YourHair, Really?
A hair length chart from buzz to tailbone with approximate inches, how to measure your hair, why curly hair looks shorter, and how long each stage takes to grow.
Hairover Team
Hair length is best described by where it lands on your body, not in inches, because your height and neck length change the numbers. As a rough guide, chin length is around 8 to 10 inches from the crown, shoulder length is about 12 to 14, and waist length is roughly 24 to 28. Use the chart below as a general reference.
Hair length chart
| Length | Lands at | Rough inches from crown |
|---|---|---|
| Buzz | Close to the scalp | Under 1 |
| Short crop | Hair sits on the head | 1 to 3 |
| Pixie | Above the ears | 2 to 5 |
| Ear length | Bottom of the ear | 6 to 8 |
| Chin length | Jawline | 8 to 10 |
| Neck length | Base of the neck | 10 to 12 |
| Shoulder length | On the shoulders | 12 to 14 |
| Collarbone | Collarbone | 14 to 16 |
| Armpit | Armpit level | 16 to 18 |
| Mid-back or bra strap | Middle of the back | 18 to 22 |
| Waist | Natural waist | 24 to 28 |
| Hip | Top of the hips | 30 to 34 |
| Tailbone | Base of the spine | 36 or more |
These numbers are approximate, and they are not standardized.
How to measure your hair
- Choose one starting point, such as the crown or the front hairline.
- Use a soft measuring tape, or a piece of string and a ruler.
- Run it along a straight section, down to the tips.
- Use the same point each time, because switching changes the result.
Wavy or curly hair should be gently stretched to measure its true length. It’s also worth noting the length at which it lands when dry, since that’s what you see in the mirror.
Why inches can mislead
Telling a stylist to “take off two inches” sounds exact, but it’s a common cause of bad cuts. Two inches off a bob is very different from two inches off waist-length hair. It is better to touch the place where you want the hair to end. Layers and a shrinking curl pattern make numbers even less helpful.
How long each stage takes
Hair grows around half an inch a month on average, which is about five to six inches per year.
- Chin to shoulder: about 4 to 8 months.
- Shoulder to mid-back: about 1 to 1.5 years.
- Mid-back to waist: about 8 to 12 months.
Our guide on how fast hair grows has more timelines, including why some people’s hair seems to stop at a certain length.
How to choose a length
- Medium length is the most versatile. See medium-length haircuts for women.
- Chin length gives the most apparent thickness for fine hair, as in a bob.
- Long hair needs density to look healthy at the ends. Check how to test hair density.
- Men’s long hair needs some patience. See long hairstyles for men.
Also, shoulder-length hair may flip out, as it pushes against your shoulders. Going an inch up or down solves this.
See a new length on yourself
Length is hard to picture from a chart. Upload a clear photo to Hairover, get a hair analysis, and try hairstyles on your own face in Style Studio to see what a shorter or longer cut could look like.
FAQ
How many inches is shoulder-length hair?
Often around 12 to 14 inches measured from the crown, though it depends on your height and neck length. That is why the body landmark is more useful than the number.
How do you measure hair length?
Measure from the crown, or the front hairline if you prefer, down to the tips, keeping the hair flat and gently straight. Keep the same starting point each time.
Why does my curly hair look so much shorter?
Curls shrink as they dry, sometimes by half or more on tighter coils. Measure curls while gently stretched if you want to track growth.
