at what point would you SAY SOMEONE HAS LONG HAIR?

[sylver2]

full shoulder-length

 

[PureSilver]

Back then before the boards i would think SL is long, but now that i've grown my own hair past that i would say full APL is long. To be really honest i would say BSL cause that's when i can truly flaunt it.

Hoping when i relax in October after my 9 months stretch i'll be BSL or even an inch or two away.

 

[Hair Iam]

From reviewing hours of threads ..it appears APL is the hardest to achieve . In the real world the average AA woman has shorter than APL hair ..that said ..I live in the real world ..APL is long hair

 

[sholly6]

I voted bsl I'm looking forward of getting there Right now I'm apl maybe soon I hope

 

[CenteredGirl]

Full APL. If it's short in the front, not long to me.

 

[Sirens_Song]

Usually I would say BSL... but I've noticed myself looking at a woman's hair and thinking, "Wow, her hair is nice and long". Only to realize that its APL when I look at it.

So, for me, I am going to offically say a full APL is long.

 

[moonglowdiva]

I voted MBL. But the Average AA woman walking around in society would be APL. I am optimistic though we can get past that clean up to MBL. I have seen it on this board so I know its possible.

 

[song_of_serenity]

I voted BSL...before I was "influenced" by hairboards, I would have probably said APL.

Me too. There's a lady on our choir with APL hair. I used to think it was SOO long. Now...I barely glance at it and reference ladies on here!

However, depending on the person's height/body type (short torso, long torso) APL can look long.
I can't wait until I'll FULL APL. The short sides ruin everything.
~*Janelle~*

 

[MissNina]

APL IRL. On here, BSL. I voted APL though.

 

[CurlyMoo]

MBL and longer. Anything shorter than that is medium or short to me.

Also, I am in no way influenced by hair boards regarding that. I have never thought APL was long on any race of woman on hair boards or in real life.

I have always thought this. Considering in my family, we have had a variety of hair lengths anything above MBL is medium or short. I think it has more to do with your environment and what is the norm for you. My hair is APL in the back and SL in the front and in between on the sides. I won't consider myself having long hair until all are at or past BSL.

I have to admit that I have seem some BSL all the way around and it looks nice and long.

And regardless of the condition of the hair unless you have one strand of hair that reaches your hips, hair is hair and it is either long or not.

 

[Akemi]

I voted APL. Especially if it's full APL, thick, and healthy.

 

[MizAvalon]

I have always thought this. Considering in my family, we have had a variety of hair lengths anything above MBL is medium or short. I think it has more to do with your environment and what is the norm for you. My hair is APL in the back and SL in the front and in between on the sides. I won't consider myself having long hair until all are at or past BSL.

I have to admit that I have seem some BSL all the way around and it looks nice and long.

And regardless of the condition of the hair unless you have one strand of hair that reaches your hips, hair is hair and it is either long or not.

I agree with this. I don't buy the "long for a black person" stuff. Just because 90% of black women have poor hair care practices doesn't mean that they are allowed some special set of rules and that the standards should be lowered. SL is not the new BSL no matter how you slice it. It is the same length on all women, everywhere.

 

[PerplexingComplex]

I agree with this. I don't buy the "long for a black person" stuff. Just because 90% of black women have poor hair care practices doesn't mean that they are allowed some special set of rules and that the standards should be lowered. SL is not the new BSL no matter how you slice it. It is the same length on all women, everywhere.

ITA, I never thought shoulder length hair was long it was always just average to me; however, I admit that could be because I grew up seeing nothing but at least shoulder length hair unless someone cut their hair short as a style. It just seems that the majority of people who feel as though that length is long is people who grew up either not having lengthy hair themselves and/or in an environment that do not see many (black) people with long hair.

 

[Brees_hair]

I usually say around BSL.

 

[BostonMaria]

white woman: armpit- ok she may have cut it.
black woman armpit- ok she grew it.

ya know what i mean? I mean it's all perspective.

not everyday you see an african american woman with armpit hair and you think she cut it from waistlength.

In my opinion armpit is considered long for our hair.

By the way I have heard many times that my hair was long and it's not quite armpit yet.

ok stone me. lol

No stones! LOL I actually never thought about this till you posted this. I originally selected APL but I started to notice the white women in my office with APL hair... I don't necessarily think its super long so you have a point. but when I see a black woman with APL I'm like wow that's long.

 

[bludaydreamr]

I voted BSL; I feel anything past Apl. I did not look at SL or even full SL as long before the boards because that is what I had all my life. I don't agree with the double standard of comparing our hair to women of other races either.

 

[tapioca_pudding]

I agree with this. I don't buy the "long for a black person" stuff. Just because 90% of black women have poor hair care practices doesn't mean that they are allowed some special set of rules and that the standards should be lowered. SL is not the new BSL no matter how you slice it. It is the same length on all women, everywhere.

I don't think it's necessarily that the standard should be lowered. But 90% is the majority. So that 10% is usually something special that you aren't used to seeing. Whether the potential is there or not.

Our perception is determined by our reality. If my reality is that I'm surrounded by tall people, then someone who is 6'3 isn't really that tall in my perception. But if my reality is that I'm surrounded by short people, 6'3 is a friggin giant.

Hope this made sense.

 

[EbonyHairedPrincess]

I go by the height of the person. My daughter is 6'2" and a little past APL. Her hair is long. I am 5'9" and a little past APL. My hair is medium.

 

[fluffylocks]

I don't think it's necessarily that the standard should be lowered. But 90% is the majority. So that 10% is usually something special that you aren't used to seeing. Whether the potential is there or not.

Our perception is determined by our reality. If my reality is that I'm surrounded by tall people, then someone who is 6'3 isn't really that tall in my perception. But if my reality is that I'm surrounded by short people, 6'3 is a friggin giant.

Hope this made sense.

I agree.

I guess you can say that you dont care what race someone is when it comes to stateing what long hair is....

But IMO i think it may be "unfair" to compare white and black hair length when such a high number of black people dont know anything about their hair or even believe it can grow, and more logical to see that between the two races theirs a difference in the shortest, average, and longest lengths and go by that

 

[facets]

In general MBL starts long to me.

BSL on a very petite or high waisted person

MBL-WL on a very tall or long-torsoed(sp?) person.

eta: I'm thinking of relaxed/blow-dried or stretched, braided/locked lengths.

 

[glamazon386]

I agree with this. I don't buy the "long for a black person" stuff. Just because 90% of black women have poor hair care practices doesn't mean that they are allowed some special set of rules and that the standards should be lowered. SL is not the new BSL no matter how you slice it. It is the same length on all women, everywhere.

While this may be true, you can't change what the majority of the population thinks either. Most black people think SL is long. While white people would consider that short. It is what it is.

 

[facets]

I need to read the rest of the thread, I only answered the OP last night.

Miz and Glam, maybe it depends on what you see growing up? My mom sees long as BSL/MBL from her family but my father thought that long was WL and longer because of my paternal grandmother & aunts.

I feel that if you want 'long' hair and your length is satisfying to you then all is well?

 

[JustKiya]

While this may be true, you can't change what the majority of the population thinks either. Most black people think SL is long. While white people would consider that short. It is what it is.

Just because a group of people believe something doesn't make it right or true.

Reality is, shoulder length hair isn't long, despite the fact that so many black people have convinced themselves that it is.

 

[facets]

Ok, I just asked DH(not black and not american, if it matters) and he pointed to his shoulder for 'long'. Weird.

...but it sort of makes sense because I've only seen my MIL with a chin-to-neck length bob.(in old photos too) ...Lots of what I consider med-to-short hair in Paris too.

 

[flyygirlll2]

well i would say bsl and beyond, but on some women depending on their
height and torso apl can look long on them.

 

[MissTical]

well i would say bsl and beyond, but on some women depending on their
height and torso apl can look long on them.

I agree with you... I'm 5'9", I think that APL is long on me.

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

Anything past APL is long to me...

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

[/b]

I agree with you... I'm 5'9", I think that APL is long on me.

ITA, I'm 5'9 and it took me forever to get to APL

 

[onejamifan]

I voted MBL+ is long hair. Between SL and BSL is medium length and anything shorter than SL is short. However, beautiful hair, is beautiful hair, regardless of length or texture

 

[spacetygrss]

FULL APL is when I start to consider hair long, i.e. if the bottom of a "V" hits APL I don't consider it long, but if ALL of the hair reaches there, then I put it in the long category.

That said, on me, I'd say BSL and longer because I didn't consider my APL hair long at all.