Braid Length Calculator

Calculate how long it will take to have braidable hair.

What is braid length?

Braid length refers to how long hair needs to be in order to braid it. This length varies by braider, the width of the parts, and the texture of the hair. For example, some braiders are really good at grabbing short hairs to neatly braid them. Other braiders may prefer the hair to be longer, so that the braids aren't too tight and stress the scalp.

Texture can also impact braid length. For example, straight hair that is also short may lead to straight hairs sticking out of the braid. The braider may want the hair to be a bit longer so that the strands can lay flat.

How do you measure braid length?

Braid length can be measured in multiple ways:

• Eye-it: Some braiders can simply look at hair and tell if it's braidable.

• Feel-it: Some braiders may feel the hair with their fingers to gauge the shrinkage level. This is because hair with a medium-to-high shrinkage rate can appear shorter than it really is. The braider may also attempt to start a braid to see if the braid looks neat and stays braided.

• Pull-it: Wearers may gently pull a section of hair and measure it against a body part to see if it has gained enough length. For example, pulling the hair at the nape to see how far down the neck it goes. Measuring hair against the forehead and seeing if it reaches an eyebrow or start of the nose is another common measuring practice. Other wearers may just pull the hair at the crown and see how far from the head their hair extends.

• Measure-it: this last technique isn't as commonly used for understanding braid length, but it involves using a small tape measure (like this one) and actually measuring the number of centimeters (cm).

Who sets braid length goals?

It's a goal often set by young men who usually wear their hair short, but want to grow it out to get braids. The goal can also be set by moms wanting to braid their toddler's hair, women after a big chop, or anyone else looking for a change.

What happens if the hair isn't long enough?

It may unravel. Since hair has different lengths all over the head, braids may stay in for some sections and unravel in others. It's important to make sure hair all over the head is braidable. One way to do this is by measuring the section with the shortest hair and making sure it reaches braid length. It's highly likely that once the shortest hairs reach the braid length milestone, the rest of the hair can be braided without any issues.

Any hairstyles for the growing-out phase?

Some wearers refer to the in-between stage where hair is too short to be braided, but way longer than their signature look -- "the awkward phase." We're big believers in embracing hair at all of its growing stages, but can totally understand why some wearers may want to speed through this process. While it may take some patience to reach a braid length goal, there are so many ways to still look great during this transition. Some ideas include ...

• using a sponge brush to shape your new fro,

• wearing the hair curly with gel, or

• using accessories like hats or headwraps