Buying guide
Hair length guide: how inches actually fall (with a visualiser)
3 min read · Updated July 2026
Stop guessing. See exactly where 12", 16", 20" and 24" fall on your body — and how curl pattern and height change it.
The single most common disappointment in hair extensions: someone orders 24" expecting it to graze their shoulders, and it lands near their waist — or the opposite, they buy 'long' and it sits at the collarbone. Length on a chart means nothing until you see it on a body. So here it is, live:
TextureLength
Where it falls
20" of body wave wears like about 18" and sits at your ribcage on a 165cm frame.Approximate · measured from the crown. Curl patterns vary.
The length landmarks
Measured straight, from the crown, on an average (about 165 cm) frame:
- 10" — shoulders
- 12" — collarbone
- 14" — bust
- 16" — underbust
- 18" — ribcage
- 20"–22" — mid-back to waist
- 24" — low back
- 26"–28" — hips
- 30" — upper thigh
Curl eats length
The tighter the pattern, the shorter it wears. As a guide, plan for it to sit shorter than the measured length:
- Bone straight — wears its full length.
- Body wave — wears about 10% shorter.
- Deep wave — about 20% shorter.
- Kinky curly — about 30% shorter. Size up 2" for the look you want.
Your height matters too
The same length lands lower on a petite frame and higher on a tall one — that's why the visualiser lets you set your height. Use it before you commit to a length, not after.
Shop by lengthFrequently asked
Why does my hair look shorter than the length I ordered?
Two reasons: curl pattern (waves and curls wear shorter than straight) and where it's installed on your head. Measure from the crown and account for curl shrink using the visualiser above.
How is hair length measured?
Reputable sellers measure hair stretched straight, from the top of the weft to the tip. Siyakolwa measures the honest way — we don't round a 22" bundle up to 24".
What length is the most natural?
For an everyday, natural look on an average frame, 16"–20" is the sweet spot — long enough to flow, short enough to blend and stay full.
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