Maintaining hair that stretches almost nine feet long is no easy feat, and for content creator and YouTuber Renu Dhariyal, it has been a decade-long commitment. Her beautiful long locks, measuring an unbelievable 271.50 cm (8ft 10in), recently earned her the Guinness World Record for the longest hair on a living person (female). Hailing from Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, her raven tresses are just a smidge shorter than the height of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever, who stood at 272 cm (8 ft 11.1 in).
Renu has been growing her hair since 2015, inspired by the cultural significance of long hair in India. She told Guinness World Records, “In Indian culture, long hair is considered a symbol of extreme beauty and tradition, which is what inspired me to grow it so long. I have never cut my hair since 2015.”
But keeping hair this long, healthy and manageable is no easy task. Renu explained, “It takes a lot of patience to maintain long hair. I spend hours washing and detangling my hair. My secret is completely natural. I stay away from chemical products and also share the secrets of chemical-free homemade hair oils and homemade shampoos I make on my YouTube channel.”
Her record-breaking hair length was verified in Haldwani back in April, and Renu now hopes her achievement will help put her local community on the global stage. “With such long hair, whenever I step out or come on social media, people are surprised and I get a lot of appreciation and attention. I want to give a message to the world that with determination, consistency and connecting with your natural beauty and culture, you can achieve any big milestone,” she said.