Bad experience at a salon a decade ago wins Indian teen crown for longest hair
- 20 Jan 2020
A 17-year-old Indian girl has retained her crown as the teen with the world's longest hair more than a decade after she stopped getting her tresses cut following a bad experience at a salon.
Nilanshi Patel, from the small town of Modasa in Gujarat state, remains a cut above the rest according to the Guinness World Records having bettered her record of 170.5 centimetres (5.59 feet) set in December 2018 with a new length of 190 centimetres.
Her proud father said his only child's locks had turned her from a local celebrity into an international one.
Nilanshi Patel poses for a picture with her mother. AFP
Nicknamed "Rapunzel" by her friends and schoolmates after the long, flowing hair of the princess in the Brothers Grimm fairytale, Patel said she has not a visited a hairdresser for 11 years after a hair-raising ordeal.
"At six, I had a very bad experience at a local salon," she told AFP.
"Since then I have been apprehensive about cutting my hair. My parents accepted my wishes and now my locks have become my lucky charm."
Patel has to wear high-heeled shoes if she does not want her hair to touch the ground.
Apart from that, Patel said she cares for her hair like every other teenager -- but with help from her mother.
"I do what every teenager does. Wash the hair every week and oil it once or twice a week," the aspiring engineer said, adding that she dries it by sitting in the sun or with a hairdryer.
"Mostly I keep a braid, but while playing or for some occasions, I tie the hair into a bun. The only time I have trouble is while swimming."
Agence France-Presse
