A woman from Uttar Pradesh, India has achieved the Guinness World Record for the longest hair on a living person in the world. Smita Srivastava's hair is 7 feet 9 inches long, much longer than her or any other human's height. She achieved this impressive length by not cutting her hair since the age of 14, as she was inspired by the long hair of Bollywood actresses in the 1980s. Since then, she has dedicated to the maintenance and care of her locks, to not only grow them long but also keep them healthy.
Speaking to Guinness World Records, 46-year-old Srivastava shared her experience and idea behind having such long tresses, "In Indian culture, goddesses traditionally had very long hair. In our society, it is considered inauspicious to cut hair, so that is why women used to grow hair," Smita said. "Long hair enhances the beauty of women," she added.
How Srivastava Manages Her Hair
Smita Srivastava shared the tedious but fruitful process of having hair her length. She told Guinness World Records that she spends 30 to 45 minutes washing her hair, and then about two hours to hand-dry her hair and detangle it. She revealed that she has to stand on the bed or a stool to detangle her hair. She shared that she uses a comb or her fingers to detangle her hair and then braids or ties her hair in a bun to avoid hair falling everywhere.
Srivastava said that she has faced many challenges due to her long hair. She said that sometimes her hair gets caught in things, or even beneath her own feet while walking, which leads to more hairfall. "But I love my hair so much. Along with managing my family, I manage and take care of my hair as well," she told Guinness World Records. She also added that her family's support has helped her achieve this World Record.
Personal Connection With Hair
Not only does Srivastava grow and maintain her hair, but she also collects fallen pieces of her hair. It started when she faced major hair loss but the idea of throwing her hair away saddened her. "I started crying about having lost so much hair so I thought of not throwing it away.... From that point, I started collecting my hair in polythene bags after washing and detangling it. It has been 20 years, and today I have a huge hair collection," Srivastava shared.
She credits this love for her hair to her mother, sisters, and grandmother, who also have beautiful long locks themselves. "My first inspiration is my mother, because everyone in my family has beautiful hair, and second inspiration is 80s Hindi cinema," she shared. "I will never cut my hair because my life is in my hair. I want it to grow more and see how long I can manage my hair.
Guinness World Record Achievement
"The day I had to measure my hair was a very difficult day for me. My hair broke a lot and got very tangled," Srivastava expressed. But after all the apprehension and challenges, Srivastava's hair broke the World Record. "This is an unforgettable moment in my life. I used to believe about holding a Guinness World Record plaque someday, and God answered my prayers. I want my hair to continue growing like this so I can break more records," she said.
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