Meet the teen with world’s longest hair (Photos)

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 stoped 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.

Nicknamed “Rapunzel” by her friends and schoolmates, Patel said she has not visited a hairdresser for 11 years after a hair-raising ordeal. “At six, I had a very bad experience at a local salon. Since then I have been apprehensive about cutting my hair. My parents accepted my wishes and now my locks have become my lucky charm,” she said.

Patel has to wear high-heeled shoes if she does not want her hair to touch the ground. Apart from that, Patel 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.”

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