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Cen YingyuanChinese woman with incredibly long hair
Country:
 China |
Content:
- Phenomenal Hair: The Tale of a Chinese Woman with Unprecedented Locks
- Hair Preservation and Maintenance
- Resisting Temptation
- A Head-Turning Spectacle
- Cultural Connections
Phenomenal Hair: The Tale of a Chinese Woman with Unprecedented Locks
Xiuyan's Captivating CoifXiuyan, a 44-year-old resident of Guigang, Guangxi Province, has garnered attention for her extraordinary hair, which has remained uncut for an astonishing eleven years. Its extraordinary length, reaching two meters, stands out against her petite stature of 152 centimeters. When unbound, the tresses trail an additional half meter behind her.
Hair Preservation and Maintenance
Since 2005, Xiuyan has meticulously collected every strand of lost hair, amounting to approximately 50 grams annually. Washing her hair is a laborious task that consumes an hour, followed by a half-day of air drying. Xiuyan washes her hair every four days, transforming the process into an arduous undertaking. Lacking a showerhead, she has devised a method of submerging her hair in a massive basin for thorough rinsing.
To enhance her hair's radiance, Xiuyan has discovered a novel secret: rinsing it with beer.
Resisting Temptation
Despite receiving lucrative offers to cut and sell her hair, with the highest bid reaching approximately 100,000 Russian rubles, Xiuyan has remained steadfast in her commitment to preserving her locks. She describes her love for her hair as bordering on addiction, vowing to alter her image only if she were to find a single strand of gray.
A Head-Turning Spectacle
Xiuyan's remarkable hair invariably attracts attention, making her an object of curiosity among onlookers. Despite this, she takes pride in her unique appearance.
Cultural Connections
Xiuyan's fascination with long hair finds an echo in the Red Yao people, an ethnic group primarily residing in Guangxi. Women of this community also abstain from cutting their hair, which typically measures an average of 170 centimeters and can extend up to 210 centimeters. They fashion their long tresses into elaborate hairstyles. Notably, Red Yao women cut their hair only once in their lives, at the age of 16, prior to commencing their search for a husband, as they believe long hair symbolizes longevity, prosperity, and good fortune.
