When Nilanshi Patel decided it was time for a haircut recently, it made big news. The teenager from Gujarat had grown her hair for 12 years and she was the owner of Guinness World Records not once, but thrice.
In July 2020, the 18-year-old Nilanshi’s treasured tresses had measured 200 cm (6 ft, 6.7 inch) – making it the longest hair for a teenager.
She had held the record in the same category in 2018 and 2019, too.
Watch the Guinness World Records YouTube video here:
It was after an unpleasant experience at a salon, when she was six years old, that Nilanshi decided to grow and groom her hair, according to a blog post by Guinness World Records.
“It was a really bad haircut… So then I decided that I won’t cut my hair. I was six years old then and have not cut it since,” she said.
“I’m so excited and a little bit nervous because I don’t know how I will look in the new hairstyle. Let’s see what happens, but I hope it’s going to be amazing,” Nilanshi was quoted as saying before she finally got her hair cut.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Nilanshi and her family.
“My hair gave me a lot — because of my hair I am known as the real life Rapunzel… now it’s time to give it something back,” Nilanshi said.
She was in a dilemma what to do with her the hair after it was cut — auction it, donate it to charity, or to a museum.
Her mother Kaminiben suggested that Nilanshi’s story of record-breaking hair was to inspire people, so the right thing would be to display it in a museum.
Kaminiben also pledged that she would donate her own hair to charity.
Once the haircut was completed, a blindfolded Nilanshi was taken in front of a mirror before her new look was revealed.
“Oh my god it’s beautiful! It’s amazing – I’m like a little princess!” she screamed in excitement.
