A woman from Uttarakhand has turned ten years of patience into one of the most talked-about titles in the record books. Renu Dhariyal, a content creator known for sharing beauty and hair-care tips online, has officially been recognised by Guinness World Records for having the longest hair on a living woman. Her hair was measured and verified in Haldwani in April, coming in at a staggering 271.5 cm, or roughly 8 feet 10 inches.

To put that in perspective, Dhariyal’s hair falls only a hair’s breadth short of the height of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever recorded, who stood at 272 cm. It is a length that trails visibly across the floor whenever she walks, and one that took an entire decade of uninterrupted growth to achieve.

How Renu Dhariyal Grew Record-Breaking Hair

According to Guinness World Records, Dhariyal has not had a single haircut since 2015. What began as a personal choice slowly turned into a near-decade-long commitment, with her hair growing thicker and longer each year until it stretched far beyond her feet. She has said the decision was rooted in Indian cultural tradition, where long hair has for generations been treated as a symbol of beauty and heritage, and that inspiration is what kept her from ever reaching for a pair of scissors.

Maintaining hair of that length is its own daily project. Dhariyal has spoken about spending hours washing and carefully detangling her hair to keep it healthy, and relies on a completely natural routine rather than commercial chemical products. She makes her own oils and shampoos at home, a process she also documents for her YouTube audience alongside other long-hair care tips.

Dhariyal Takes the Title From Ukraine’s Aliia Nasyrova

With this measurement, Dhariyal takes over the title from Ukraine’s Aliia Nasyrova, whose hair had measured 257.33 cm, or about 8 feet 5.3 inches. The gap between the two records is over 14 centimetres, making Dhariyal’s achievement a decisive jump rather than a narrow win.

What This Means for Dhariyal and Her Community

For Dhariyal, the record is about more than an unusual physical feat. She has said she hopes the title draws attention to her home region and community, and that her journey encourages others to stay consistent and connected to natural, traditional approaches to beauty rather than chasing quick fixes. Day to day, she manages the sheer volume of her hair by winding it into a long, careful braid, keeping it off the ground when she needs both hands free.

Guinness World Records has highlighted not just the length of Dhariyal’s hair but its condition, noting that it remains thick and glossy despite a decade without trimming, a detail that is often the harder record to hold onto once hair passes a certain length.

Sources: Guinness World Records’ official listing, the full feature on Guinness World Records’ news page, or the wire report from UPI.