A Ukrainian woman who hasn’t cut her hair since the age of 5 has become a real-life Princess Rapunzel, with flowing blonde locks that now exceed her height.
Alena Kravchenko, 36, is a lawyer by training and lives in the town of Odesa. According to Alena, her inspiration to grow her hair came from her mother, who believed that a woman’s hair is her crowning glory.
“It was her words that long hair for a woman is ‘pride, individuality, and decoration’ [that] I will remember for the rest of my life,” Alena told The Epoch Times via Instagram. “I grew up with love for hair ... this is a manifestation of my inner world.”
Alena maintains that her hair is a great power from which she draws “self-realization” and “strength.”
At the time of writing, Alena’s hair measures 1.95 meters in length (approx. 6 feet 5 inches), exceeding her height of 1.68 meters (approx. 5 feet 6 inches), and is already touching the floor. Alena admits that, due to her long hair, she is “so used” to being compared to Princess Rapunzel, and the attention it brings has become a way of life.
Unsurprisingly, Alena’s beautiful long locks draw in the shock, surprise, and delight of strangers when she meets them in public.
“Often, people come up to just take a picture, get an autograph, and just ask if the hair is real,” she said. “Of course, it is very pleasant that the beauty of my hair causes so many positive emotions.”
“I use natural oils [and] masks made from natural ingredients,” she explained to The Epoch Times. “I massage the scalp, often brushing my hair adhering to all the rules: do not tear, but gently stroke it.”
Alena never dyes her hair nor uses heat, preferring to let it dry naturally. She claims that hair care is not difficult for her and she has never had any problems, despite the immense length of her locks.
“I am sure that every girl will be able to grow her hair, if she really wants it,” Alena said, adding, “The main thing is to believe and take care of hair of any length.”
Love and patience, she insists, are the key ingredients.
“Every girl dreams of a fairytale in her soul,” said Alena. “I created my own fairytale, and live in it, being myself.”
