'Real life Rapunzel' from Gujarat gets haircut after 12 years and 3 world records | Watch

Nilanshi Patel, an 18-year-old from Gujarat who has held the record for the longest hair on a teenager, has now decided to cut off her locks. Since 2018, Nilanshi, from Gujarat’s Modasa, has held the Guinness World Records title for the ‘longest hair on a teenager’. At the time, she was 16-years-old and her hair measured 170.5cm (5ft 7in).

In July 2020, before she turned 18, Nilanshi’s hair reached an incredible 200cm (6ft 6.7inches) and she even secured the iconic title for the ‘longest hair ever on a teenager’. But now, after not cutting her hair for nearly 12 years and after earning three Guinness World Records, Nilanshi decided to cut off her locks. She said her hair gave her a lot, but now “it is time to give something back”. 

According to the GWR website, Nilanshi said, “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 took some time to decided what she was going to with her locks. She had three options - auctioning it off, donating it to charity for cancer patients or donating it to a museum - and after discussing with her mother, she decided to display her hair in a museum. Nilanshi’s mother, Kaminiben, pointed out that Nilanshi’s story and record-breaking hair was made to inspire people and that displaying her hair in the museum was the right thing to do. 

According to GWR, Kaminiben even pledged that she would donate her own hair to charity, while Nilanshi sent her to a museum. Once Nilanshi made her decision, the data was set and before she knew it, her hair was being sectioned and tied up react to be cut. Before her “life-changing” haircut, Nilanshi even said that she is excited and hopes that it turns out to be amazing. 

She said, “I'm so excited and a little bit nervous because I don't know how I'm looking in the new hairstyle... so let's see what happens, but I hope it's going to be amazing”. 

'I love my new hairstyle' 

Once her hair were chopped off, Nilanshi then said, “I love my new hairstyle. I feel proud that I’m going to send my hair to the US museum- people will see and be inspired by my hair. I’m really, really happy… Today is a new beginning and I hope I will break many more records in future”. 

GWR said that once her hair had been cut, it was tied up into a bunch that weighed a total of 266g. She donated her hair to Ripley’s. Once it has been shipped from India to the US it will be on display at ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Hollywood’ before then being displayed at ‘Guinness World Records Museum’, also in Hollywood. Nilanshi is thrilled with her new shorter hairstyle and she can’t wait to see her long locks on display. 

Meanwhile, with hundreds of likes, several internet users joked and wrote, “Imagine if someone was like: yo you have such short hair, was it always like this?” Another added, “She took the term " not going to the barber doing a pandemic" to a whole new level”. One user even said, “She's the proud owner of 3 records, but she certainly misses the next one”. 

(Image: Instagram)