A 'real-life' Rapunzel spends two hours a day caring for her 4ft hair that she's been growing for 27 years.
Inna Holovina, who is only just over a foot taller than her long locks, has been growing them out since she was just nine-years-old. The 36-year-old lawyer decided to see if she could grow her hair to her ankles when she fell pregnant six years ago.
Now the mum-of-two, from Kyiv, Ukraine, abides by a lengthy routine every day to make sure her tresses are in tip top shape. Inna combs her hair every morning, use detangling conditioner and then repeat the process in the evening with cosmetic oil on the ends of her locks before she braids it, puts on a silk cap and eventually goes to bed.
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And she mustn't forget the frequent hair masks, washing, drying and head massages either. Despite Inna being proud of her hair and the dedication she has for it, not everyone is so kind about her Rapunzel-like locks.
"Most girls who comment that they do not understand why I have such long hair, they think that it is difficult for me to deal with it, but in fact it is not, I deal with it very quickly," Inna shared. "There was one comment that offended me a little, and it said ‘How terrible it is to have such hair, to spend your life on caring for it, and not your spiritual life, which is much more important’.
"But my hair is my soul, my highlight, I am very proud of it. I try to ignore such comments, or I just look at it positively.
"Most of my audience is men, their comments are like a balm for the soul. They write to me that I inspire girls to grow their hair, and I think that I am on the right track."
Inna purchases shampoo and hair masks by the litre which last about four months and cost her a whopping £70 every time she runs out. Although some women are unkind about Inna's hair, she has plenty of tips for growing and maintaining long locks – like how often to get a trim.
She insisted that knowing your hair type and eating a balanced diet is integral for growing out your hair. Although she's no expert, it seemed to work in her case. "If you have a desire to grow long hair, do not cut it every three months. Once or twice a year will be enough," she urged.
"Moisturise the ends of your hair. Your length depends only on the condition of the ends of your hair. There are two types of shampoos you should use, one for moisturising, the second for deep cleaning, have them in your arsenal. Wash your combs every week. Do a head massage every day for 15-20 minutes.
“Do your research and choose products according to your hair type. Also underestimated is the importance of a balanced diet, lean meat and red fish are great."
For the Disney princess-lookalike mum, she washes her hair every three to four days and spends either a lengthy 20 minutes blow drying her hair or lets her tresses dry naturally which is a longer process.
Inna doesn't think she is 'sacrificing' time and is happy to spend hours preening her perfected locks. She revealed: "I wash my hair every three to four days. I have many different hair care products. These are masks, balm, shampoos with a moisturising effect.
"My hair type is hard, it needs to be constantly moisturised and nourished, and therefore I use the appropriate care. Forty minutes is enough for me to apply all the hair products, sit with the mask for 15 minutes and rinse.
"Drying my hair is a separate task, if I urgently need to get ready, then I will quickly dry my hair with a hairdryer with thermal protection, this is another 20 minutes. But usually I dry my hair naturally, which adds another 30 minutes.
"I don't really think this time is a sacrifice, I love my hair, it is a part of me."
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Inna prefers a trim over a cut, but only does so to keep her ends healthy. Ever since her childhood, her mum celebrated long hair and instilled the love of it into Inna. Her friends and family are supportive of her hairdo.
She expressed: "I don't cut my hair often because I want to get the right length. I trim it twice a year and take off maybe five centimetres no more.
"My mother instilled in me a love for long hair since childhood, so I didn’t cut it for her sake, and then I realised that having natural, healthy and long hair is a rarity.
"My family is delighted with my hair, they just admire it. No one has ever said or recommended that I need a haircut. Most of my friends actually call me Rapunzel."
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