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Real-life Rapunzel Daira Gubanova has been growing her hair since the age of 16 – and now its 172cm long and her wavy golden locks are nearly as tall as she is.
Daira (34), who lives in Russia and has more than 183 000 social media followers, started growing her hair as a teen after a friend bet her that she wouldn’t be able to grow her long enough to braid it.
Determined to prove her friend wrong, Daria, who used to frequently dye and cut her hair, decided to stop visiting her hairdresser and began growing her tresses freely.
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Now almost 20 years later, the mom-of-one’s hair growth journey is still going strong and she often posts images of herself on Instagram to show her followers her luxurious locks.
Of course, looking after that much hair is far from easy. The part-time model who works in airport security, has shared that her hair often gets tangled on buttons and door handles and she has to wear it in a braid or bun when she goes out.
She washes her hair twice a week and applies oils to nourish and treat it.
“In the morning, I comb my hair and style it in various braids or buns. During the day, I redo my hair several times but, in the evenings, I comb my hair once more and style it in a loose braid. I go to bed with my hair loose so that my head can rest as it's tied up all day long,” she told the Daily Mail.
Daira trims her hair once a year to get rid of split ends.
A mustard-and-mayonnaise mix is used for her favourite mask, but she warned “it may not be effective for all types of hair, so don’t rush out to the shops just yet”.
“Take two tablespoons each of mayonnaise, mustard and olive oil; apply to your hair roots, then cover your hair with cellophane and a towel. Wait one hour, then wash your hair with warm water. This mask stimulates the dormant hair follicles,” she said.
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“Very often I hear people saying, 'your hair is lying on the floor', which is when my hair accidentally slips out of my braid, and then everyone turns around to watch my locks dragging on the ground.”
Her daughter, Evelina (11), is also starting to grow out her hair. Daria has encouraged women and men who want to grow their hair to trust the process – even though it will take a while.
“Be patient when growing your hair. Do not spoil your hair and treat it with care. Love and care for it.”
Sources: PopSugar, Daily Mail, The Sun, Instagram
