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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Aimee Braniff Cree

Meet the woman with four-and-a-half foot hair who spends HOUR a day looking after it

A woman with four-and-a-half foot long hair that reaches her ankles hasn't cut her locks since the age of nine.

Lawyer Inna Holovina, 36, from Kyiv, Ukraine, spends an hour every day caring for her hair, combing, detangling and oiling before styling in braids before bedtime.

Inna buys shampoo and hair masks by the litre - replenishing her stock every four months at a cost of £70 each time.

Inna uses hair masks, conditioners, shampoos, hair lamination products at home, hair restoration ampoules, natural and essential oils.

Colourless henna, Oro Therapy tip oil, two-phase detangling spray and thermal protection to make sure her hair stays in top condition.

Inna has a lot of great advice for people looking to grow healthy hair but also makes us aware of the upkeep.

"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 said.

"Moisturise the ends of your hair. Your length depends only on the condition of the ends of your hair.

Inna flips over four feet of hair (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)
Inna brushing her hair (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)

"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.

"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.

Inna using a measuring tape to see her hair length (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)
Inna poses at Christmas with her hair draped over her shoulder (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)

"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."
Inna has not been without negative comments about her hair but she just ignores them and focuses on the positive ones.

"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," she said.

"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.

Inna proudly displays her perfectly conditioned hair (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)

"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 was taught that having long hair was beautiful as a child by her mother, as she grew up she realised it was also very unique and so she decided to grow her hair as long as she could.

Inna has two children Igor (five) and Angelina (three), her daughter is following in her mothers footsteps and at just three years-old she has two feet of healthy thick hair.

Inna has received hate online for her hair, with people accusing her of prioritising her hair over things like her faith, which caused her to feel hurt.

However, she also has an extremely supportive network, while they are mostly men they remind Inna that she is encouraging young girls to have long hair and she is on the right track.

"I was born in Vinnitsa and now live in Kyiv, Ukraine," said Inna.

Inna buys shampoo and hair masks by the litre (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)
Inna shows off her luscious locks (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)

"I worked as an assistant director and part-time lawyer. But on February 24th, the war came to Ukraine, and I had to leave with my whole family for the Vinnitsa region, to the village where I was born.

"I have two children, Igor, five years old and Angelina, three years old. They are my life and inspiration.

"My daughter looks to me as an example, so at just three years-old she has almost two-feet of luxurious hair. I like to do different hairstyles for her.

"Since childhood, my hair has grown very quickly, and even at a young age, my hair looked very beautiful and thick. Therefore, my mother's decision was unambiguous that we would grow my hair.

"The last time I cut my hair very short was when I was nine years-old, I took it up to my shoulders.

Inna with her hair braided immaculately (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)
Inna has not had short hair since she was nine (mdwfeatures/Inna Holovina)

"I then grew it to my waist and maintained that length for a long time. But six years-ago when I got pregnant for the first time and decided to grow it down to my heels.

"I have never had problems with my hair, I have always looked after it with pleasure.

"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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