Every resident on West 4th street in Beijing knows the girl with the long hair, Wang Qing. Standing at only 5‘2“ (159cm), Wang’s hair has grown beyond her own height, reaching 5’6” (170cm).
Wang Qing, 34 years old, has loved long hair since she was young, and at age 18 she decided to let her hair grow as long as possible. Now, 16 years later, its length has surpassed her own height and is still growing.
In an interview with a reporter, Wang Qing released her tied up hair, which fell to the floor like a waterfall. Holding it in hand, Wang’s hair feels surprisingly heavy. Her hair is also quite thick, and without split ends.
A neighbor said Wang is very famous in the neighborhood. She loves combing her hair. Some foreign tourists once followed her for a number of blocks to ask permission to take a photo with her. “Every passerby is always amazed upon seeing her long hair,” the neighbor said.
People’s admiration brings Wang a feeling of pride, but she also has some difficulties. She requires her family’s help once a week to wash her hair, which takes at least an hour. “I need a lot of shampoo,” she said. “An 800-milliliterl bottle is good for only four times. I use 10 times more shampoo than most people.”
Everyday she has to spend one to two hours on her hair, and stands on a chair to comb it.
As for her hair care tips, she said she has never gone to a beauty salon to wash or dye her hair. She doesn’t use hair conditioner or a hair dryer. She also hasn’t used a pillow in sixteen years. Instead, she knits her hair into a small pillow, and often lies on her bed and reads. “I love eating vegetables,” she jokes. “Maybe my hair has been able to grow so long because I eat so many vegetables!”
Wang once weighed 176 pounds (80 kg), but she has since dropped down to only 121 pounds (55 kg). She worries that she might have poor nutrition as the long hair consumes a lot of nutrition. Over the years, she has trimmed her hair each month and is now considering cutting it short completely. She searched the Internet and found a lady who sold her own 3-meter long hair for 30,000 yuan (US$ 3,900). Wang said that she would also be willing to sell hers should someone offer a reasonable price.
