…Researched and contributed by Guest Author.
Chelsie Kramer, a 30-year-old woman from Oregon, USA, has been growing her hair out since she was a teenager and now has an impressive four-foot-long mane.
She refers to herself as a ‘real-life Rapunzel,’ and it’s easy to see why.
However, as well as positive attention, Chelsie also receives negative attention when she’s out in public.
She has people pointing and staring at her, which can make her uncomfortable.
Growing Her Hair Out as an Act of Rebellion
Chelsie grew her hair out long as an act of rebellion.
Her mother never wanted her to have long hair, so she did it to defy her.
However, for many years, her hair never grew past her mid-back until she was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland.
The condition prevented her hair from growing, but after receiving medical treatment, her hair grew about a foot in two years.
Taking Care of Her Hair
Chelsie takes great care of her hair, ensuring it keeps its impressive length.
She does weekly hair oil treatments and wears protective hairstyles, and she never dyes her hair or uses heat styling tools.
Chelsie uses a mixture of organic coconut, castor, almond, cactus, neem, black seed, and olive oils for her weekly hair oil treatment.
She massages the oils into her scalp, then puts on a plastic shower cap, followed by a microwaveable heat cap to help it absorb properly.
She avoids over-brushing, trims her split ends every six months, and massages some rose oil into her length and ends each night.
The Downsides of Long Hair
While Chelsie loves her hair and has no plans to cut it any time soon, she admits that having hair so long can have its disadvantages.
Most people don’t realize how much time and effort it takes to care for long hair.
For instance, Chelsie has to wrap her hair around her neck twice when taking a shower to shampoo it, hold her hair up any time she bends over to pick something up, and be cautious of accidentally closing her hair in car doors.
Reactions from the General Public
Chelsie’s gorgeous hair results in reactions from the general public when she’s out and about.
People often stop and stare at her in the street, point, or whisper to each other about how long her hair is.
Many people approach her and ask how long it took to grow it that long and how beautiful it is.
A lot of people also ask if it’s a wig. So far, she’s been lucky enough not to have anyone be unkind or creepy about her hair.
Chelsie’s hair is undoubtedly impressive and the result of years of dedication and care.
While it can be challenging to care for, she finds it worth it to enjoy her long locks.