Long Hair Village | Red Yao Huangluo

The village with the longest hair on the planet!

From the old days until now, the global shampoo market has been developing products for all hair types, experiencing steady growth, and especially the category for hair loss and hair growth. 

But deep in the mountains of southern China's Guangxi Province, the women of Huangluo Village will never contribute to this growth - because apparently, it's not worth it..

For the women of this village, hair is their most prized possession. The ancient settlement is known throughout China as the "Long Hair Village" and is even recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "longest-haired village in the world". 

How long can hair be?

They grow their black hair to a length of up to 2.1 meters and manage to keep their appearance strong and healthy (and gray-free) into their old age. 

What is the secret to lengthening your hair

Their secret? They wash their hair with rice water left over from rinsing or boiled rice. It was the secret to these women's beautiful hair, which was also practiced by imperial princesses in the East.

Hair and confidence

Hair has always been a big deal for the women of Huangluo's Red Yao, named after the traditional red clothes. Did you ever think you knew someone obsessed with their hair? In Huangluo, it is considered so sacred that it is said that until recently no one was allowed to look at it for long except her husband and children.

Hair growth and longevity

Catching hair in public was expressly forbidden, to the extent that if a resident outside the family or a foreign traveler so much as glanced at it, he would be forced to spend three years with the woman's family as their son-in-law. These outdated rules were abolished in the late 1980s as the influx of tourism to the area became a source of income for the remote village, one of the poorest indeed in the province.

This is no longer the case in Huangluo, and all finally agree with the ancient belief that hair growth gives longevity, wealth and good luck. The longer the hair, the luckier one will be!

Along with the usual daily tasks and duties of the village of 82 households and 400 villagers, the women with "Rapunzel's hair" sing and participate in groups several times a day, showing off their long hair to tourists and earning over $300 a month during the season.

How often do Huangluo women get a haircut?

Huangluo women can only cut their hair once in their lives, on their 18th birthday. The cut hair is given to the girl's grandmother and made into a headdress. And at that moment, with an ear-length haircut, the young woman is supposed to start looking for a mate. When she gets married, the hair is a gift for the groom.

Their hair is basically divided into three stages: the hair after the wedding, the hair before the wedding, and the fallen hair that is collected and cared for daily.

In fact, it can be said that the idea of hair extensions ,which is currently booming, originally originated from the Red Yao women. 

What are the hairstyles of the women of Huangluo.

Different hairstyles also represent different social status.

For example, if a woman's hair is twisted around her head, it means she is married but has no children. If again she has a small "bun" at the front of her head, this indicates that she is married with children. 

If she wears a scarf around her head, with her hair remaining hidden, it means she is looking for a husband, who traditionally would be the only person with the privilege of seeing her hair. Today, once married, the people of Huangluo seem to be a little more comfortable with showing her hair. 

The most ancient hair strengthening shampoo

About this ancient shampoo, basically the fermented rice water has become slightly sour. Thus rich in antioxidants, minerals, vitamin E, it makes the hair shiny, soft, strong and healthy. 

Seriously though, Red Yao women claim that most of them don't see a single grey hair in their hair until they pass the age of 80.

A health consultant in New York, Margaret Trey, decided to try rice water and found that it cleansed her hair well without drying it out, noting that it also became stronger and softer. 

For those of you who are curious to know more about this ancient hair washing method, here is some more information on how to make this shampoo.

How to make shampoo from rice 

First, collect the water from boiling. Then leave the water at room temperature for a day or until it becomes slightly sour and starts to ferment. 

Boil it and then let it cool and perhaps add a few drops of tea, lavender or rosemary essential oils and store it in the refrigerator. 

If you cook rice two to three times a week, you are able to collect enough water for two to three hair washes.