Little girls dream of long tresses like Rapunzel’s, but they, of course, never get to realize their dream. However, with Alena Kravchenko things were different. This 34-year-old from Odesa, Ukraine started growing her hair from the age of five and never looked back. Today she’s rightly hailed as ‘Real-life Rapunzel’ by her social media followers.
Kravchenko, who has natural golden blond hair, grew up in the belief that the real beauty of a woman is the length of her hair. This belief was strengthened by her mother, who maintained that braids look good on a woman. It’s not surprising that, as a child, she refused to cut her locks and continued to grow them.
Today, she boasts of tresses that measure an enviable 5.9 feet (1.8 meters). She never cuts her locks, but only trims them from time to time. She also never shies away from posting the pictures of her blond locks on her Instagram page that she created last year. And, for effect, she chooses scenic backdrops for her shoots. For her, the true beauty of tresses lies in their naturalness. She considers her mane as part of her soul.
Of course, maintaining such long tresses is not easy. Kravchenko combs her hair twice daily to prevent the hair strands from getting tangled. She washes her hair once a week. It’s not surprising that the preparation for washing, actual washing, and aftercare takes over an hour. To get the hair under control, she usually braids it or makes it into a bun. She also trims the ends every six months to keep them healthy and strong.
For Kravchenko, using a hairdryer, curling irons, and combing wet hair is a big no-no. She uses natural products and ingredients, such as dried fruits, nuts, and homemade cottage cheese for hair care.
Kravchenko enjoys a fan following of over 29,000 on Instagram alone. Her pics, though roundly appreciated, also received some weird responses…the weirdest being a request to sniff her hair! Of course, she keeps getting marriage proposals from fans, off and on. Though initially taken aback by these responses, she has now learned to take them in her stride.
Alena Kravchenko