Women in THIS Chinese village grow their hair up to 7 feet long; know what's their natural shampoo made of

In many communities around the world, long hair have often been seen as a symbol of womanhood. But no community has preserved the cultural significance of long hair as well as the Red Yao women of Huangluo Yao village in China. The village, also known as the "Long Hair village," is located in the Guangxi Zhuang region of southern China.

'Real-life Rapunzels'
Women here have been described as "real-life Rapunzels" -- referring to the popular fairy tale -- for their tradition of growing their hair up to six or seven feet long.
The Red Yao women -- red being a reference to their traditional clothing of that colour -- cut their hair only once in their lifetime, typically when they turn 18. But the cut hair is preserved to be used later.
The tradition of growing such long hair is believed to bring longevity and prosperity to the community.

Special natural 'shampoo'
The women follow a special cleansing routine to maintain the dark colour and the overall health of their long hair. Their "shampoo," made from all natural ingredients, has one key ingredient -- fermented rice water.
The women boil rice water with herbs, pomelo peels, and tea bran to prepare the cleanser. They then use a traditional wooden comb to spread the mixture from scalp to ends.

Hairstyles for different life phases
Among the Red Yao women, certain hairstyles symbolise specific phases of their lives. An unmarried woman usually wears a black scarf to cover her head as hair is seen as sacred and traditionally only seen by family members. If a woman's hair is wrapped around the head, it means she is married but does not have children. Wrapped hair, along with a bun made from the preserved cut hair, signifies the woman is married and has children.