An Indian woman has set a new world record for the longest hair on a living person (female), with her locks measuring more than 8 feet.

Renu Dhariyal, a content creator and YouTuber from India, has officially secured the record after Guinness World Records verified her achievement in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.

Her raven hair measures 271.50 cm (8 feet 10 inches), just slightly shorter than the height of Robert Wadlow, the tallest person ever recorded, who stood 272 cm (8 feet 11.1 inches), according to Guinness World Records.

Guinness World Records verified Renu’s achievement in Haldwani in April. She took the record from Ukraine’s Aliia Nasyrova, whose hair measured 257.33 cm (8 feet 5.3 inches).

Renu, who shares beauty tips with women through her social media platforms, said she had grown her hair continuously since 2015 and had never cut it during that period.

She said Indian culture regards long hair as a symbol of beauty and tradition, which inspired her to grow her hair to such an extraordinary length.

Images show Renu with her hair trailing along the ground, draping over the edge of a bed and surrounding her as she sits on the floor.

She keeps her thick, shiny hair in an elaborate plait when she needs to keep it off the floor.

Maintaining hair of such length requires considerable patience and time. Renu said she spends hours washing and detangling her hair.