A woman from Sangam City of India has secured a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest hair on a living person.

Smita Srivastava's hair measures an impressive 236.22 cm (7 feet 9 inches).

Srivastava, 46, has been growing her hair since the age of 14.

She credits her mother's genes for the "healthy growth" of her hair and says she was inspired by Hindi actresses from the 1980s who had long and beautiful hair.

A mother of two sons, the record holder maintains her long tresses without the assistance of a beauty parlour.

She washes her hair twice a week and uses a homemade paste made with Aloe vera, eggs, Indian gooseberry, and other natural ingredients.

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The entire process of washing, drying, detangling, and styling takes over two hours.

Srivastava is so attached to her hair that she collects broken strands in a plastic bag, a practice she has maintained for the past 20 years.

She has only had her hair trimmed once in her life, after the birth of her second child when she was unwell.