Hair care is a daily commitment—washing takes an hour, and drying takes a full day. She carries 22 pounds of hair products when traveling and even does “hair workouts” on a yoga mat. Her husband, Ivan, is careful not to damage her hair. “I talk to the braid respectfully,” he joked.

Though Alia’s hair is impressively long, the Guinness World Record belongs to China’s Xie Qiuping, whose hair reached 18 ft 5 in. Alia dreams of traveling the world to meet and celebrate other long-haired women, treating long hair as a form of art.