The female student has long and naturally curly hair. Photo: screenshot of the video posted by Pear Video

A student at a professional training school in South China was required to prove that her hair is naturally curly after the school banned students from dyeing and perming their hair, sparking controversy about Chinese schools' intrusive regulations.

A video posted by the Pear Video on Sina Weibo shows that the student has long and curly hair. Her school, Xiamen Industrial-Commercial and Tourism School in Xiamen, Fujian Province, believed she had permed hair.

The school's regulation says students who dye and perm their hair are not allowed to attend classes until they change their hairstyle. 

The student asked a local hospital to give her a certificate proving that her hair is naturally curly, but it doesn't have the equipment to conduct such a test. She then went to the local beauty and cosmetics association, which certified her hair is naturally curly.

A director of the school said that they didn't ask the student for a certificate, and she could have provided the school with some childhood photos showing her curly hair.

The director said that their original intention of not allowing hair dyeing and perm is for the healthy growth of students.

Netizens were unimpressed with the school's explanation. "The uniform rules kill students' personality and aesthetics," one of netizens commented.