Woman breaks record with wig longer than seven Olympic swimming pools

A woman from Lagos, Nigeria, has entered the record books after weaving a handmade wig that measures 351.28 meters (1,152 feet, 5 inches) in length.

Wig professional Helen Williams spent more than two million naira (almost US$2,500, the equivalent of more than R$12,000) and 11 days making the wig, which is longer than seven Olympic swimming pools.

Williams first made the base using wig net and black fabric attached to a bicycle helmet, before using 1,000 bundles of hair, 12 cans of hairspray, 35 tubes of hair glue and 6,250 hairpins to complete the piece. , according to a statement from Guinness World Records.

“Finding the materials to make the longest wig was no easy task,” Williams said in a statement. “My experience as a wig maker helped a lot”, he adds.

Helen Williams from Lagos, Nigeria has achieved a new record for the longest handmade wig which stretches an incredible 351.28 meters (1,152 ft 5 in) 👏 pic.twitter.com/gwGdqjF8Wp

— Guinness World Records (@GWR) November 14, 2023

She has been making wigs for eight years and produces 50 to 300 a week.

“I trained hundreds of students and made thousands of wigs,” Williams said, although her record-breaking effort still proved difficult.

“At some point, I felt exhausted,” she said. “However, friends and family encouraged me. I didn’t want to disappoint them, so I kept my focus. The result is the longest handmade wig in the world.”

Given her size, Williams had difficulty finding a space to place the wig to be measured. She finally managed to do so along the highway between Lagos and Abeokuta city.

Now, the wig is stored in her office, available for people to admire “whenever they want,” she says.

“My advice to everyone is: dreams are achievable,” Williams said. “However, the journey is very difficult,” she adds.