A Nigerian wigmaker, Helen Williams, has secured her place in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world’s longest handmade wig, as confirmed by the renowned organisation on Tuesday.
Guinness World Records announced that Williams achieved this extraordinary milestone by crafting a wig measuring an impressive 351.28 metres (1,152 ft 5 in). The record-setting event took place in Abule Egba, Nigeria, on July 7, 2023.
“Helen grew up reading the annual Guinness World Record books. She is a professional wig maker which is why she decided to attempt this record, as she knew it was something she could achieve,” stated Guinness World Records on its website.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Guinness World Records shared the news, stating, “Helen Williams from Lagos, Nigeria has achieved a new record for the longest handmade wig which stretches an incredible 351.28 metres (1,152 ft 5 in).”
Williams dedicated considerable time and resources to this endeavor, spending 11 days and over two million naira (£2,031; $2,493) in the process. The intricate creation involved constructing an underlay with wig-cap netting and black fabric attached to a bicycle helmet. The wig was then completed using 1,000 bundles of hair, 12 cans of hair spray, 35 tubes of hair glue, and 6,250 hair clips.
“Finding the materials to make the longest wig was not an easy task,” explained Helen. “My experience as a wigmaker helped a lot.”
With eight years of professional wig-making under her belt, Helen Williams is no stranger to the craft, producing anywhere from 50 to 300 wigs per week. Despite her extensive experience, creating the record-breaking wig proved to be a challenging feat.
“At some point, I felt exhausted,” she shared. “However, friends and family encouraged me. I did not want to let them down, so I maintained my focus. The outcome is the longest handmade wig in the world.”
One of the major challenges faced by Helen was finding a suitable space for accurately measuring the wig in a straight line. None of the venues she visited, including various running tracks, were long enough to accommodate it. Eventually, she opted to lay out the wig beside the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, a lengthy road connecting the cities of Lagos and Abeokuta.
Helen now proudly displays the record-setting wig in her office, welcoming anyone interested to come and marvel at it. Reflecting on her achievement, she expressed her joy, saying, “It will take a while for me to digest. This achievement is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I still cannot believe it.”
Williams joins the ranks of other wig-related world records, including the widest wig created by Dani Reynolds (Australia), measuring 2.58 metres (8 ft 6 in) wide, and the tallest wig crafted by Emilio Minnicelli (Italy), measuring an impressive 14.3 meters (46 ft 11 in) tall.
Additionally, the world’s longest hair extension record is held by Nikola Kulezic (Serbia), who measured a remarkable length of 820.29 metres (2691 ft 3 in) on June 26, 2013.
