Helen Williams has spent over 2 million naira (approximately $2,500) and taken 11 days to create a wig measuring 351.28 meters in length, which is longer than the combined length of seven Olympic swimming pools.
A woman from Lagos (Nigeria) has made it into the Guinness World Records with a handcrafted wig measuring 351.28 meters long.
Professional wig maker Helen Williams invested over 2 million naira (nearly $2,500) and spent 11 days crafting a wig that measures 351.28 meters, exceeding the total length of seven Olympic swimming pools combined.
Helen Williams and her handcrafted wig measuring 351.28 meters. (Photo: CNN).
According to the Guinness World Records organization, Williams created a net lining for the wig and used black fabric, securing them to a bicycle helmet.
Additionally, she utilized 1,000 bundles of hair, 12 cans of hairspray, 35 glue tubes, and 6,250 bobby pins to complete the project.
Finding materials to create the world’s longest wig was not an easy task. “My experience in wig making was incredibly helpful,” Williams stated. She shared that she has eight years of experience in wig making and produces between 50 to 300 products each week.
“I have trained hundreds of trainees and made thousands of wigs, but during the time it took to complete this piece, there were moments when I felt exhausted,” she said.
Determined not to disappoint her family and friends who encouraged her, she always pushed herself to stay focused.
Due to the “massive” size of the wig, Williams found it challenging to find a space to measure its length. In the end, she laid the wig along the highway between Lagos and the city of Abeokuta.
Currently, the wig is displayed in her office for everyone to admire “whenever they want.”
Williams expressed: “Any dream can be conquered if we put in our best effort. However, the journey to achieve our goals can be very challenging.”
Previously, the record for the largest wig in the world belonged to actress Drew Barrymore, who wore a wig measuring 2.23 meters during “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in 2017.
Most recently, in April, an Australian artist, Dani Reynolds, broke Drew Barrymore’s record by creating a massive wig that is over 2.5 meters wide.
To be recognized by Guinness World Records, the wig must meet the criteria of being wearable.
The wig measures 2.58 meters in width. (Photo: GWR)
Artist Dani Reynolds and her team took two months to complete a wig that is 2.58 meters wide, adorned with two giant pink bows.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be around 4,000 Australian dollars (over 60 million Vietnamese Dong).
Dani Reynolds noted that the biggest challenge was accurately calculating the placement and amount of materials used in the wig to ensure that the wearer could maintain balance.
To create this oversized wig, Reynolds drew inspiration from the colors and textures of real hair and built a support structure to hold the massive strands above.
After establishing the support structure and finalizing the overall design of the hairpiece, Reynolds enlisted the help of local artist Meg Wilson to create the lining underneath, sew the synthetic hair, and craft the enormous pink bows for decoration.
The Guinness World Records organization stated that the support structure for Reynolds’ wig is made from a bicycle helmet, PVC pipes, pool floats, cables, and aluminum rods.
