With an incredible amount of imagination and perseverance, Nigerian wigmaker Helen Williams has entered the Guinness World Records as the maker of the longest hand-made wig, measuring an incredible 351.28 metres (1,152 feet 5 inches).
Williams used 1,000 hair bundles, 12 cans of hair spray, 35 jars of hair adhesive, and 6,250 hair clips over the course of 11 days and two million naira (£2,000: $2,500) to realise her idea. With a look of surprise on her face, Williams said, “This is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
Williams acknowledged that even though she had eight years of expertise making wigs, the procedure was still difficult and left her physically exhausted.
But her determination kept her going as friends and family supported her. “I did not want to let them down, so I maintained my focus. The outcome is the longest hand-made wig in the world,” she said.
Once the wig was finished, the practical difficulty of measuring the large piece emerged. On July 7, Williams opted for a distinctive setting, placing her artwork along a highway that links the towns of Lagos and Abeokuta. This unusual environment made an already remarkable achievement even more complicated.
Williams’ accomplishment was formally acknowledged by Guinness World Records on Tuesday, cementing her legacy. She has put the world record wig on display at her workplace to showcase her incredible creation to the public, encouraging them to see her commitment to detail and talent.
This accomplishment joins a string of notable records achieved in Nigeria; Hilda Baci’s record for nonstop cooking was previously the subject of news. The recent record-breaking run, meanwhile, took a diversion a few weeks ago when Irishman Alan Fisher unseat Baci.
