Brooklyn native Simone Williams broke the Guinness World Record for the biggest afro.
Williams told the New York Post that the previous record-holder, Aevin Dugis, inspired her to go for the title.
“I googled ‘world’s largest afro,’ and when she came up I was in awe,” Williams told Guinness. “At the time, I didn’t think my hair was anywhere close to hers, she was goals! But I was so happy to see that she was recognized and there was a chance for others to be recognized too.”
Dugis is a New Orleans social worker who held the title for eight years, with a ‘do that measures 4-foot-4-inches in circumference, the Post reported.
Williams was getting perms from middle school through college, but it took her nine years to grow the record-breaking natural hairstyle. “I chose to transition [to natural hair] at the age of 23. It began because I wanted to save money spent at the hair salon to help with the cost of moving into my first apartment,” Williams said.
She did admit that she doesn’t go to salons and “maintaining my afro can be a task, especially when it comes to detangling.” Williams washes her 1-2 times a week and it takes about six hours to dry because she doesn’t use heat to dry it.
Simone Williams described her hair to Guinness as a “statement piece.”
