Woman makes recordbreaking wig longer than seven olympic swimming pools 20231116 p5yx26.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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This was published 2 years ago

Woman makes record-breaking wig longer than seven Olympic swimming pools

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A woman from Lagos, Nigeria, has entered the record books after weaving a handmade wig that measures 351.28 metres in length.

Professional wigmaker Helen Williams spent more than two million naira (about $3800) and 11 days making the wig, which is longer than seven Olympic swimming pools.

Williams first made the underlay using wig-cap netting and black fabric fixed to a bicycle helmet, before using 1000 bundles of hair, 12 cans of hair spray, 35 tubes of hair glue and 6250 hair clips to complete the piece, according to a statement from Guinness World Records.

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Professional wigmaker Helen Williams has been making wigs for eight years and produces 50-300 per week. Guinness World Records

"Finding the materials to make the longest wig was not an easy task," said Williams in the statement.

"My experience as a wigmaker helped a lot."

She has been making wigs for eight years and produces 50-300 per week.

"I have trained hundreds of students and have made thousands of wigs," said Williams, although her record-breaking endeavour still proved difficult.

"At some point, I felt exhausted.

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"The journey is a very rough one," Williams said. Guinness World Records

"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."

Given its size, Williams found it difficult to find a space to lay out the wig to be measured. She eventually managed to do so along the highway between Lagos and the city of Abeokuta.

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Now, the wig is kept in her office, available for people to admire "whenever they want to", she said.

"My advice to everyone out there is: dreams are attainable," Williams said.

"However, the journey is a very rough one."

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