Nigerian Wigmaker Sets New Guinness World Record For Longest Handmade Wig

A wigmaker from Lagos, Nigeria, Helen Williams, has secured her place in the Guinness World Records by creating the world’s longest handmade wig, measuring an astounding 351.28 meters (1,152 ft 5 in).

Helen dedicated 11 days and over two million naira (£2,031; $2,493) to craft this remarkable wig.

The GWR acknowledged her feat, by posting on it’s official “X” account, “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)”

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) 👏 pic.twitter.com/gwGdqjF8Wp

— Guinness World Records (@GWR) November 14, 2023

The meticulous process involved constructing the underlay with wig-cap netting and black fabric attached to a bicycle helmet. To complete the hairpiece, Helen used 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,” shared Helen. “My experience as a wigmaker helped a lot.”

Helen, is a professional wigmaker with eight years of experience. She produces impressive 50 to 300 wigs per week.

Despite her background, creating this record-breaking wig presented its own set of challenges.

“At some point, I felt exhausted,” she admitted. “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.”

While the biggest hurdle Helen faced was finding a suitable space for laying out the wig in a straight line for accurate measurement. Eventually, she chose the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway, a long road connecting the cities of Lagos and Abeokuta, to accomplish this.

Now, the extraordinary wig resides in Helen’s office, where she invites anyone interested to come and admire it “whenever they want to.”

Having grown up reading the annual Guinness World Records book, Helen expressed her joy at now being a record holder herself.

“This achievement is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I still cannot believe it.”