A New York woman has just been crowned the Guinness World Records holder for the world’s largest afro on a living female, with a gorgeous fro that is 6 feet 2 inches in circumference!
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Jessica Martinez, 29, was crowned the Guinness World Records holder last week, but before Martinez, there was 49-year-old Aevin Dugas. We previously reported that Dugas held the title for over a decade, since first earning it in 2010. Her afro originally measured 9.84 inches tall, 10.4 inches wide, and 5.41 inches in circumference, setting the record for the largest afro on a living female.
This year, Dugas was named a Guinness World Records icon for having held the title for an impressive 15 years! And this November, Dugas graciously handed over her crown to Jessica Martinez.
“When I found out that Jess broke my record, these (doing a photoshoot together) are things that I asked for. Because I was like, I think I approached some in London about, ‘Can we do a photoshoot about the women of Guinness World Records,’ because I always wanted to pass it (her record), not just have it snatched out of my hand… I just felt like it was the perfect transition,” Dugas told Guinness World Records.
Martinez is the proud holder of the record today, but she would not have gone for the record if it weren’t for folks on social media who convinced her to. In an interview with Guinness World Records, Martinez said that at first, the idea felt like a pipe dream before she really considered it.
“What inspired me to attempt this record was actually the (natural hair) community. I had gotten on social media, and I had posted a video of my hair all big and fluffy, and a lot of people were saying, ‘Hey Jess, you should go after this world record attempt.’ At first, it just felt like this pipe dream… but then over time I really started to think about it and consider it… So I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to try it.’”
With an afro that measures 11.42 inches tall, 12.2 inches wide, and 6 feet 2.87 inches in circumference, Martinez can not be missed walking down the street with her beautiful record-holding fro.
Though Martinez has been crowned for her big and beautiful hair now, she didn’t always rock it with confidence, and she added in her interview that it took many years for her to transition from being relaxed.
“I remember I got to a point one day where I was done, I did not want to hear the sizzle, crack, pop of that flat iron on my scalp, on my hair. I told my mom, ‘No, I didn’t want to get my hair straightened…’ It took many, many years for my hair to continue to thrive, and I kept watering it and nurturing it, and now it’s gotten to the point that it’s so massively beautiful.”
Martinez also said that she hopes to inspire more people to wear their natural hair in every setting.
“I want to inspire people to wear their natural hair in the workplace more often,” she added. “I do it myself. I want people to know that natural hair is appropriate.”
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