- Just try and beat the size of this ‘fro.
Some time back, we brought you the story of an 8-year-old boy who was crowned the Mullet Champ USA. If you’d like more hair-related stories, this one’s for you.
The afro is one of the most recognizable hairstyles in the world. The poofy ball of hair is a symbol of both Black heritage and the funky disco decade that was the 1970s.
The hairstyle has adorned the noggins of many famous people, from Frederick Douglass and Jimi Hendrix to Diana Ross and the members of the Jackson 5.
Some of these celebrity heads are renowned for the size of the afro that crowns – or crowned – them. But now, one woman from Brooklyn has blown them all out of the water.
Her name is Simone Williams. As of December 2, she officially sports the largest female afro in the world, as certified by the Guinness World Records.
And what an afro it is! According to the record, Williams’ afro measures at a respectable 8.07 inches in height and 8.85 inches in width.
In circumference, her hair falls just short of 5 feet, at 4’10”. It sure is one impressive sight at Williams walks down the street, as demonstrated on her Instagram video.
Williams takes her astounding afro seriously, too.
“For many years, black women have been wearing their hair as it grows from their scalp as a symbol of freedom and liberation,” she said on the video.
“I too feel that freedom, liberation, and confidence when I walk out of the house with my natural ‘fro,” Williams added.
‘My Biggest Accessory’
And when she walks out, she’s hard to miss. Williams told Guinness World Records that she often gets comments from strangers on the “size of her voluminous afro”.
As far as getting bothered by strangers on the street goes, we suppose that’s one of the more harmless kinds you can get.
“When my hair is fully styled and big and voluminous I get a lot of stares, a lot of comments, lots of compliments,” Williams said.
“I want to think that everything is positive, but there are some people who stare like they have no idea what’s going on or what they’re looking at.”
But Simone doesn’t let the occasional bewildered gawker stop her. She said that to her, “rocking her natural ‘fro” is a way for to express pride in who she is as a Black woman.
“Styling my hair like this is a silent reflection of who I am as a Black woman,” Williams explained.
“It’s dynamic, it’s larger than life, and it’s fun! If I have on a plain outfit, my hair will be my biggest accessory.”
The One Who Came Before Her
When asked what inspired her to grow her hair into the magnificent puff that it is, Williams doesn’t hesitate to answer. Her one hairstyle hero is the previous record holder, Aevin Dugas.
Before Williams dethroned her idol, Dugas held the record for the largest female afro in the world for eight years. And she was no lightweight in the afro game – Dugas’ hair was had a circumference of four feet and four inches.
Clearly, Williams had her aims set high when she embarked on her afro journey nine years ago.
“[Dugas] inspired me to make the attempt. I googled ‘world’s largest afro’ and when she came up I was in awe,” Williams said.
“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.”
Williams said the she began to straighten her hair in middle school and wore it straight all the way through to college. When she decided to go natural with it at the age of 23, she was initially motivated by practical reasons.
“It began because I wanted to save the money spent at the hair salon to help with the costs of moving into my first apartment,” she said.
At first, after years of wearing her hair straight, she was at a loss of how to manage it. But after months of practice, the difficulties disappeared and Williams now loves her new look.
She says that she had to give up wearing hats and needs to keep an eye out for low-hanging tree branches, though.
Tips from the Pro
If Williams inspired you the same way Dugas impressed her, you might want to try and beat her in her own game. To anyone intending to grow a sizeable afro, Williams has some choice advice.
“Always be patient with your hair. It’s a process and every day is not going to be a perfect hair day. Research and learn what works best for your hair type,” she explained.
Maybe there’s some kind of a magical haircare product that she can recommend? Unfortunately, no.
Williams uses only three products to take care of her hair. In the shower, she uses a bit of sulfate-free shampoo to wash it. Afterwards, she puts on a hair moisturizer and olive oil gel to maintain her hair.
And that’s it. But she wants to remind you that her routine might not be the right one for everybody.
“Don’t think what works for someone else, is going to work for you!” she says.