A brand-new record breaker with the world’s LARGEST AFRO takes the crown!
Inside a New York City hair salon, two amazing women with INCREDIBLE hair sat like queens in their stylist chairs.
It was a special moment of celebration as Aevin Dugas passed the crown for the world’s largest afro on a woman to the newest record holder, Jessica “Jess” Martinez (both from USA)!
Can you believe those afros? WOW!
Aevin passed over the title she held for 15 years directly to her successor Jess but, despite the occasion, there is absolutely no feeling of competition between them – just smiles and laughter, as the 2 women became fast friends bonding over their shared experiences and awesome hair.
It’s fun to celebrate other people’s wins!
“What I hope people will think when they see [us meet] is that at the end of the day, I love myself, she loves herself, and we’re both just trying to get people to love themselves,” Aevin told us.
“It’s not a competition, it’s literally all love.”
Well said, Aevin!
Aevin – who is from Gonzales, Louisiana – made history in 2010 when she first broke the record, with her natural curls currently measuring an amazing 25 cm (9.84 in) tall, 26 cm (10.24 in) wide, and 165 cm (5.41 ft) in circumference.
“To be a part of the record-breaking community is very special, because I know GWR is very serious about their records,” she said. “[…] y’all have all these superheroes in a book with all these different things that they do, and mine is big hair… so I love that.
“It’s like we all have our special powers!”
Do you have anything in your looks or personality that stands out? THAT’S your special power!
And even though Aevin had been the queen of the afro for 15 years, she always hoped she’d one day pass the crown to another amazing woman.
She even saved a sparkly crown from a photoshoot back in 2020, just for that special moment!
So the day that Aevin and Jess finally met was truly a day of celebration, joining each other for a photoshoot at a salon in November with our Official Adjudicator Michael Empric.
“Meeting Aevin is just such a joy. I feel like she is the same online as she is in person – a lot of personality,” said Jess. “I just feel so blessed that I get to meet her and that she gets to be a part of this experience, because that makes me feel even more proud of myself and it feels like a special moment.”
Jess, who comes from Rockland County, New York, decided to apply for the record after many of her social media followers encouraged her – but the process was not an easy one, as it required lots of hard work measuring ALL her curls.
Is your hair long or short, straight or curly?
After she had 3 people help her with the tape measure, her hair came out to be 29 cm (11.42 in) tall, 31 cm (12.2 in) wide, and 190 cm (6 ft 2.87 in) in circumference, making her the new record holder of the largest afro.
The distance around her afro is approximately 3 times the height of the world’s shortest woman, Jyoti Amge!
Before applying for this record, Jess spent years not truly loving her natural hair and instead trying to change it, until…
“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, and on my hair. And I told my mom no, I didn’t want to get my hair straightened… And eventually, I stopped wanting to straighten my hair at all,” she told us.
And she never looked back…
These 2 amazing women’s story is proof that loving yourself just the way you are is the best superpower!