The person whose dreadlocks are the longest in the world has opened up about her life. The 62-year-old Asha Mandela declared to the Guinness Book of World Records that she will “never-ever” cut her hair, having grown it out for over 40 years.
Her record-breaking dreadlocks are an incredible 19.5 feet long. Asha can’t wear her hair up for longer than two hours because of its considerable weight, so she keeps it in a bag while she walks to avoid it dragging on the ground.
“I dislike the term ‘dreadlocks,’ as my hair is in no way dreadful.” She said, “I refer to my hair as my cobra or my royal crown of love.”
Asha claims that although people frequently believe her hair is unclean or unhealthy, this is not the case. She clarified that she knew she wanted to be able to wash her roots quickly, which is why she went with smaller locks. Asha, who resides in the USA, devotes a lot of effort to maintaining her hair.
At night, she even puts them in a bun and gives them cuddles while kissing them. “The best advice for healthy hair is to love and care for it—kiss it and give it lots of attention,” she continued. If someone chooses to develop dreadlocks, I would advise them to take care of them like a plant. It will wither and develop improperly if you don’t give it any water or nutrients.
Asha acknowledges that her journey to develop hair started with a spiritual experience: “I started having dreams, or what some might call visions, where a giant cobra would appear and speak to me, telling me that I was chosen.” After we were married, my husband Emmanuel—a professional stylist from Nairobi, Kenya—became my cobra coach.