She may not threaten the mark for longest hair, but a Florida woman is banking that 8-feet, 9-inches will get her the world record for longest dreadlocks. Asha Mandela, 46, has nurtured “her baby” since shaving her head two decades ago, the Orlando Sentinel reports. “You don't believe it until you measure it, really,” said a man who witnessed the measuring, per Guinness World Records directive.
Mandela’s dreads—which take a full bottle each of shampoo and conditioner to wash, and so much effort she only does it once a week—are far from the 18-foot, 5.54-inch mark for longest hair, but long enough to feel confining at times. “As much as I love it, I get frustrated with it,” she said. “But then I realize I'd feel naked without it.” (More dreadlocks stories.)