The woman with the world’s largest afro dishes her haircare secrets

Last year, Simone Williams found herself as a Guinness World Record holder for the world’s largest afro. When measured, her hair came in at 20.5 cm tall, 22.5 cm wide, and 1.48 m in circumference. Now, Simone dishes on the perfect way to care for your afro.

Simone tells Guinness World Records that she started her natural hair journey just under a decade ago. She explains that instead of spending money on her hair, she wanted to put what she had into moving into her first apartment.

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"I started getting perms or straightening my hair in middle school and wore my hair straight until college. I chose to transition [to natural hair] around the age of 23. 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,” Simone explains. "The process was very difficult at first since I was accustomed to wearing my hair straight and I didn’t know how to manage my natural hair texture."

After months of practice, Simone finally found her groove and discovered the perfect way to care for her afro. "I normally wash my hair weekly using very little sulfate free shampoo,” Simone explains. “I use a lot of conditioner because it helps detangle my hair. I section my hair into 4 twists while in shower."

Once she is done washing her hair, Simone says that she uses a hair moisturiser and olive oil gel before re-twisting her hair into about 8 smaller twists before letting her hair air dry.

Simone admits that it took her some time to fall in love with her natural hair but could not think of wearing her hair any differently today. "When my hair is fully styled and big and voluminous I get a lot of stares, a lot of comments, lots of compliments – 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," Simone explains.

She adds "Rocking a natural ‘fro is something that really symbolises your pride in being Black. And I feel like whenever I wear my hair very big and beautiful, I just feel that pride within me. Styling my hair like this is a silent reflection of who I am as a Black woman, it’s dynamic, it’s larger than life, and it’s fun! Sometimes I leave the house and if I have on a plain outfit, my hair will be my biggest accessory. From the beginning my natural hair has been a journey. I most definitely see it as my statement piece."

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With so much experience, Simone has the perfect piece of advice for those wanting to start their natural hair journey. "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 says. “I only use 3 products religiously and sometimes try a new product once in a while. Don’t think what works for someone else, is going to work for you!"

Carol is on a mission to find KZN’s biggest and most fabulous afro. Tweet photos of your afro using the hashtag #CarolOforiOnECR and tag @ecr9495.

Image: Instagram