Jessica “Jess” L. Martinez, a woman from New York, has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest afro on a living person (female). Her impressive afro measured 29 cm (11.42 in) tall, 31 cm (12.2 in) wide, and 190 cm (6 ft 2.87 in) in circumference, and she need three people to help her measure it.
Martinez is now the second person to hold this incredible title. The Rockland County, New York resident is an advocate for criminal justice, a content creator, and the Founder and CEO of her brand, “Somebody’s Auntie”.
She only recently decided to submit her recognizable natural hair for a Guinness World Record (GWR). This decision followed a surge of encouragement from social media users. The record attempt this year involved the careful, difficult measurement of every one of her curls.
“When I found out that I broke the record, I was actually in shock because it didn’t quite sink in yet, it didn’t quite feel real,” she told GWR. “But when I really started to process it, I was like ‘this is absolutely incredible,’ because the younger version of me would be so proud of myself.
“To see someone like me, with hair like this, in the Guinness World Records book, is just so absolutely incredible. It’s not something where as a child I knew what representation looks like, but I just knew I didn’t see a lot of this [points to hair] out in the media or in the public.”
“So I think it was one of those ‘on my gosh’ moments, like, ‘you did it!’” she continued. “And a part of me also felt proud of myself because I can do hard things, and this was a really really hard thing for me to accomplish.
“And so the fact that I stuck it through, even though I had a little bit of a rocky start, and I didn’t give up, it just makes me feel like I can do anything… It’s really exciting.”
As a kid, Martinez said she struggled to find a suitable routine for her natural hair. When her mother could no longer manage her increasing volume of curls, they turned to relaxers. These relaxers ultimately damaged Martinez’s hair, strained her mother’s finances, and negatively impacted Martinez’s self-esteem.
She felt “super embarrassed” by their financial situation and salon experiences. Stylists would damage tools or use two boxes of relaxers, claiming she had too much hair. Paying double made her feel “even worse.” Finally, she concluded the salon “was just not ever a comfortable space for me to be in.”
Martinez stopped professionally relaxing her hair in middle school but continued to straighten it until her freshman year of college in 2014. She decided to embrace her natural hair immediately, recalling a moment when she was “done” with the sound of the flat iron.
Her final silk press that year cemented the decision, as looking in the mirror reminded her of her younger self and felt inauthentic. “After that, I just went cold-turkey.”
Embracing her natural curls transformed Martinez’s self-confidence and outlook.
Earlier this month, she was joined by Aevin Dugas, who had held the record for largest afro on a female for 15 years. Dugas formally passed her title to Martinez during a special event for Guinness World Record (GWR) Day held at a New York City hair salon.
Dugas, a GWR ICON from Reserve, Louisiana, was the original title holder for this record, which she first set in 2010. Her achievement was later officially recognized with a certificate presentation for the largest afro (female) on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, in 2012. She was also inducted as a Guinness World Records ICON in 2025.
Her natural afro, currently measuring 25 cm (9.84 in) in height, 26 cm (10.24 in) in width, and 165 cm (5.41 ft) in circumference, stands as a testament to her inspiring messages on body positivity, self-love, and cultural acceptance.
“To be a part of the record-breaking community is very special, because I know GWR is very serious about their records,” she said. “So to be a part of it is another moment I don’t take for granted, because it really is a type of X-Men situation where 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!”
Despite her amazing 15-year run as the uncontested afro queen, Dugas admitted she used to wish she could pass the title to another fantastic woman. She even kept a crown from a 2020 photoshoot, just in case she got the opportunity to place it on the head of a new record holder one day.
“The thing is, I always wanted to pass it, not watch the thing get snatched out of my hand,” she explained. “So when the ICON thing happened… I just felt like it was the perfect transition.”
Dugas and Martinez had a photoshoot at the salon with GWR 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,” Martinez recounted. “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.”
Dugas advised her successor on careful stylist selection, citing the time and hidden costs of Black hair maintenance. She also highlighted the challenge of “afro math”—calculating cuts for the perfect afro size and style.
“I told her, as my mother would say, ‘keep people’s hands out your head, don’t let just anyone in your head’ – meaning don’t let just anyone style your hair,” Dugas said. “And it’s not anything more than [the fact] that not everyone can style natural hair.”
Both women offered valuable advice on Afro care. Martinez recommends maintaining length by avoiding tight braids, opting for low-tension styles like twists, and limiting gel or cream to prevent product buildup. Dugas attributed her success to a consistent routine and “the natural hair gods.”
“Something that I think is important to know is that everyone has the hair type that they were given at birth for a reason. And it’s acceptable, it’s professional,” said Martinez.
She added, “A lot of people don’t feel comfortable wearing their hair at prom, or on their wedding day, and different things like that, and I hope that people will see the beauty in natural hair and continue to show up like this and inspire young people. I also think that for youth, little girls and boys who have textured hair, I think that it’s really important that they can know that their hair is beautiful just the way it is.”
Martinez deeply values the wisdom and respect Dugas shared with her. As she embraces her new title and platform, she is committed to continuing their shared mission of fostering self-confidence and pride in Black hair.
“The advice I would give to Jess is to always live in the moment,” said Dugas. “Of course, when you’re doing the interviews and taking the pictures, don’t take it for granted because at any moment – and I think she knows this from having a bad haircut situation – it can be taken away for something as minor as a haircut.”
Both women, united by their passion for afros, share the conviction that now is the perfect time for people to pursue a world record.
“If you want to attempt a record, go for it! I like to say that I would much rather try and fail, than not to have tried at all,” Martinez advised.
They encourage anyone considering a world record attempt to “please get up and do it,” because, as they attest, it will introduce you to “a whole new world that you didn’t even know was possible.”
