{"id":1123984,"date":"2025-12-17T18:38:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T15:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1123984"},"modified":"2025-12-17T18:38:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T15:38:01","slug":"this-is-how-the-woman-with-the-worlds-largest-afro-retains-her-length","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1123984","title":{"rendered":"This Is How the Woman With the World’s Largest Afro Retains Her Length"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hair<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This Is How the Woman With the World’s Largest Afro Retains Her Length<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Plus, more tips from pros for growing long curls and coils.<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Annie Blay-Tettey<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Courtesy of Chad Barrett<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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As someone who has long struggled to grow my 4C hair past my shoulders, long natural hair has always been aspirational. So, when one of my co-workers announced that the Guinness World Record for the biggest afro had been awarded, I scurried over to record holder Jessica Martinez\u2018s Instagram page. There, I found post after post featuring Martinez\u2019s voluptuous curls, often brushed out into a poufy \u2018fro that takes up the bulk of the frame. In real life, her afro measures 11.42 inches tall, 12.2 inches wide, and 6 feet, 2.87 inches in circumference\u2014which is about the size of a large beach ball.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t help but wonder: How\u2019d she grow her hair so long? While my goal isn\u2019t record-breaking length, I could definitely benefit from a few tips on how to grow and retain long healthy curls. A heart to heart with Martinez revealed that her approach, like that of many hairstylists, is to treat her scalp like a garden and her hair as its blooms: \u201cIt\u2019s all about creating a good environment for hair to grow,\u201d she tells me over Zoom.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Karl Jean Baptiste<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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As simple as that sounds, there are still quite a few hurdles Black women face when trying to grow their hair\u2014one of the main ones being the misconception that natural hair can\u2019t grow long. Los Angeles-based hair colorist and co-founder of Highbrow Hippie Kadi Lee theorizes that this stigma exists because \u201cthe beauty industry doesn’t show many examples of healthy, long natural hair, which quietly reinforces certain ideas about textured hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Carolina-based hairstylist Maya Smith says the way natural hair behaves also plays a role in this stigma. \u201cShrinkage [which refers to how tightly curls form] contributes to the illusion that our hair is short,\u201d says Smith. \u201cWith un-manipulated hair, it\u2019s often hard to get an accurate visual of someone\u2019s actual length.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, external factors like heat and chemical damage play a role in how long your hair can grow. But in general, both stylists and Martinez agree that consistency and low manipulation are key in growing long natural hair. Ahead, the experts share their tips for growing your curls and coils while keeping as many inches as possible.<\/p>\n

Know that protective styles don\u2019t always equal protection<\/h2>\n

\u201cA surprising amount of people seem to misuse protective styles,\u201d says Smith. \u201cProtective styling does not mean tuck it away and forget about your hair for the next three to six weeks.\u201d Smith explains that your hair will absolutely dry out if you do this.<\/p>\n

Keeping your style in for two months isn\u2019t a crime, but be sure to moisturize and even cleanse your scalp if you can. Whitney Tolpinrud, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Curology medical director suggests using an anti-fungal shampoo with ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, or zinc pyrithione, which help clarify the scalp. Mizani Scalp Care Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains pyrithione zinc, plus peppermint oil and cucumber oil, which can be soothing. An apple cider vinegar cleanser like R+Co Lost Treasure Apple Cider Cleansing Rinse can also help clarify the scalp when you’re wearing a protective style. Pharm to Table Scalp Relief Tea Tree Leave-In Conditioner and Camille Rose Mint Condition Spray contain tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and aloe which can help relieve itchy scalps.<\/p>\n

I love braids as much as the next Black girl, but I have recently come to terms with the truth that braids aren\u2019t the best protective style for me due to the tension they put on the scalp. \u201cI often see individuals with textured hair struggle to grow it long because the hair has been over-manipulated with constant restyling, overuse of hot tools, and only giving their hair small breaks from protective styles,\u201d says Lee. \u201cThis all creates unnecessary breakage.\u201d Dr. Tolpinrud echoes this, adding that this sort of damage can lead to traction alopecia, which is hair loss caused by repeated pulling or tension on the hair, often from tight hairstyles worn over time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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For Martinez, completely cutting out styles like box braids, wigs, and weaves was essential to her hair growth journey. \u201cI limit my styles to super low-tension. I would even call them no-tension,\u201d says Martinez. The content creator relies on styles like simple plaits (she puts her hair in two braids after each wash day), mini twists, the occasional half up half down style, and, of course, her signature afro.<\/p>\n

Keep wash days simple<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re less likely to be consistent with a routine that you don\u2019t enjoy or can\u2019t find time for\u2014which is why Martinez simplified her routine. When first learning how to do her hair, Martinez recalls, it would take \u201cforever.\u201d \u201cIt took me many hours to do all the things. And then I decided to get rid of all the steps that I hate and just focus on the things that I need,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

According to Lee, what every person with textured hair needs on wash day is a deep cleanse, a deep conditioning treatment, and a leave-in product. For her part, Martinez uses a prescription 2% ketoconazole shampoo for her seborrheic dermatitis, Aussie 3 Minutes Miracle Curls Detangling Deep Conditioner, Mielle Organics Kalahari Melon & Aloe Vera Deep Hydration 2-Minute Deep Conditioner, and Pattern Detangling Nectar. She washes her hair once a week, and she\u2019s able to maintain that cadence because she doesn\u2019t dread it.<\/p>\n

Manage your expectations<\/h2>\n

Breakage is bound to happen from every day wear and tear\u2014even to those with the most resilient strands. Martinez says she sometimes experiences a little breakage when she wears her hair in a half up half down style\u2014at which point she doesn’t \u201cfreak out about it.\u201d \u201cI’m not like, \u2018Oh my God, I need this miracle hair product,\u2019\u201d says Martinez. \u201cIt’s like, \u2018No, okay, girl, maybe don’t wear your hair like that for the next few weeks because you done messed up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Many haircare brands market creams and oils that claim to grow hair and while some can help, they can\u2019t replace the basics of a consistent, nourishing hair care routine, says Smith. Martinez warns against falling for the trap that any one product can grow your hair (especially if it claims it can do so quickly).<\/p>\n

Part of Martinez\u2019s hair growth journey has involved patience and making peace with the fact that even though her hair can break world records, it won\u2019t always behave or grow the way she wants it to.<\/p>\n

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Discover more natural hair tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  • I Tried Olaplex’s “Curl Bonding” Salon Treatment to Define My 4C Curls<\/li>\n
  • 15 Hairstyles for Long Natural Hair That Aren\u2019t Just Wearing It Down<\/li>\n
  • Your Favorite Protective Style Might Actually Be Causing Your Hair Loss<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    Now, watch The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ entire beauty routine:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

    Source URL: https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/natural-hair-growth-tips<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hair This Is How the Woman With the World’s Largest Afro Retains Her Length Plus, more tips from pros for growing long curls and coils. By Annie Blay-Tettey December 17, 2025 Courtesy of Chad Barrett As someone who has long struggled to grow my 4C hair past my shoulders, long natural hair has always been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1123985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[52],"class_list":["post-1123984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-allure-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1123984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1123985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1123984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1123984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1123984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}