Beauty
Jess Martinez Sets New Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Afro
Jess Martinez now officially holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest afro, a title that reflects her confidence and advocacy for natural hair visibility.
Photo Credit: Jess Martinez/Instagram
Jess Martinez has secured a place in the Guinness World Records as the woman with the World’s Largest Afro, earning the title after her hair was measured at 29 cm tall, 31 cm wide and an impressive 190 cm in circumference. The New York–based advocate and content creator said the moment didn’t feel real at first, but quickly became one she’ll never forget.
Jess is only the second woman to ever hold this title, following Aevin Dugas, who first set the record in 2010 and became a Guinness World Records ICON in 2025 for her work around body positivity and natural-hair acceptance. With this new recognition, Jess now joins that legacy of women whose hair journeys have shaped global conversations about culture, identity and representation.
Away from the spotlight, Jess works as a criminal justice advocate and runs her brand, Somebody’s Auntie. For years, people in her online community urged her to submit her afro for the record, eventually convincing her to attempt it—though it required precision, patience and multiple hands to get every curl measured.
Her relationship with her hair hasn’t always been easy. Growing up, managing her natural curls was overwhelming, and salon visits often left her feeling discouraged. Jess recalled how relaxers were used to make styling easier, only to damage her hair further and affect her confidence.
Over time, she returned to her natural texture and slowly saw her curls come back to life. As her hair flourished, so did her sense of self, and eventually her mother transitioned to locs after witnessing Jess embrace her own hair journey. That transformation led her to this milestone moment.
Speaking about the achievement, Jess said, “When I found out that I broke the record, I was actually in shock because it didn’t quite sink in yet… To see someone like me, with hair like this, in the Guinness World Records book, is just so absolutely incredible.”
She added, “A part of me also felt proud of myself because I can do hard things… And so the fact that I stuck it through… just makes me feel like I can do anything.”
Jess shared the news on Instagram, calling her afro a symbol of her commitment to showing up as herself without compromise. She also hopes her win inspires others to embrace natural hair confidently, challenge stereotypes and continue pushing against hair discrimination.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
