The World's Longest Locs

They measure 19 feet, 6 inches long. When dry, they weigh four pounds. When wet, at least 10 pounds. Asha Mandela has the longest dreadlocks in the world, making her an official Guinness World Record holder.

For Asha, it's more than just a hairstyle. It is a way of life and an expression of self.

"When I started growing my locks, I suddenly became very overprotective of them, as I felt they beheld all my energy, wisdom, knowledge and understanding and my over all strength. So I twisted, groomed and maintained them for myself... to the present," she explained in a recent e-mail interview.

Caring for hair of that length requires a lot of time, and a LOT of products. Check out how many bottles of shampoo she uses to wash her hair!

Asha swears by Allways Natural Isogro Conditioning Hairdress and good old fashioned olive oil to massage and treat her scalp.
Look out for more YouTube videos from Asha. She promises a video detailing her hair-dying process next. I think Asha's locks are beautiful and inspiring and represent what the true meaning of locks are to those who grow them for spiritual reasons. It's so more than a hairstyle for many who grow them.

Do you wear locks? What are your views about your hair? Is it just a style, or is it also a spiritual expression for you?

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Black Hairstyles Through the Years

Wigs: The 1960s
The Supremes must have had a ball dressing in the latest fashions AND hottest hairstyles every time they stepped outside the door. They all wore top-of-the-line wigs, which gave them a different look every night.

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

The Afro: The 1970s
Angela Davis was the poster child for the Afro during the late '60s and '70s with a this perfectly coiffed orb o' hair. Davis said she had to put Tide detergent in hers to make it stand up just so. Afro pick!

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

The Flip: The 1970s
Natalie Cole is the perfect representation of the '70s here with the flip -- hair curled upward in layers made most popular by actress Farrah Fawcett. Her gold hoops and wide collar cement the look.

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

The Jheri Curl: The 1980s
Who could even think about the '80s without thoughts -- or shudders -- of the ubiquitous jheri curl? Everybody had a curl back then and the jokes about activator on pillowcases lasted much longer than the hairstyle ever did. Soooooooul Glow!

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

The Shag: The 1980s
We all sang the line "in my younger days I used to sport a shaaaaag?" The Pharcyde remembers and so do we! The uber-retro Kanye West even brought back the "black man's mullet" this year. Oh yes.

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

The High Top Fade or Box: The 1980s
With the rise of hip-hop in the mid-to-late '80s, a hairstyle rose right along with it -- the high top fade. Hair is shaped into a box shape (of varying heights) and the sides are gradually "faded" down. Will Smith was a man of the day.

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

Razor Cuts: The 1980s
Later in the '80s, the high top fade morphed into the skyscraper with accents cut in with a razor. By the end of this fad, people had faces, names and designs in their hair and eyebrows. Rapper Big Daddy Kane keeps his crispy fresh with a barber on staff.

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

Waves: The 1980s
Waves, such as the ones Tracy Morgan sports here, reached their peak in the '80s. The effect is gotten from grease, water, a brush and a doo-rag or scarf to lay the hair down in a pattern. If your hair was not naturally curly, Nu Nile or S-Curl was the way to go.

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

Fingerwaves: The 1980s
Fingerwaves, worn here by Keyshia Cole, were actually a reprise of yet another era -- the 1920s. This flat, to-your-head style, tended to be hard to the touch. Helmet city!

Black Hairstyles Through the Years

The Asymmetric: The 1980s
This hairstyle ruled the late '80s. Salt 'n' Pepa bust out with it in the 'Push It' video, and they pushed it to us in different colors even. Best. Hairstyle. Ever. Oooh baby baby!

Black Hairstyles Through the Years