17-year-old didn’t cut his hair for 15 years. Now, he breaks a Guinness World Record
It takes one South Dakota teenager an hour and a half every morning to get his hair ready for the day.
First, he takes 20 minutes to shampoo and condition, then lets it dry for one hour. Finally, he uses the remaining 10 minutes to brush and braid his hair.
Why does it take the 17-year-old so long? It’s because his hair is 5 feet and 3.3 inches long.
Reuben Looks Twice Jr. is from Rapid City and the new Guinness World Record holder for the longest hair on a male teenager.
His lengthy locks haven’t been cut since he was 2 years old, he told Guinness World Records.
At first, his parents let his hair grow because he was scared of the clippers. As Looks Twice Jr. grew older, his Native American tribe’s tradition inspired him to keep his long hair.
“Culturally, Lakota people have long hair. It’s part of our Nagi (spirit). It’s who I am,” he told Guinness World Records. “I feel proud to represent my family and the Lakota Nation.”
Looks Twice Jr. took the record from Sidakdeep Singh Chahal of India, whose hair flowed 4 feet and 9.5 inches, officials said.
The world record measurement was taken at a hair salon. Looks Twice Jr. washed and brushed his hair before laying it out on the table to measure, photos show. Three separate measurements averaged together gave the teen the official record.
Looks Twice Jr. could establish another Guinness World Record when he turns 18, officials said.
Currently, no one holds the record for longest hair on a living man. Looks Twice Jr. said he doesn’t plan to cut his hair, officials said, meaning he could soon own the record.
The teen of the Ogala subtribe of the Lakota said he hopes his new record will “make my family and tribe proud,” he told officials.
Though he loves his long locks, he said they can sometimes get caught in car doors or shower knobs. Regardless, world record officials say his hair has inspired others to grow out their own.
“It’s exciting to hold this record,” he said.
The longest hair on a teenager ever was 6 feet and 6 inches by Nilanshi Patel of India. She cut her hair in 2021 and donated it to a museum, according to officials.
The longest hair on a man extended 26 feet. Swami Pandarasannadhi in India set the record in 1949, officials said.
Rapids City is about a 345-mile drive northwest of Sioux Falls.
This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 11:27 AM with the headline "17-year-old didn’t cut his hair for 15 years. Now, he breaks a Guinness World Record."
