When you hear of hairballs, you typically imagine cats, dogs and other animals. However, because of a medical condition called ‘trichophagia’ or Rapunzel Syndrome, there are some people who actually eat their own hair. In this article, you will learn records regarding hairballs, balls of hair, and longest beards in the world.
Largest Human Hairball
The hairball that comes out of a human with Rapunzel Syndrome, is called a ‘trichobezoar” and it has to be surgically removed when it increases to a detrimental size. The largest human hairball that has been removed to date weighed 10 pounds and was taken out of the stomach of an 18-year-old woman who was treated at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois in 2007.
Longest Dreadlocks on a Female
Dreadlocks are a hairstyle comprised of matted coils of hair that originated in North Africa. As for the longest dreadlocks, Asha Mandela of the United States grew her hair in this style until it reached more than 19 feet long. In 2009, The Early Show on CBS featured Mandela in New York City when she had a professional unknot and measure her dreadlocks.
Long Beards
The last time Vivian Elaine Wheeler of the United States had her beard measured was in 2000. The hair on her chin measured 11 inches long. Wheeler goes by the name of Melinda Maxie, which is used when she performs as a sideshow. Ever since the age of 8, Wheeler has been in and out of the circus scene.
The man on record for having the longest beard is Sarwan Singh of Canada, who had the hair on his chin measured in 2010. At 7 feet 9 inches long, he holds the record for the living person with the longest beard. Singh is the head priest at the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey, Canada.
Longest Mustache
In March of 2010, the record for longest mustache was set by Ram Singh Chauhan of India, which measured 14 feet.
Largest Ball of Human Hair
Some people collect rubber bands to create a ball, while Henry Coffer of the United States has been gathering human hair to add to his giant hairball. His collection started more than 50 years ago, where it reached a weight of 167 pounds in 2008. The circumference of the hairball was 14 feet. Coffer was in the right business to start his habit of collecting hair, as he is a barber from Charleston, Missouri. Coffer started saving hair at the request of a customer. Over the years, he has also found some pretty ingenious ways to put hair clippings to use , ranging from gardening to patching potholes.
One Hairy Family
Mexico has seen five generations of a family that suffers from hypertrichosis , also known as ‘werewolf syndrome.’ Nearly 19 family members had the condition, including the men and woman. Men grow thick hair that covers every inch of their body, excluding the feet and hands. Women develop a light to medium coat of hair.