Hair Care Tips From a Woman Who Can Dangle Herself By Her Ponytail

Via the BBC, the story of a Guinness World Record-holding circus performer whose hair can lift 117 pounds:

Joanna Sawicka’s occupation is one in which split ends or excessively dry hair could result in a ripped scalp. So how do you care for such locks?

“Two bottles of conditioner a day” is the answer, and she also “conditions her hair at least five times a day when on the road,” and does her act with wet hair.

With each hair able to hold a weight of up to 3.5oz (100g), using each strand to maximum effect is the key factor in avoiding an intensely painful accident. “The way I distribute the weight on my hair is very particular,” she says. “It takes about half an hour for me to brush my hair around evenly and then to find the point on my head on which all the hair is pulling at the same angle and with the same tension. Otherwise, any hair that is tangled-up or uneven will pull out, which makes it more painful. After that it takes about 45 minutes for two guys, including my husband to plait my hair like a rope.”

I had never heard of “hair hanging” as a form of performance, but apparently it originated in China, with male performers. And apparently, despite the workout her hair gets with every performance, the ludicrous conditioning works: Ms. Sawicka “has no split ends.” [BBC]