Q: What’s the longest human body hair, not found on the head, which has been plaited into a tough rope capable of supporting, if needs be, the weight of a Jack Russell? 

Asked by: Eli Bowes 

Most people wouldn’t consider hair growth a skill, seeing it more as an uncontrollable bodily function. But for a few the sprouting of hair follicles is a way of life, a way to express their inner self, to show the world that they are special and deserve attention. Otherwise known as getting into the Guinness World Records.

Caring for an ever-increasing lock of hair is no strange or unfamiliar task for Joseph P. Hundock, who boasts the world’s longest and strongest armpit hair. Hundock realized his destiny lay in the hands of his underarm carpets when he was very young.

‘To the amazement and disgust of my mother, I started growing armpit hair at the age of 9. It was a difficult time in my life, I hated school and I was bullied a lot,’ (Hair Roar Stories 1997).

After years of torment and endless bullying Hundock decided to leave his home in the small quiet town of Ringwood and head into the nearby New Forests National Park, where he evaded police search parties for weeks.

‘It was on my thirteenth birthday, after weeks of hiding out in the forest and not having access to my trimming scissors that I realized that this hair wasn’t a curse but given to me by God. I didn’t come from a very religious family but I guess being sleep-deprived and hungry can do strange things to you. However I decided that day that I would show off my armpit hair and not hide it anymore. I knew who I was,’ (Hair Roar Stories 1997).

Hundock’s rise to fame soon followed as at the age of 15 the Guinness World Records recognized Joseph as having the world’s longest armpit hair. After appearing in the following 1979 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, Hundock started to receive fan letters from all over, some containing invites to events and offers for sponsorship.

‘I rode the wave of success and attention for about 5 years, living off my fame. I even had an agent for a while. But it all ended and I had to take up a part-time job in the local supermarket. I knew that I was destined for greater things and that’s when I hatched the plan to stage a major stunt,’ (Hair Roar Stories 1997).

Hundock decided to perform a grand stunt that would turn out to be his last public appearance. After weeks of preparation and a huge amount of promotion, a stage was erected in the city centre of nearby Bournemouth. At 10pm on the 12th June 1990 Hundock climbed a five-story ladder, watched by a crowd of 200 people and local news camera crews. Strapping himself into a purpose built harness, he dangled his now 20 metre long underarm hair down to the stage below. The lights and music died, and the crowd grew silent as the tension reached a climax. Suddenly a spotlight highlighted a previously unnoticed open window in a nearby building. Two young teenage girls dressed in leotards leaped through the opening to gasps of shock from the audience below. The young gymnasts gripped hold of Hundock’s locks in mid-air and went on to perform a 20 minute acrobatic routine, before the weight became too much and one of the locks gave way. Lisa Kimbles fell 6 metres to the stage below, breaking a leg and fracturing a rib. 

The event hit the national press, but for all the wrong reasons, and Hundock returned to the New Forest where he is still hiding to this day. His only ventures to the outside world include popping out for the odd blog interview, trips down to the local free wifi sharing café to tweet about the life of a Guinness World Records holder, and the trails and tribulations of having such very, very long armpit hair. Imagine washing it all!

Sadly this is a fictional story and none the above characters or storyline are true (no matter how much I close my eyes, clench my fists and wish it so). The closest anyone has ever come to growing hair strong enough to support a small dog in recorded history is Xie Qiuping from China. Qiuping started growing her hair at the age of 13 and it has now reached a length of 5.627m.