Woman who holds world record for longest dreadlocks carries them in baby sling

The sight of Asha Mandela's hair is like something out of a movie, hardly believable until you get a second look. At 55 ft., 7 in., one of her dreadlocks is longer than the length of a bus. The rest of them officially measured 19 ft., 6 in. in 2009 for the Guinness Book of World Records, though they are longer now. They weigh a whopping 39 pounds.

While one might question the logic behind such an amazing feat, Mandela grows her dreadlocks as part of a "spiritual calling." And despite being told by doctors that she has a curvature of the spine and a weak neck, which may one day result in paralyzation, she continues to grow her hair.

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"My hair has become part of me. It is my life. I will never cut it," the 50-year-old mother from Atlanta, Georgia tells the Daily Mail. "Cutting it would be like taking my life."

Mandela started growing her dreads 25 years ago and credits them with helping her overcome cancer, two strokes and two heart-attacks.

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It takes her two days to wash and dry her hair and it can get easily trapped in doors or snagged on bushes. She has to put it into a baby sling when she leaves the house.

And as for her sex life with her husband, she claims the dreadlocks spice things up in the bedroom.

With a Facebook fan page sporting over 3000 likes, Mandela has developed a loyal following. She has even developed her own line of hair care products.