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Five minutes with Troy Polamalu and his hair – Metro US

Five minutes with Troy Polamalu and his hair

You don’t have to know football to know of one player’s hair. Laid strand by strand, end to end, it would span 100 football fields. It set a Guiness World Record for the “Highest Insured Hair,” starred in two commercials, and even has its own website, troyshair.ca.

In an exclusive interview, Metro spoke with Troy Polamalu, the man beneath the ’do, about his infamous locks.

How does it feel to have your hair take on a life of its own?
Honestly, I could never envision something like this. It started off as a grungy stage in college, where I didn’t really care what I looked like. I just let my hair grow — and all of a sudden it really has taken on a personality of its own.

Was your hair an important part of your identity before university?
Culturally, Samoans have always had long hair. Hair’s always been a big part of any great warrior society. Samuri warriors, Spartans, American Indians … I guess I grew it out as part of a subconscious thought of being Samoan.

When was the last time you had it cut?
About seven years ago, which coincided with the first time I met my wife (Theodora); I haven’t cut it since.

You’re a guy, but I hear you really like Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky.
When I was growing up, my family always had Head & Shoulders, and it just worked out that now I still continue to use it. I use Smooth & Silky, but what I use more than anything is the conditioner.

It helps with controlling frizz. My hair gets pretty crazy — if I didn’t use (the conditioner) it would probably get dreaded up.