Guinness World Records
There are some Guinness World Records that are particularly popular and well-known – you might recognize Lee Redmond’s name from old Guinness World Records books – the American hasn’t trimmed her fingernails since 1979, and held the record for the longest fingernails on a pair of hands (female) until she tragically lost them a few years ago.
There are lots of ways to get great nails, but to look after her nails, Redmond uses warm olive oil as well as various other liquids, as it’s of course more difficult to keep them in top condition. The longest her nails reached were a combined 8.65m, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The Utah grandma was involved in a car crash and lost her nails as a result. However, she managed to save them – telling a witness about her nails who then went around collecting them – and still keeps them at home as a memento.
Longest Fingernails Ever
Redmond no longer holds the current record for longest fingernails, as this honor goes to Ayanna Williams, but she does continue to hold the record for the longest fingernails ever. “It was just a challenge to myself to see how far they would go before they started twisting out of shape… I kept setting dates and dates that I was going to cut them and I just couldn’t do it… it’s strange how they become part of you,” Redmond explained, “I think my fingernails defined me to a lot of people, I was known as the fingernail lady but to me I would have to explain to them there really is more to me.”
Curiously, there were a few things that she couldn’t do due to her nails. This included going to the toilet on an airplane, as she didn’t fit into the cubicles. Hence, she didn’t consume any food or drink for 24 hours before taking a long flight. However, she could still carry out household chores and look after her grandchildren, so her long nails didn’t have a huge impact on her life.
For more bizarre stories, check out some of our other posts!