Guinness World Records is famous for having some pretty strange records. Typically, when one speaks about breaking a record, they are referring to running the furthest or holding their breath the longest. However, Guinness Records has a record for almost anything. One woman has won the record for having the longest fingernails. When she revealed her reason for growing them so long, her children finally understood.
She broke the record for the longest fingernails
Diana Armstrong is 64 years old, and she officially has the record for the longest fingernails in the world’s history. Guinness World Records awarded the certificate after measuring them at a combined length of 42 feet and 10.4 inches long. To put that into perspective, Lebron James is 6 feet and 9 inches tall. That makes Diana’s nails six times longer. Furthermore, they are so long that it takes her grandchildren two days to paint them. They go through two dozen bottles of polish.
In an email to Huff Post, Diana said: “I’ve always had long nails, but not to this extent. Even when I was little, I always had longer fingernails. My mom always grew her nails, so I always had nails like my mom.”
Initially, Diana hung up on Guinness World Records, thinking it was a prank. “I thought someone was playing a joke on me, I really did, so I hung up on them,” she said. But she finally accepted the call. Following some advice given from her daughter. “Then two or three days later, I told my daughter about it, she said, ‘Mom you should take their phone call,’” said Diana.
Mike Mercotte, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records praised Diana for being great to work with. He spoke of her patience while multiple people took her measurements to see if she truly does have the longest fingernails. “Diana was a treat to work with,” said Mike. “Being extremely patient as I, accompanied by health experts, took official measurements and verified information, a process that took a considerable amount of time.”
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Diana’s reasons
At first, Diana’s children did not understand why their mother refused to cut her nails for so long. People would make negative comments about them, Diana admitted to Fox 9, and she would end up staying at home most of the time to avoid being ogled at. There were the occasional compliments from strangers, but most people just stared. “Some people say, ‘Ooh, they are so beautiful.’” she said. “Then other people make faces, so I stay in the house most of the time.”
It was only after Diana decided to tell her children why that they understood why it was so important to her. Diana’s other daughter, Latisha, tragically passed away 25 years ago in 1997. She had an asthma attack in her sleep. Latisha and Diana shared a close bond. Latisha was the only one who did her mother’s nails. She would polish and file them for her. The day before Latisha died, she had buffed and polished Diana’s nails.
From that day on, Diana could not bring herself to cut them off. It was what kept her daughter close, even after death. “Anytime I thought about cutting them off, it gave me chills like I’m going through that grief all over again. I didn’t want to go through that again, so I just kept them. It’s like keeping her close to me,” said the longest fingernails record holder.
When Diana received the certificate for having the longest fingernails, emotions got the better of her. “I think she would be proud of me because she’s the last one who did my nails,” she said, referring to her late daughter. “That’s who I think of when I grow my nails, is my daughter.”
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Sources
- “Woman With Longest Fingernails Ever Grew Them Out For A Heartbreaking Reason” HuffPost. August 2, 2022.
- “Minnesota woman sets record for world’s longest fingernails” Fox9. August 2, 2022/
- “US woman with 42-foot fingernails breaks record for longest ever” Guinness World Records. August 2, 2022.