For 25 years, Diana Armstrong has been working toward attaining a noteworthy accomplishment. The Guinness World Records claimed that she had set the record for having the longest fingernails on both hands and fingernails overall.
As of March 13, Armstrong’s nails measured 1.3 meters long, which is longer than the combined length of a school bus.
Armstrong’s right thumb is the longest of her nails, measuring 1.4 meters long.
Her left pinky, on the other hand, is 1.1 meters long. According to her, she has been growing her nails for over two decades now, and last cut them in 1997 after her daughter Latisha died due to an asthma attack.
Armstrong said that the incident made her feel sad and hopeless.
Although she has always had long nails, she attributed her unusual condition to her daughter, who always helped with their polishing. She also noted that her kids tried convincing her to tone down her nails, but she refused.
She eventually got the acceptance of her family after she told her kids about her secret.
One of her daughters, Rania, said that growing out her fingernails was her mom’s way of keeping her sister in her thoughts. For over a decade, she had been struggling with depression.
According to Rania, Armstrong used to be a hairdresser before becoming a stay-at home mom following the death of her daughter, Tisha.
After her extreme fingernails reached their natural length, she said it took her around four to five hours to paint each of them. She only gets them done once or twice a year.
Armstrong said the process involves around 15 to 20 nail polish bottles, as well as a filing tool. Since it’s challenging to paint her nails on her own, she often enlists the help of her grandkids.
She also uses her feet to open the refrigerator and pick up clothes.
According to Armstrong, her long fingernails have rendered it almost impossible to carry out certain tasks, such as dropping money on the floor.
She also gave up driving due to her fingernails’ length, and they would sometimes rest outside the vehicle’s window.
Armstrong avoids zippers as her nails can be difficult to maneuver with.
She has learned to accept the attention she gets when she’s out with her nails in full view.
When she heard that her fingernails had been recognized by the Guinness World Records, she didn’t believe it.
Mike Marcotte, a representative of the Guinness World Records, said during the presentation of Armstrong’s certificate that she was overcome with emotion.
She said that her long fingernails were the last thing she grew. Armstrong also stated that she has no plans of cutting them anytime soon.
The previous record holder for having the longest fingernails on women’s hands was Ayanna Williams.
Before she intentionally cut them off, she held the record for having the longest nails.