Diana Armstrong, an American from Minnesota (USA), has broken the world record for the longest female nail according to the Guinness World Records, made official this month. Taken together, the North American’s nails are 13.06 meters long. The decision not to cut is related to the death of one of the daughters.
Diana’s longest nail is on her right thumb at 1.38 meters and the shortest on her left pinky finger at 1.09 meters. To paint her nails, she usually has the help of her grandchildren every four or five years and uses around 15 to 20 bottles of nail polish and a carpenter’s tool.
Due to the size of her nails, the American needed to develop skills with her feet as she had some limitations with her hands. She uses her feet to pick up clothes from the floor or open the fridge. And he’s already given up driving and unzipping/unzipping clothes.
Despite the restrictions, she said in an interview with the Guinness Organization that she has no intention of cutting her nails. Even if it was about money:
— I think my nails are pretty. They might not be to someone else, but they are to me,” Diana said.
According to the Guinness organization, Diana last trimmed her nails in 1997. She stopped doing it 25 years ago because of the death of her daughter Latisha. When the girl was 16 years old, she suffered an asthma attack in her sleep and could not resist.
My [outra] Daughter called me and said ‘mom, Tisha won’t wake up.’ That was the worst day of my life,” said the record holder.
It was Latisha who did her nails every weekend.
“She was the one who did my nails. She sanded and painted for me. She got my nails done the night before and we were up all night so I just couldn’t get my nails trimmed afterwards.”
After her daughter’s death, Diana’s life wasn’t just changed by her nails. She also told the Guinness interview that she struggled with depression for about 10 years.
Growing her nails was a way for her to keep her late daughter alive in her mind and body.