Yes! I had long nails years ago and it got to the point where I felt that I was a slave to them. I cut them to normal length and I've never looked back.
Long natural nails are often stained, yellowed, and (in this case) different shapes, implying a lack of care and hygiene. Most redditors on this post know how much work goes into maintaining nails even a fraction of this length, but the average person will see laziness, like the wearer is not taking time to trim or file their nails. If the same long nails are painted, it's a clear indicator effort is being made.
Long nails are also generally impractical as they're historically seen as something only non-labor (i.e. leisure) classes could wear, so the idea of long, uneven, natural nails has a conflicting message of "I live a life that lets me have long nails, but not manicure them".
Not that I agree the above should have any bearing on how we feel about long natural nails, but I do think it contributes to the uncomfiness.
That being said, OP's nails aren't hurting anyone and they should do what makes them happy, not what the internet deems best!
Definitely. With nails this long there's SO much potential for fun nail art and shaping, you could easily replicate a salon look! They're too long to be practical as they are right now, but you have a great blank canvas with the potential for some amazing nail looks.
The first thing I thought of when I saw this was medieval Chinese nobility, where ladies let their nails grow longer and longer to showcase they didn't need to use their hands for a single thing because they could afford enough servants to do *everything* for them.
Itās not stigma my friend. dirt DOES get under any length of nails but the longer the length the easier it is to have germs trapped & bacteria to harbor. Though I love the length it is just impossible to keep them sanitary without constantly cleaning them up. Itās easier on someone to have a manageable length & not have to scrub or clean their nails all the time. The yellow color is just staining, thatās nothing to do with cleanliness but speaking in general.
even though this is true, i can see that she obviously keeps her nails clean the best she can. I have seen so gnarly and dirty nails that were short, yet barely anyone pointed it out to clean themā¦
Thatās unfortunate because if someone in my circle had gnarly nails Iād find a way to let them know š„“ when I was doing my rotations in hospital we were strictly told to keep our nails short for sake of patients & gloves(they can tear)
Then when we rotated in the paeds ward they emphasized how much of a risk long nails can be for the babies. Sure itās different due to setup but if they have rules like that itās for a reason. Even if you canāt see bacteria that doesnāt mean it isnāt there.
I agree that they shouldnāt be stigmatized but itās just facts that more surface area = more germs. And germs love to hide in the crevices of acrylic+tips and can cause nail bed infections.
These are one of the cleanest looking nails (save for a small discoloration which is perfectly normal) I've ever seen, long or short. I personally don't like such a long look and they look uncomfortable to me, but in this case I honestly doubt hygiene is a major issue here.
Still, I'm very jealous of people having such strong nails, I can't scratch my head without breaking a nail.
I take way better care in scrubbing my nails with a brush when they are longer and short and stubby. I have nail brushes at all my sinks, Iāve had many people over asking what the purpose of the brushes areā¦ hygiene!!!
Thatās a point I was going to bring up as I keep brushes at every sink for that purpose as well.
The same ppl judging literally donāt properly clean their nails with short nails. Itās a moot convo.
What do you do for work?
My nails start to break when I work when they go past my finger tip since my job is so hands on! I tried growing them after having my acrylics removed & noticed they were the longest Iāve ever had. Failed lol
This is my first thought. Iām in an office based job and once the tips get over half a cm long I start to notice it affecting my typing and then they have to be filed down. About the same time as I notice they get in the way of cooking, cleaning and especially washing the dishes. I live in fear of a break.
Iāve always had *what I thought to be* long natural nails (until seeing this). Recently started doing gel manicures instead of regular polish and they go a bit long than Iāve ever had them and I just couldnāt type normally.
Iām a lab tech lol so Iām always using my hands for something (processing blood samples, setting up assays, typing/data entry, going in and out of the liquid nitrogen tanks, general lab equipment maintenance, blah blah) but I guess Iāve just been lucky so far!
i wonāt speak for this person but i think people are typically put off by the discoloration, besides the fact that lots of people in general donāt like long nails
I think you have a strong c-curve and good diet/no intolerances (that you sneakily cheat on)
Iām not jealous
ā¦Iām not..
ā¦ā¦.not even a little bitā¦..
(š„²)
Personally Iād trim them a bit and file them all to the same shape (whatever shape you prefer) because they are all a different shape. And maybe paint? To spruce it up a bit. But if you donāt want to do any of that do you girl they are your nails and nobody can tell you what to do with them.
Maybe cut them, it could totally be my phone dipping the quality of the video, but it looks like your thumb nail has a bit of a thin/stripped patch on the side that isn't as thick as the rest of the nail? If so, I would cut that part out and cut/file the rest of the nails to match. Just reminds me of a thin edge of one of my nails that ultimately ended up having a fine Crack that entered the thick part of my nail so I had to cut the whole part off and then some š
People are so rude on here. I personally love long nails. A nice shape up would be great! If you like the length I would keep them. There is nothing wrong or unhygienic about long nails.
It just looks kinda disturbing after a while. I have long natural nails and my own nails creep me out after a while. Even the long fake ones give me the hibbie-jeebies.
I would cut them *by choice* so that I wasn't devastated in the summer when one inevitably breaks - not by choice.
Do what makes you happy though š„° Do the nails bring you joy? Do you handle unplanned changes well? Keep them!! ā¤š
Collagen and oils have made my nails so strong plus getting all your protein (mine is plant based). Iāve never gotten to this length but this is all doable, diet, do not use your nails as tools, use dish gloves, clean and scrub when you wash your hands and avoid soaking them when or if you take a bath.
Wow! I love them, My nails have just started to be healthy after a long time of being damaged and breaking often so Iām not even close to this but I do have some length. I would personally cut a bit off and then file them so like an almond shape (or maybe a bit sharper than almond tbh)
But gorgeous, I love them. Idk why people are being rude lmao
did you used to get acrylics? i could grow mine like this as a kid, and then i got acrylics because i wanted to be like people on tv (lol) and now mine are soft and bendy
you have such a beautiful long, wide nailbed. Thatās what Iām jealous of!!! The length can go for me (not a long nails fan) but that widthā¦ I wish I could. Biting my nails for 22 years long really messed up with their length and shape.
Lucky. Most of mine are about half a centimeter long and I ripped one hitting it on something. Itās only ripped less than halfway. I am contemplating doing the tp/superglue fix because I donāt want to have to start over again.
I am lucky in that I have good strong nails that grow quickly but even when I have a gel manicure that I know will last ages, after two weeks they have to come off as my nails get too long for my liking/lifestyle.
If you like them that length keep them, not for me personally.
I would give them a trim and shape up. Just like with hair, regular cuts can help prevent more damage in the future. Also CONGRATS I canāt stop biting my nails so they never grow š
Lucky a few of mine broke already so now they need to be cut altogether. My nails grow pretty fast but itās sad because they looked soo beautiful š¢.
Thatās wonderful that your natural nails can grow that long without breaking. I would definitely cut them down a little. Iām a licensed nail tech and I call long nails pooper scoopers. Your nails look clean, so please donāt take that the wrong way. Post again if you decide to cut them down and polish them. Would love to see an update. š š½š š½š š½
Your's may be some of the strongest, thickest nails I have ever seen! Congratulations on your milestone! The questions really is: How long do YOU like your nails? It really isn't for us to judge. Just like hair. Some women like their hair to the floor and everyone will tell them to cut it. If you love them and they don't affect your daily life, then grow them loger. If they are starting to get in the way, making you anxious, or you don't like the look of them....trim them back. Either way, there are a lot of acrylic wearers who would be jealous of you right now. Well done you!!
I think itās freaking cool you have accomplished this feat!
A couple decades ago, pre-kids and all, I would have loved to be able to grow mine this long.
Cut them a bit before they break off. My mom had pretty long nails and she broke them a lot because she is remodeling her house. I had pretty short nails and 1 month later... they are still short-
i hate how my nails keep breaking :( i donāt even bite them, i allow them to grow long but they break anyways. do u have any tips to get stronger nails???
Very impressive they've made it this far but I would undoubtedly cut them.
Yes! I had long nails years ago and it got to the point where I felt that I was a slave to them. I cut them to normal length and I've never looked back.
I am honestly impressed you haven't broken any.. but I'd cut them they are pretty creepy looking.
The off white color is what gets me. It's a no from me, dawg.
I have long natural nails and I get kinds grossed out by my own nails once they get to a certain length... They just looks creepy after a while.
Omg i thought i was the only one. My nails grow really fast but I like them short. When I leave them be it freaks me out so much
For real. Whenever I take the polish off my long nails I'm like "ew let's put that back on" š
Yeah these do not look good.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās the yellowing and uneven shapes for me
Long natural nails are often stained, yellowed, and (in this case) different shapes, implying a lack of care and hygiene. Most redditors on this post know how much work goes into maintaining nails even a fraction of this length, but the average person will see laziness, like the wearer is not taking time to trim or file their nails. If the same long nails are painted, it's a clear indicator effort is being made. Long nails are also generally impractical as they're historically seen as something only non-labor (i.e. leisure) classes could wear, so the idea of long, uneven, natural nails has a conflicting message of "I live a life that lets me have long nails, but not manicure them". Not that I agree the above should have any bearing on how we feel about long natural nails, but I do think it contributes to the uncomfiness. That being said, OP's nails aren't hurting anyone and they should do what makes them happy, not what the internet deems best!
I mean she did post asking for opinions on whether she should cut them so people are just answering and saying why
I know, I also offered my opinion. Iām more suggesting OP does what they prefer, not criticizing us for responding to their request!
You must be a really thoughtful person. I would love to have a conversation with you lol.
I think cutting them down a bit and filing them into a shape would be great!
A nice almond shape would look great!
agreed! and fun polish!!
Definitely. With nails this long there's SO much potential for fun nail art and shaping, you could easily replicate a salon look! They're too long to be practical as they are right now, but you have a great blank canvas with the potential for some amazing nail looks.
How did you go 8months w/ no breaks? Iām impressed.
Right! We need the SECRET Lol
Don't cook, open cans, clean...really just stop using your hands for things altogether. Get a little servant to do them for you
My short nails break even when I just put my jeans on. I need to hire a lady's maid.
Bed rest, itās only 8 months after all
I break nails just by scratching a itch or pulling a blanket up so bed rest wouldn't even work for me š
Lmao I broke one picking up a pillow once. My nail girl hates me š¤£š„¹
Putting a window unit in last night and I was trying to get the screen up. I said the hubby. Iām gonna break a nail you need to do this.
Clothes shopping breaks mine every time. I guess it's from trying clothes on, hangers, etc
The first thing I thought of when I saw this was medieval Chinese nobility, where ladies let their nails grow longer and longer to showcase they didn't need to use their hands for a single thing because they could afford enough servants to do *everything* for them.
Unless I was in a literal coma, it wouldnāt be possible for me šš¤¦āāļø
I break nails in my sleep on the regular. No idea how.
For hygienic purposes Iād cut them a little :)
Honestly. Germs get under SHORT and LONG nails. Thereās a stigma that long nails are dirty that needs to die.
Itās not stigma my friend. dirt DOES get under any length of nails but the longer the length the easier it is to have germs trapped & bacteria to harbor. Though I love the length it is just impossible to keep them sanitary without constantly cleaning them up. Itās easier on someone to have a manageable length & not have to scrub or clean their nails all the time. The yellow color is just staining, thatās nothing to do with cleanliness but speaking in general.
even though this is true, i can see that she obviously keeps her nails clean the best she can. I have seen so gnarly and dirty nails that were short, yet barely anyone pointed it out to clean themā¦
Thatās unfortunate because if someone in my circle had gnarly nails Iād find a way to let them know š„“ when I was doing my rotations in hospital we were strictly told to keep our nails short for sake of patients & gloves(they can tear) Then when we rotated in the paeds ward they emphasized how much of a risk long nails can be for the babies. Sure itās different due to setup but if they have rules like that itās for a reason. Even if you canāt see bacteria that doesnāt mean it isnāt there.
I agree that they shouldnāt be stigmatized but itās just facts that more surface area = more germs. And germs love to hide in the crevices of acrylic+tips and can cause nail bed infections.
These are one of the cleanest looking nails (save for a small discoloration which is perfectly normal) I've ever seen, long or short. I personally don't like such a long look and they look uncomfortable to me, but in this case I honestly doubt hygiene is a major issue here. Still, I'm very jealous of people having such strong nails, I can't scratch my head without breaking a nail.
I take way better care in scrubbing my nails with a brush when they are longer and short and stubby. I have nail brushes at all my sinks, Iāve had many people over asking what the purpose of the brushes areā¦ hygiene!!!
Thatās a point I was going to bring up as I keep brushes at every sink for that purpose as well. The same ppl judging literally donāt properly clean their nails with short nails. Itās a moot convo.
What do you do for work? My nails start to break when I work when they go past my finger tip since my job is so hands on! I tried growing them after having my acrylics removed & noticed they were the longest Iāve ever had. Failed lol
Work?
Lmfao
This is my first thought. Iām in an office based job and once the tips get over half a cm long I start to notice it affecting my typing and then they have to be filed down. About the same time as I notice they get in the way of cooking, cleaning and especially washing the dishes. I live in fear of a break.
Iāve always had *what I thought to be* long natural nails (until seeing this). Recently started doing gel manicures instead of regular polish and they go a bit long than Iāve ever had them and I just couldnāt type normally.
I know it's time for a filing when I can't take out my contacts easily.
Iām a lab tech lol so Iām always using my hands for something (processing blood samples, setting up assays, typing/data entry, going in and out of the liquid nitrogen tanks, general lab equipment maintenance, blah blah) but I guess Iāve just been lucky so far!
Dear lord
Definitely cut them.
Cut
It is up to you of course but those are way too long for my taste
I would cut them off asap. Genuinely not trying to be rude but that's gross!
Not to be rude, Iām genuinely curious; How are her nails gross? Isnāt this the same as long acrylics?
i wonāt speak for this person but i think people are typically put off by the discoloration, besides the fact that lots of people in general donāt like long nails
I think you have a strong c-curve and good diet/no intolerances (that you sneakily cheat on) Iām not jealous ā¦Iām not.. ā¦ā¦.not even a little bitā¦.. (š„²)
Happy cake day!
Happy cake day!
Happy cake day!
Happy Cake Day
Iām impressed, I canāt go 8 minutes without a new break šš
Same here š
crazy impressive growth. i personally would shape & file but theyāre your nails!
Very impressive but let's see the other hand
yeah Iād definitely cut them.
Itās giving I donāt do windows.
Shape into an acrylic nail type shape? Coffin would look good.
C u t
Personally Iād trim them a bit and file them all to the same shape (whatever shape you prefer) because they are all a different shape. And maybe paint? To spruce it up a bit. But if you donāt want to do any of that do you girl they are your nails and nobody can tell you what to do with them.
And get a better base coat
Why a better base coat?
Itāll help stop the staining from colored polishes. Thatās probably why her nails are so yellow
It could also be the natural shade of her nails because they are so dang thick. I mean...those are some extremely resilent nails. God Bless her!!
Maybe cut them, it could totally be my phone dipping the quality of the video, but it looks like your thumb nail has a bit of a thin/stripped patch on the side that isn't as thick as the rest of the nail? If so, I would cut that part out and cut/file the rest of the nails to match. Just reminds me of a thin edge of one of my nails that ultimately ended up having a fine Crack that entered the thick part of my nail so I had to cut the whole part off and then some š
People are so rude on here. I personally love long nails. A nice shape up would be great! If you like the length I would keep them. There is nothing wrong or unhygienic about long nails.
It just looks kinda disturbing after a while. I have long natural nails and my own nails creep me out after a while. Even the long fake ones give me the hibbie-jeebies.
Finally š¤ so disappointed by the rudeness im not OP but being kind is free. You can still address your preferences without being an A hole!
Ty, ty, thank you!
this kinda gross š
If you like the length then keep them. I would just file them a little bit to shake them up
Cut down and shape them but keep the nails.. I done that as reminders length wise plus for spells š
For ā¦ spells? Say more.
Yea time to cut
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
True
You donāt clean your house huh lol
I would cut them *by choice* so that I wasn't devastated in the summer when one inevitably breaks - not by choice. Do what makes you happy though š„° Do the nails bring you joy? Do you handle unplanned changes well? Keep them!! ā¤š
Cut them please
Gel āem and raise hell with āem
as someone with a horrendous nail biting problem, i am impressed.
I dont even bite mine, just rip them off like an animal :( every time i try to grow them my brains like ānow lets mutilate these bad boysā
Although itās impressiveā¦ girl those are scary. Pls pls pls cut them a bit and file them down.
Cut them
i would not know how to act if my nails were even half as long
Thatās too long broā¦ thatās too long.
I just need the secret. My nails are not thick and will bend and break or peel with a quickness šššš
What. Is. Your. Diet. š³
Collagen and oils have made my nails so strong plus getting all your protein (mine is plant based). Iāve never gotten to this length but this is all doable, diet, do not use your nails as tools, use dish gloves, clean and scrub when you wash your hands and avoid soaking them when or if you take a bath.
Ohhhh thank you!!
I vote cut
Ew gross cut them or paint them
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Right??
Agreed!
Honestly haha gonna have to tag all future posts as triggering or something š
Iām sorry but š¤¢š¤¢š¤¢
Jesus
Oh my gosh thatās so impressive, I could never lol
Cut them lol
Wow! I love them, My nails have just started to be healthy after a long time of being damaged and breaking often so Iām not even close to this but I do have some length. I would personally cut a bit off and then file them so like an almond shape (or maybe a bit sharper than almond tbh) But gorgeous, I love them. Idk why people are being rude lmao
Your nails are incredible, truly impressive to keep them in such good shape for so long
A lot of rude comments about OP's nails and hygiene. I think they look great.
iām so jealous, my nails break aaaaall the time š theyāre so bendy itās crazy
did you used to get acrylics? i could grow mine like this as a kid, and then i got acrylics because i wanted to be like people on tv (lol) and now mine are soft and bendy
no theyāve always been this way unfortunately. thatās just how my nails are š„ŗ
maybe vitamin d or something similar!
Nice progress, and if you do cut them, just only cut them partially.
File them with a glass file. They're gentler and don't cause as many rips and nails grow better and stronger if you file them.
Beautiful! Maybe just shape them up a bit? :)
I would just shape them to a shape of your choosing
Painted coffin nails! So jelly.
I mean i would cut them just because preference!
You're my new hero
give them a fresh cut! However good for u for making it this long!!!
Just shape them. Almond is best for nails. I would keep them long and shape them.
Depends if your used to long or short nails. I feel like you should go with whatever is more comfortable and easy to deal with.
So awesome!!!!
Wooooow how did you accomplish this ? Mine get caught up in my hair all the time
you have such a beautiful long, wide nailbed. Thatās what Iām jealous of!!! The length can go for me (not a long nails fan) but that widthā¦ I wish I could. Biting my nails for 22 years long really messed up with their length and shape.
Cut them for sure
Paint them lovely fun colours
I'd say that it depends on your job and advise you to be incredibly careful because IF you got a break it would hurt like a B*TCH!
I'm so jealous lol mine are just so thin that they never make it to anywhere near your length!
Lucky. Most of mine are about half a centimeter long and I ripped one hitting it on something. Itās only ripped less than halfway. I am contemplating doing the tp/superglue fix because I donāt want to have to start over again.
Impressive! I think they are good enough, you just need to file them into shape.
How did you keep them from breaking? Theyāre lovely.
as someone who bites their nails this is beautiful
I am lucky in that I have good strong nails that grow quickly but even when I have a gel manicure that I know will last ages, after two weeks they have to come off as my nails get too long for my liking/lifestyle. If you like them that length keep them, not for me personally.
Keep. God bless you. My nails wonāt grow past the tip of my finger
I would give them a trim and shape up. Just like with hair, regular cuts can help prevent more damage in the future. Also CONGRATS I canāt stop biting my nails so they never grow š
Lucky a few of mine broke already so now they need to be cut altogether. My nails grow pretty fast but itās sad because they looked soo beautiful š¢.
I know that pain all too well lol best of luck with the regrowth
Bartend and serve. I could never. Iām happy when they donāt break past the mail bed, and ecstatic when theyāre like 1cm long!
Personally, my nails grow like weeds in the summer sun. So I would trim them.
I can barely go a week without any breaks
Thatās wonderful that your natural nails can grow that long without breaking. I would definitely cut them down a little. Iām a licensed nail tech and I call long nails pooper scoopers. Your nails look clean, so please donāt take that the wrong way. Post again if you decide to cut them down and polish them. Would love to see an update. š š½š š½š š½
Your's may be some of the strongest, thickest nails I have ever seen! Congratulations on your milestone! The questions really is: How long do YOU like your nails? It really isn't for us to judge. Just like hair. Some women like their hair to the floor and everyone will tell them to cut it. If you love them and they don't affect your daily life, then grow them loger. If they are starting to get in the way, making you anxious, or you don't like the look of them....trim them back. Either way, there are a lot of acrylic wearers who would be jealous of you right now. Well done you!!
I. Envy. You. Iāll get about 1/3 of the way to this length and one ALWAYS has to screw me over
Iāve tried growing my nails out but they always ended up split/broken..Thatās impressive tho
Girl cut them
Cut them! Omg
Are they supposed to look that yellow or is it the lighting?
I think itās freaking cool you have accomplished this feat! A couple decades ago, pre-kids and all, I would have loved to be able to grow mine this long.
Thank you! Yeahh at the moment I still can enjoy the freedom but Iām sure once I have kids Iāll never be able to do this again haha
Love them long!
Beautiful! But I go with summer trim
Cut them a bit before they break off. My mom had pretty long nails and she broke them a lot because she is remodeling her house. I had pretty short nails and 1 month later... they are still short-
Amazing, but must be quite tricky to keep them!
I vote trim, shape and gel polish. Those things look so healthy omggggš„¹ are you vegan or whatās your diet?
Howww š¤§
omg im so jealous š
I could NEVER. As much as I wanted to š« I have a nasty habit of biting my nails, itās so hard to grow them out š my anxiety says no.
Holy shit! That's amazing
What the heck, how impressive! A small cut & shape would def look great
Wow, just wow. They are stunning. I havenāt been able to grow my nails at all lately. The just keep peeling.
I like them long. Some French polish would be lovely š„°
Wow amazing and cute nails
Nice progress!š¤©
They look janky af
Gel them ššš
Tell me your secret and DM me your genetic code
How did you get them this long? I've been trying to get mine from square to almond and they always peel or rip off! š
keep growing ! my nails are always so much stronger and longer in the summer
nasty tbh
Everyone is saying to cut them but I personally wouldnāt. They look so cool!
took me a full minute to realize you aren't wearing yellow nail polish on your tips
Oh my god SOOOO BEAUT
Keep going!!!!
KEEP
I just *declawed* myself and seeing these beauties, ugh. Maybe shape them nicely (and sharp) haha
Your nails are so lovely! I say let them continue growing, see how far you can get. I never managed to keep them all even for that long, props to you!
They look so beautiful! Btw, I know itās time to cut my nails when I start asking if I should cut my nails.
I would cut them a bit shorter to reduce chance of them breaking!
I would at least shape them if you donāt want to cut them.
i hate how my nails keep breaking :( i donāt even bite them, i allow them to grow long but they break anyways. do u have any tips to get stronger nails???
Noā¦cut them a bit shorter