After almost 30 yrs, woman with world’s longest nails broke her own record, and then cut them

After breaking her own record for the longest nails on a pair of hands (female), which she set in 2017, Ayanna Williams has cut off her nails. The record holder has been growing her nails since the early 90s and penned her name in the Guinness book of records when the nails reached 18 ft 10.9. Before getting them cut over the weekend, Williams’ new record was 24 ft 0.7 inches.

The Texan native visited Dr. Allison Readinger of Trinity Vista Dermatology in Fort Worth, Texas who used an electric rotary tool to cut the nails that have been groomed for 28 to 29 years.

“I have mixed emotions about my babies going,” she said about her nails. “I’m so, so ready for a new life. I know I’m going to miss them, but it’s just about that time – it’s time for them to go. I’m just about tired of them so it’s time for them to go,” she told People.  

When it was at its previous record, it took 20 hours to manicure the nails and more than two bottles of nail polish each time to get them glammed up. Before cutting them, Williams used more than three to four bottles and a day or two to manicure her nails.

She knew it was time to let go of her nails because she could barely do the simple things in life such as doing the laundry or washing the dishes and had to calculate every move before making them.

“With my movements, I have to be very, very careful. So usually in my mind, I’m already preparing for the next step that I have to do to make sure that I don’t hurt myself with my nails – or break them,” Williams revealed. “I’m excited about cutting my nails because I’m looking forward to new beginnings.”

Her knuckles are now relieved, and she is loving her new look. Williams, with or without her nails, said she is still the Queen she was when she had her record-breaking nails. She is excited that a piece of her will be exhibited at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum in Orlando, Florida.

“With or without my nails, I will still be the queen. My nails don’t make me, I make my nails!” she said emphatically to Guinness World Records.

According to LA Times, even with her title holding record, she never got round to beating the record for longest fingernails on a pair of hands ever (female) in history’s record. Lee Redmond still retains the title for her nails which grew to 28 ft 4.5iches until they broke in 2009 in a car accident.