Ayanna Williams of Houston in Texas, USA, has been growing her nails for more than 20 years.
When Guinness World Records measured them earlier this year, they had a combined total length of 576.4 cm (18 ft 10.9 in).
The nails on her left hand are longer than her right, measuring a total of 326.5 cm (10 ft 8.5 in) compared with 249.8 cm (8 ft 2.3 in).
It takes Ayanna up to 20 hours – and two bottles of nail polish – to paint her tremendous talons.
When she’s not painting her own fingernails, Ayanna is giving manicures to clients as she works as a nail technician.
In order to protect them, she avoids washing dishes and sleeps with them resting on a pillow.
Ayanna became the record holder for the Longest fingernails on a pair of hands (female) after Chris “The Dutchess” Walton (also USA) cut her own nails, which had grown to a total length of 731.4 cm (23 ft 11 in).
Asked whether she has any plans to cut her nails in the future, Ayanna says: “They’re a part of me so they’re here to stay!”
Ayanna’s longest individual nail is on her left thumb, and measures 68 cm (2 ft 2.7 in). This is longer than the Shortest man ever, Chandra Bahadur Dangi, at 54.6 cm (1 ft 9.5 in; see p.70).
Commenting on her incredible title, she says: “I cannot wait to see my picture in the Guinness World Records 2018 book”.
Make sure to pick up a copy of the brand new Guinness World Records 2018 Edition to read more about the world’s most extraordinary and iconic record holders. The book is out now in the US and Canada and launches in the UK and Ireland tomorrow.
