The real reason why woman with world's longest nails hasn't cut her fingernails in 27 years

You might have heard the saying, "Healing is not linear", and this is the case for the woman with the longest fingernails in the world.

A woman living in Minneapolis, USA, Diana Armstrong has set a record for the longest fingernails on a pair of hands, measuring 1,306.58 cm (42 ft 10.4 in) as of March 13, 2022.

Her fingernails are longer than a standard yellow school bus. Diana has been growing her fingernails for over 25 years.

The previous record was held by Ayanna Williams, who cut them off. Diana also holds the record for the longest fingernails on a pair of hands ever, breaking a 2008 record held by Lee Redmond.

Why she hasn't cut her nails in 27 years

Diana was devastated by a horrific tragedy that left her family heartbroken. Since 1997, she had not cut her nails and vowed never to trim them again.

The day her life changed, she was at the grocery store when her youngest daughter called in a panic, informing her that Latisha, her 16-year-old daughter, had passed away from an asthma attack.

Latisha had a special bond with Diana, as she was the one who took care of her nails every weekend. She filed and polished them, and Diana cherished those moments.

After Latisha's death, Diana refused to let anyone else cut her nails. Growing them out became her way of honouring her late daughter's memory.

Her grief led to deep depression, and when her family asked why she refused to cut her nails, she explained that it was her way of keeping Latisha's memory alive.

Diana finds it difficult to perform any task with her hands and frequently uses her feet to open the refrigerator or pick up clothes.

Her long nails used to lay outside the car window, and she has given up driving. She finds it difficult to pick up anything off the floor.

Diana also stays away from zippers since she finds it difficult to wear her nails down. Her hands are hard for her to use properly because of her lengthy nails.

Her story just tells us how grief can fundamentally change who we are.