Caleb Foster
The world record for the longest fingernails belongs to Shridhar Chillal of Pune, India, whose thumbnails measured 6.5 feet long. Chillal's nails cumulatively measured about 30 feet long. He started growing his nails at the age of 14 and cut them in 2018, after 66 years. Another notable mention is Lee Redmond of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, who held the record for the longest fingernails on a pair of hands for females from 2008 to 2022. Her nails measured 28 feet and 4 inches long.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the person | Shridhar Chillal |
| Age | 82 years |
| Location | Pune, India |
| Time taken to grow nails | 66 years |
| Length of the longest nail | 6.5 feet or 197.8 centimeters |
| Combined length of all nails | 30 feet or 9 meters |
| Current status | Cut off and displayed at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in New York City |
| Other record holders | Lee Redmond, Diana Armstrong |
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What You'll Learn
Shridhar Chillal's left thumbnail measured 6.5 feet
Shridhar Chillal, born on January 29, 1937, is an Indian man from Pune, India, who held the world record for the longest fingernails ever grown on a single hand. He started growing his nails at the age of 14 after being scolded by a teacher for accidentally breaking his long nail. Chillal's nails continued to grow for an impressive 66 years, with his left thumbnail being the longest, measuring 197.8 centimetres, or approximately 6.5 feet.
Chillal's fingernails were a source of pride for him, and he travelled to the United States to have them professionally removed using a power tool at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York, in July 2018. The removal ceremony attracted a lot of attention, and his nails were carefully preserved and put on display at the museum.
The total length of Chillal's nails, when last measured in November 2014, was an astonishing 909.6 centimetres, or 29 feet and 10.1 inches. This length is comparable to the length of a London bus, according to Guinness World Records. Chillal's left thumbnail, which was the longest individual nail, stood out at 197.8 centimetres, firmly establishing his world record.
While growing his nails, Chillal experienced some challenges and physical limitations. The weight of his nails caused disfigurement of his fingers and loss of function in his left hand. He also attributed the immense weight of his nails to nerve damage in his left arm, which resulted in deafness in his left ear. Despite these difficulties, Chillal was able to lead a normal life, having a career as a photographer, getting married, and raising two children.
Chillal's decision to grow his nails to extraordinary lengths was certainly unique and resulted in a world record that stood for many years. His story serves as a testament to the capacity for human perseverance and the pursuit of distinctive passions.
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Lee Redmond's right thumbnail grew to 2 feet 11 inches
Lee Redmond, of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest fingernails on a pair of hands (female). She spent 30 years growing her nails, starting in 1979. At their peak length in 2008, her nails reached a combined total length of 8.65 metres (28 ft 4 in).
The longest individual nail was her right thumbnail, which grew to a staggering 90 cm (2 ft 11 in) long. According to Lee's doctor, her nails contained enough nutrients for her to survive for three months if she had been trapped in a bunker during a nuclear strike.
Lee's nails grew out in huge extended arches, likely due to her careful daily manicure procedure. She spent hours treating her nails with warm olive oil and applied a bottle and a half of nail hardener to each fingernail every day.
Lee used her Guinness World Record status to give motivational speeches, particularly to junior high school students, where she talked about self-esteem and embracing individuality. She commented, "It's OK to be different, as long as you are not hurting anyone. We're all unique. Every one of us. We all have some type of talent. Don't judge me just by my fingernails. There is more to me than my fingernails."
Unfortunately, Lee lost her nails in an accident, and while she kept some fragments, she has no plans to grow them back.
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Shridhar Chillal's nails were cut with a circular saw
Shridhar Chillal's decision to grow his fingernails was born out of a grudge. After accidentally breaking a teacher's nail, the teacher told him he could not possibly understand the care needed to grow out long nails. Taking it as a challenge, Chillal decided to grow the nails on his left hand and left the right hand trimmed.
For 66 years, Chillal, an octogenarian from Pune, India, nurtured his nails. Finally, at the age of 82, he decided to cut them off. The Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York City, flew him in from India for a special event during which his fingernails were cut with a small circular saw.
Chillal's nails had a combined length of 909.6 cm (29 ft 10.1 in) or about 31 feet, according to Ripley's, which is about the same length as a London bus or a three-story building. The longest nail was his thumbnail, which measured 197.8 cm or just about 6 1/2 feet long.
Chillal's decision to grow his nails took a toll on his health. Due to the years of growing his nails and their weight, his left hand is now permanently handicapped. He cannot open his hand from a closed position or flex his fingers. Despite this, Chillal led a relatively normal life. He married, had two children, and worked professionally as a photographer.
Chillal's nails are now memorialized and displayed flat in a case at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in New York City.
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Lee Redmond's nails grew out in huge arches
Lee Redmond, a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, held the Guinness World Record for the longest fingernails on a pair of hands (female) from 2008 to 2022. She began growing her nails in 1979 when they were less than 5 cm (2 in) long. She decided to stop filing them and wanted to see how long they could grow before they started to bend out of shape.
However, Redmond's nails never twisted or bent out of shape. Instead, they grew out in huge extended arches, likely due to her meticulous daily manicure routine. Every day, Redmond would treat her nails with warm olive oil, clean them with a toothbrush, and apply one and a half bottles of nail hardener to each fingernail. She would then paint them gold.
Redmond's nails grew to a total length of 8.65 metres (28 feet 4 inches) by 2008. The longest individual nail was on her right thumb, measuring 90 cm (2 feet 11 inches). Her nails brought her international fame, and she used her status as a record holder to give motivational speeches to junior high school students about self-esteem and embracing one's uniqueness.
Sadly, Redmond's nails were lost in a car accident in 2009, where she was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed into several others. She survived the crash, but her nails did not. Fragments of her broken nails were collected from the scene, and she keeps them in large plastic bags at her home. Redmond has no plans to grow her nails back to their former length, stating that it would be a 30-year commitment.
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Chillal's nails affected his daily life
Shridhar Chillal's decision to grow his nails had a significant impact on his daily life. While he was able to lead a relatively normal life for many years, as he aged, maintaining an ordinary lifestyle became increasingly challenging. Chillal's left hand became permanently handicapped due to the weight and length of his nails. He was unable to open his left hand from a closed position or flex his fingers, which made performing even simple, mundane tasks difficult.
Chillal's nails first began to grow when he was just 14 years old, after he accidentally broke his teacher's long nail. In Pune, India, where Chillal is from, it is considered a sign of wealth for a man to have at least one long nail. The teacher's long nail signified that he did not have to participate in manual labour, and Chillal was scolded for breaking it.
Despite the challenges posed by his nails, Chillal managed to live a full life. He had a successful career as a government press photographer, even using customised equipment to accommodate his nails when taking photographs. Chillal also married, had two children, and enjoyed the company of his three grandchildren.
It wasn't until 2018, at the age of 82, that Chillal decided to cut his nails. He flew to the US, where his nails were removed using a small circular saw at a ceremony at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square, New York. The nails, which spanned a length of over 31 feet when laid flat, are now on display at the museum, memorialising Chillal's dedication to growing his nails for 66 years.
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Frequently asked questions
The world's longest fingernails on a single hand belonged to Shridhar Chillal from Pune, India, and measured 909.6 cm (29 ft 10.1 in) in total. His thumbnail was the longest, measuring 197.8 cm (6 1/2 ft).
The world's longest fingernails on a pair of hands belonged to Lee Redmond from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Her nails measured 8.65 m (28 ft 4 in) in total, with her right thumbnail being the longest at 90 cm (2 ft 11 in).
Shridhar Chillal started growing his nails when he was 14 years old and continued for 66 years until he was 82 years old.
Lee Redmond started growing her nails in 1979 and continued for 30 years until 2009.
