Woman with world record 24-foot-long fingernails finally gets them cut and it's so satisfying
30 years of growth gone in a couple swipes of an industrial powered circular saw.

There's something about seeing something out of the ordinary, be it a strange animal, an accident or even an argument between strangers. Humans are naturally curious beings and seeing a random argument between your neighbor and her teenage son will have some people outside taking their goldfish for a walk just to gawk.
So it's not surprising that thousands of viewers tuned in when Ayanna Williams, the Guinness World Record holder for the world's longest nails went to have them all cut off. Williams had her record breaking nails for 29 years but decided it was finally time to bid them adieu and the entire thing was filmed. It's a monumental moment for the record holder after having lived with the 24 foot nails for decades.
(If 24 feet sounds absolutely outrageous for fingernails, it is! But keep in mind that Guinness tallies the total length of all ten finger nails, making each of Williams' nails an average of 2.4 feet long.)
Most of us would simply need to grab a pair of fingernail clippers and get clipping, but for Williams the process was a bit more complicated.
The record holder couldn't just head to her nearest nail salon for a fresh manicure, although she did treat her nails to one last pampering first. The manicure took more than three whole bottles of polish and took several days to complete. For reference, a manicure for a normal set of nails takes about 30 minutes.
These nails are what we like to call "amateur hour"Canva Photos
Then she had to have her nails trimmed by a professional: Dr. Allison Readinger at Trinity Vista Dermatology, where the dermatologist used a special hand held circular saw. Williams disclosed the two foot nails were causing her joint pain and one of her thumbs was extremely tender so she was relieved to lose the weight of the nails. The nails are now on display at Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum in Orlando, Florida.
Viewers couldn't look away from this re-shared video of Williams said goodbye to her long nails. Some comments were supportive while others...not so much.
"I’m so happy she was able to finally make this decision! I love it," one person writes.
"Wooww! It's a incredible it's been a 29 yrs," another says.
"Oh gosh so satisfying. Can't even have mine passed my finger tips. Ouf," someone exclaims.
According to Guinness World Records, Williams went through over two bottles of nail polish and gave up 20 hours of her time with every nail polish change. If nothing else, cutting her nails will be a money saver and whether you support her nail growth or not, there's something satisfying about watching them be cut off.
Watch the captivating video below:
So what of Williams' throne and title?
It now belongs to a woman named Diana Armstrong, who owns astonishing 42 foot long fingernails. You may have seen people in the news with fingernails that seem much longer, but those people often only grow the nails on one hand — halving their chances at becoming the world champ!
Diana was crowed in April of 2024.
Going for a World Record in fingernails is an extremely taxing undertaking. The nails begin to dominate your entire life, with Williams even admitting she couldn't do many daily tasks like washing dishes or changing her sheets without assistance. Not to mention all the pain and discomfort they caused her. Plus there's the upkeep, which involves rigorous cleaning that takes hours, moisturizing, and more. The question on everyone's mind, of course, is how do people with the longest nails in the world wipe after they go to the bathroom? Alas, for now it remains a trade secret, but some theorize people gunning for the world prize in nails may use wiping devices similar to the ones used by obese folks who have similar mobility troubles.
In any case, Williams was glad to retire on top, but also glad to be free of the huge burden of maintaining her hefty nails. She looks forward to seeing the next World Record holders crowned.
This article originally appeared two years ago.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."