What was so unique about her nails?17-year-old Simone Taylor stopped cutting them for 3 years and now her fingernails are over six inches long. She was never a beauty or nail enthusiast before, but that hasnow changed with her long nails. She often gives beauty tutorials online. But can you imagine how difficult it would be for her to send a text message?
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Researchers are not sure why we have nails in the first place. They may be an evolutionary remnant from our primate cousins' lost claws, an adaptation that helped them use their fingers more effectively. Primates have had fingernails for over 55 million years, their primary use being to hold on to branches as they move around their forest habitats.
How do they grow? Newly formed cells at the base of the nail, the part we can't see, push older cells out towards the tip of the finger. The base is called the 'proximal nail fold.' About 90% of the growth takes place here, where you cannot see it happening.
There are many record-breaking nail lengths, such as Shridar Chillal in India who didn't trim his nails for 62 years, and which reached the incredible length of 30 feet! By studying his nails, it was found that the nail on the middle finger grew the fastest, while the thumb and little finger were the slowest. The rate of growth of each nail also stayed consistent throughout his life, although he found that the rate slowed as he got older.
Two questions thus remain. Why do some people choose to do this, is it merely to set Guinness World Records? And will Simone Taylor continue to grow her nails? Only time will tell.
