In 2017, a Texas woman aged 54 years received the Guinness World Record for the longest fingernails in the world. Unfortunately, this month, the Queen willingly abdicated the throne. This is a tale of years of effort, a reign that ushered in an era of awe and mild disgust. A tale of fingernails longer than cars!

        29 years ago, Ayanna Williams, a black woman from Texas, decided after waking up and eating a nice breakfast, “I’m going to grow my nails.” Then, 24 years after that promise, her goal was realized. She submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records about her 19 feet long vines, a length that required two entire bottles of manicure to complete! And after careful deliberation, Ayanna was given the title of Longest Fingernails on a Pair of Hands. (Female) Ayanna would have clapped and celebrated but didn’t out of fear that her nails would break.

        However, just a few days ago, Ayanna made a bold and heavy decision. She went to Dr. Allison Readinger, a dermatologist, to have her shiny snakes sawed off. But! before her pearly pythons were severed, she again beat her own record, with an unspecified length. Then, in an act that ushered in a new era, Ayanna’s nails were placed in the guillotines of rebirth, and the executioner swung her ax, severing the pride of Ayanna, ending her several-year reigns. The severed remains of Ayanna were used to decorate the walls of a hall of history, as a mark and reminder of an age gone by.

        In truth though, her nails, likely around the length of 22 feet, were cut off willingly by Doctor Allison Readinger on the Easter Holidays and her nails will be up as a museum piece at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum in Orlando.