6d ago

Do you prefer long or short fingernails?

www.newsweek.com

Gen Z woman's short-nail theory sparks viral debate

Apparently short nails are a fashion statement now as opposed to a thing that just happens because you work with your hands too much and your thyroid is underactive - uh, I mean they're totally short because I AM A CONFIDENT WOMAN. But I've always envied women with naturally long nails, and enjoy looking at other people's professionally manicured nails.

28 comments

I don't want to be super annoying, but I wanted to gently suggest that we not drive traffic to Newsweek because of its right-wing agenda:
In November 2022, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that Newsweek had "taken a marked radical right turn by buoying extremists and promoting authoritarian leaders" since it hired conservative political activist Josh Hammer as editor-at-large. It noted the magazine's elevation of conspiracy theorists, publication of conspiracy theories about COVID-19, views such as support for a ban on all legal immigration to the United States and denying adults access to trans-affirming medical care, and failure to disclose potential conflicts of interest in the content published on Hammer's opinion section and podcast.
The article is basically just coverage of this tiktok video.
The video is pretty short, in it a woman says:
really unpopular opinion, just hear me out: girls who wear their nails super short, you know they don't give a flying fuck, you know they don't care. You know they're living their best life. Just know she's a baddie and she's really freaking confident.
EDIT: and to answer, I love having long nails, but I do a lot of work with my hands (cooking, cleaning, gardening, etc.) and they can be annoying - inevitably I grow mine out as long as I can and then they become a problem. I like to get gel manicures on occasion, and it's always so upsetting when a couple weeks later the gel is flaking - I wish there were better solutions for my nails (pedicures tend to last much longer, probably because my toes are safely tucked away in shoes or socks most of the time, not getting banged up in the world).
oh, and I'm a lesbian that plays the bass, so ... you know, some of those nails are going to be kept a little shorter 😉
- Thanks for the tip, I will try to avoid that source in the future.
  
  thanks for being so understanding!! 💕

I have short nails for the same reasons I wear flat heels: comfort, pragmatism, health, and I simply can't be arsed. Still, holler at those that rock the long nails and/or high heels; you look fantastic.

Short.
Firstly, I have a phobia of damaging my nails, and they invariably get caught in something when they're long.
Secondly, I have real trouble cleaning filth out from under them when they're long.
- Third is an excellent safety point! It's a big way to get internal problems

Short but for me it’s a sensory thing, I hate she sensation of my nails touching stuff before my fingers do.
- if it's something like metal or a hard plastic surface, I actually love the sensory experience of my nails touching before my fingers do - that satisfying clacking feeling, etc. But imagining my nails touching certain fleece-y blankets makes me feel literally like puking, omg. So I think I understand, lol
  
  Oh yeah I imagine how that might feel nice to some! I dislike all equally though personally

I used to have long nails because they actually grew. I used to like decorating my nails and such. But then my nails suddenly kept breaking even at short lengths, bleeding. I try to keep them trimmed so they don't painfully break but they're so fragile, easily bend, and are just brittle. I've been on supplements for a decade and nothing seems to help :/
- You just need to eat more hair for the keratin. Have you ever seen a cat with weak nails? Thought so.
- I use argan oil and a base protective coat of nail polish to keep my nails protected and hydrated. Helps strengthen them!

I'm probably a weird outlier, I just don't find long nails appealing in any manner. I also wish women would stop removing their cuticles
- Yeah, those long fake ones that are longer than the last finger segment are a turn off for me. Maybe not a deal breaker, but I find someone who decides she doesn't want that more attractive.
  Naturally long nails I'm more neutral about, up to a point (though preferably they don't come to a point either).
  But I do find someone willing to work with her hands attractive.

Well I'm gay sooooo.... 😅
- Haha as a fellow rainbowteer I totally understand

Short nails definitely, I work with my hands, do art and DIY a lot... there's nothing worse than the feeling of a slightly too long nail catching and bending back 🤢
I like painting them from time to time, but painted nails do look better on longer nails (also the nail varnish lasts about 5 seconds before chipping or flaking off)

If you're a professional cook, it's literally a health code violation to have painted or fake nails. Long fingernails harbor bacteria. But yeah, spend enough time in the danger pit playing with fire and knives and you'll end up with some extra confidence.

I've had such a different experience than what the article describes! Long nails were usually shamed, you were high maintenance, extra, too girly. Girls with long nails would constantly get reminded that men don't find them attractive, as if that was relevant (I think I've even seen that in this thread).
I guess we have a tendency to do the opposite of what we're told to do growing up. I love growing out my nails now. Sometimes I feel like keeping them short, too.
I've also been a nail biter for over 20 years and short nails are much harder to not bite for me, so keeping them short is an added mental hassle. Still, worth it sometimes.
- You just sprung a memory for me. I was told as a kid that men examine their fingernails by holding palms up and curling the fingers in; women examine theirs palms down, fingers splayed. Thought I was some kind of non-conformist for doing it the man way.

Generally mine are pretty short. I don’t mind a millimeter or two of white nail but any longer drives me crazy. Honestly getting that long is tough too; usually they chip or split before that. Lately they’ve been splitting while already short which is a huge pain, literally.

I loooove how long stylish nails look, however I always keep mine short. Mine don't grow well, break easy and also I'm not good at doing the maintenance you need to.

Short to medium length, I guess. I'm rough on my nails so I have a hard time growing them very long without breaking them. But they do grow quickly (thanks to biotin!) so they don't stay short for very long.

I often cut short, but if they get long they get long. I'll keep them until they get in the way of practicing or I break them moving a box or something.
- This is me too. If they get in the way of speed-typing on the 10-key (numerical keypad) then it's time for a trim. But I also get up to home DIY stuff so I tend to get collateral breakage from projects. Even when I do trim though, i don't go as short as possible. I frequently use them to get at tiny little things, untie knots, etc. I may buff them but I don't see a point in painting them. I do however LOVE to keep polish on my toes. Esp with shimmer or glitter. Green, blue, or purple hues are my favorite.
  
  I'm a fan of gel on fingers myself, the extra durability is nice, and I have a uv lamp to diy. I love a glitter coat though over like a red/black/teal

Short.

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