See how a woman with multiple records for the longest nails in Russia protects her nails

Elena Shilenkova's nails have made it into the Russian book of records as the country's longest nails at 12 centimetres, which took her six years to grow. 

Her record-breaking nails required special cleaning and maintenance. She used a mild liquid soap because it's gentle and deep cleans them with tooth powder once a month, which helped remove any stains. She also soaked her nails in chlorhexidine to completely disinfect them. 

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Sometimes Elena kept her nails bare but when she did paint them, she only used children's nail polish because the formula is gentler and can be peeled off. Instead of using nail polish remover she just soaked her nails in warm water. 

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She'd mastered how to safely manoeuvre her nails during everyday tasks from handling food to staying hydrated and getting dressed. She could do almost everything with her nails.

Despite this, Elena finally cut her nails in June 2020 and fans bought them for $5 000 to $7 000 ( about R75 000 to R104 000) each.

She says she likely won't grow her nails to record-breaking length again.

Would you ever grow your nails this long? Chat to us here.

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