Louise Hollis, holder of world’s longest toenails, passes away at 86

Abdullateef Fowewe

Guinness World Records has disclosed the demise of the record holder for the longest toenails, Louise Hollis, who died at 86.

The GWR in a statement, declared that Louise’s passing was confirmed by her daughter recognised as Dana, who reached out to GWR this week to inform them of her mother’s death.

Dana also reportedly shared the news with Louise’s fans via her official Facebook page, declaring, “Thank you for all the love and support you have shown her over the years. Please pray for our family as we go through this very difficult time. God bless you all.”

Louise, who is from California, USA, became popular for her achievement in 1991, when the combined length of all her toenails was measured at 220.98 cm (87 inches).

According to the statement, Louise’s journey with her toenails began in 1981, inspired by a TV program that featured the longest fingernails.

She also grew her fingernails to impressive lengths, though not enough to claim the record.

The statement reads partly, “An entry in Guinness World Records 2004 noted that each toenail was, on average, as long as the width of a page in the book itself. This was the longest-ever length recorded for her toenails.”

Her toenails became a defining feature of her life as they grew so long that she had to adjust her daily life to accommodate them.

“They got so long, I couldn’t walk anymore unless I held up my heel. Each summer I would always let ’em grow long because I like to wear sun shoes. The next summer, they were just too pretty, and I just hated to cut ’em. And so, I didn’t!” She told the Fox television network’s Guinness World Records Primetime in 1999.

In the 2007 edition of Guinness World Records, it was noted that Louise rarely wore shoes, but when she did, they had to be open-toed with soles at least 3 inches thick to prevent her nails from dragging on the ground.