Beauty of the Nail

A chronic nail biter who bit her cuticles until they bled overcame the habit – by growing them to an incredible 14 inches.

Mother-of-four Larue Drummond was 13 when she spotted a woman in the supermarket with long nails.

She said: ‘I plucked up the courage to speak to her and she told me if you look after your nails, they will look after you. From then on I let me nails grow and became obsessed with pampering them.’

And since then, Ms Drummond’s obsession shows no signs of waning, so much so that she’s spent £10,000 maintaining what she calls her ‘babies’, while she calls her longest nail ‘Miss Attitude’.

Unsurprisingly, Ms Drummond attracts attention wherever she goes from other people who are keen to nail the look.

Others are simply curious about how Ms Drummond manages everyday tasks with her 14-inch talons.
She said: ‘People stop me wherever I go and ask about my nails. I'm always happy to talk about them.

‘The most frequently asked question is how do I go to the bathroom. I tell them, “the same way as you do. If you know of another way, let me know.”’ 

But not everyone is comfortable with her unique look.

Ms Drummond said: ‘I've seen people snigger at my nails. Once a woman wouldn't even sit next to me as if I had a disease or something. It really hurt my feelings. But it's who I am so I am not ashamed. If I broke a nail that couldn't be fixed I’d feel bereaved. My nails are my babies.’

Ms Drummond, who has eight grandchildren, insists that her long talons don’t impact on her part-time job as a child-minder.

She said: ‘The children aren’t scared by my nails – they’re fascinated. I know their parents because they’re all family friends but I’m always extra careful not to scratch them.’

Determined not to let anything set her back, Ms Drummond, from New Jersey, US, is keen to grow her nails even longer.