While many women across the globe pay to get tips added onto their nails, one Gen Z woman has claimed that short nails are the real power move.
TikTok user Ashley Shim declared in a now-viral video that women with ‘super short’ nails tend to be the most confident and self-assured, and it sparked a massive debate between viewers.
‘Really unpopular opinion, just hear me out,’ Shim said in the clip.
‘All the girls that wear their nails super short, you just know they don’t give a flying f**k,’ she declared.
‘You know they don’t care,’ she continued. ‘You know they’re living their best life.’
To summarize the characteristics of the type of woman she’s thinking of, Shim declared: ‘She’s a baddie and she’s really freaking confident.’
Shim told Newsweek that she’s had short nails her whole life – and for a long time, was left feeling like she wasn’t ‘cool’ or ‘stylish’ enough because she didn’t have long nails.
‘But, over time, I realized that confidence doesn’t come from the length of your nails. Short nails feel authentic to me, and they are cool,’ she told the publication.
While many women across the globe pay to get tips added onto their nails, one Gen Z woman named Ashley Shim has claimed that short nails are the real power move
Shim added that it’s easy to feel like ‘everyone’ should have long nails when that’s what is often shown on social media.
‘I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a time in my life when I wanted those same long, trendy designs,’ she admitted.
However she said she would remind herself that long nails are just not her style.
‘I’ll still catch myself admiring the cool patterns and tiny animations and think, “Ugh, I want that,”‘ the content creator said.
‘But then I remind myself, “That’s just not me. And that’s OK.”‘
Shim’s video struck a chord with TikTok users, with many chiming in with their thoughts in the comment section.
‘Absolutely true,’ declared one. ‘I never understood long nails. They’re so unhygienic.’
Another person pointed out many professions or hobbies mean you can’t have long nails, writing: ‘As someone who bakes, works in an ER and takes violin lessons, [long nails are] probably the most annoying social standard.’
She declared that women with ‘super short’ nails tend to be the most confident and self-assured in a now-viral TikTok video (stock image)
‘I can’t be bothered to do my nails, I chip them in 30 seconds and I’d rather spend my time and money on other things,’ shared someone else.
However, others stood up for long nails.
‘It’s always the girls with short nails trying to justify and hype them, you don’t see girls with long nails comparing and judging,’ responded one user.
‘I have periods with long nails and periods with short nails, it has nothing to do with insecurity just styling choice,’ reasoned another.
Short nails may not only exude confidence, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explaining that short nails are also more hygienic.
‘Dirt and germs can live under fingernails and contribute to the spread of some infections, such as pinworms,’ the CDC noted.
‘More dirt and bacteria can gather under long nails than short nails,’ they added.
To combat this, the health agency recommends keeping nails short and trimming them often, as well as scrubbing the underside of nails with soap and water every time you wash your hands.
