A WOMAN has been growing her 14" super-long nails for nearly 16 years and has been designing them with colourful buttons. Janene Reed, 51, from New Jersey, was raised in a strict household that meant no makeup, no nail polish and no brightly dyed hair. When she became an adult and was able to finally express herself, she decided to start growing her nails - and hasn't stopped since. She's been growing her nails since early 2007 and they're currently 13-14". Janene’s favourite nail design is glued buttons to her nails that she has been doing since 2019. Janene gets a lot of stares and judgement but says she likes the negativity as it means she stands out. She's part of the Long Nail Goddesses - a group of women who are addicted to growing their nails, some up to 20" long.
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00:00 I am a long-nail goddess, and I've been one for now 16 years.
00:03 My fiance absolutely adores my nails.
00:05 He has a love for nails.
00:07 I know everyone talks about the bathroom issue.
00:10 There's always going to be something negative.
00:12 I'm still a human being.
00:13 I just love the artistry of nails.
00:15 I love having art.
00:16 This is just the equivalent of a tattoo or a piercing for me.
00:20 I love it.
00:20 It's absolutely beautiful.
00:21 High five.
00:23 Another beautiful job.
00:26 My love for nails began when I was a child.
00:29 I grew up in a very strict home.
00:30 Mom and dad didn't allow lip gloss, nail polish, just
00:33 a hoop earring.
00:34 Very simple.
00:35 Mom wanted me to be very dainty and girly-like.
00:38 And painting my nails at a young age
00:40 just was not a part of our upbringing.
00:42 So when I became an adult and had the ability
00:45 to pay for my own nails to get done, I started.
00:47 I started out early.
00:48 I never got my nails.
00:49 Normal pedicure kind of thing, I've always wanted limbs.
00:52 So from 2007 to today, I've been a long-nail goddess
00:56 from that day moving forward.
00:57 And it's been a wonderful journey.
01:00 Yeah, I think to be realistic, of course
01:03 we have challenges with our nails.
01:05 We just learn how to work around them
01:06 and have resources to support whatever
01:09 we need to do, like driving.
01:11 I mean, because we cook together,
01:12 he usually takes care of the meat.
01:14 I take care of the vegetables.
01:15 Minimal, minimal in the kitchen.
01:17 Because I have an underlay and an overlay,
01:18 it is important that I protect my nail
01:20 polish and everything else.
01:21 So generally, he's the one who lifts.
01:23 I'll put that egg on here.
01:25 There we go.
01:26 I met my fiance Robert in January 2020
01:30 at the casino in Pennsylvania.
01:32 And the first thing he knows, the far off were my nails.
01:34 My first reaction to seeing Janine the first time,
01:38 I was actually taken aback.
01:40 I was astounded.
01:41 I was amazed.
01:43 I was like, is that possible?
01:45 Did I see what I think I saw?
01:47 He has a love for nails.
01:48 He's had a love for nails from being a youngster, a young boy,
01:52 looking at the Sears magazines, just
01:54 admiring the color and the shapes.
01:55 I like it.
01:56 Well, at least now they'll know we can't eat.
01:59 Women with long nails can't eat.
02:00 We chew, just like you.
02:02 Were you attracted to my nails at first?
02:05 Oh, yeah.
02:05 I mean, at first, her nails were--
02:08 I mean, it was a definite draw.
02:09 But once you get to know Janine, you
02:11 see what a wonderful woman she is.
02:13 She's incredible.
02:15 I clean underneath.
02:17 This is the same regimen we do at the salon.
02:19 I wash the top and the bottom separately.
02:21 I have to.
02:22 Both hands cannot fit in at the same time, obviously,
02:25 because of these 13, 14-inch nails.
02:28 I clean under my nails with alcohol twice a week,
02:31 unless we go out.
02:32 We go out a lot.
02:33 We go to different places.
02:34 We go to resorts and things like that.
02:36 I take my alcohol pads with me.
02:39 In regards to negative comments, they come with this territory,
02:43 with this world.
02:44 There's always going to be something negative.
02:46 Some of the negative comments on my social media
02:48 are, why so long?
02:49 What's the mean?
02:51 What's the use?
02:52 And why do you?
02:53 How do you?
02:53 I know everyone talks about the bathroom issue.
02:56 For me, you can't see me.
02:58 If you smell me or something, then you tell me.
03:00 But other than that, yes, I do find it crude and insulting.
03:04 The advice that I would like to give to anyone,
03:07 male or female, that's looking to grow long nails
03:09 is to be prepared.
03:11 You have to have a tough layer of skin for this life.
03:13 I love my nails.
03:14 That's art.
03:15 We look at that as art.
03:16 Today, we're going to be going to Maria's Nail Salon.
03:19 And we're going to be meeting with Maria and my long nail
03:21 guide assistant.
03:22 I get my nails done every three weeks
03:24 and every other week for reinforcement.
03:26 Mostly I spend $300 on the care, maintenance,
03:30 and the artistry of my nails.
03:32 So as we prepared to go to Maria's,
03:34 I am putting on the last piece of my outfit for the day,
03:38 which is my knee-high boots.
03:39 We're gonna use the tongue.
03:41 I use them as a resource in my home
03:44 as well as outside of my home when necessary.
03:47 I'm trying to get a grip on the metal part.
03:48 And we're going, and we're going, and we're going,
03:50 and we're done.
03:51 Any of my nail brothers and sisters in the nail world,
03:54 this too is definitely necessary.
03:57 We also have stretch jewelry that we need.
04:00 It works really well.
04:01 So what I do is, because I have,
04:03 normally this is only taking a second,
04:05 but because I have the brigades on, the buttons,
04:07 I have to be very careful.
04:09 Hi, Janine, how are you?
04:17 Long time.
04:18 Good to see you.
04:19 Mwah.
04:21 Come in, come in.
04:22 I do buttons.
04:23 I've been doing buttons since 2019.
04:26 January 2019, I started doing all types of buttons.
04:29 And as you can see, she aimed to please.
04:31 She did exactly what I wanted and more.
04:34 The girls put me up to challenge to where they bring me
04:37 all these different designs and challenges.
04:39 Like, they break their nails.
04:40 Oh my god, it's not the end of the world.
04:42 I'm like, I'll just patch it back up.
04:43 And it's just like, glue it back on.
04:45 So it's like, I don't know.
04:46 I'm so used to it already.
04:47 I'm impressed with her length.
04:48 I would want her to grow them longer so she
04:50 can one day be a record, a Janine Theroux record.
04:53 But yeah, I cater to long nails.
04:56 So it's like, I'm impressed.
04:57 But then again, I could be more impressed.
05:00 So all done.
05:01 Do you like it?
05:02 I love it.
05:02 It's absolutely beautiful.
05:04 High five.
05:05 Another beautiful job.
05:07 This is--
05:08 That's my favorite.
05:09 --my three hearts, original long nail goddess as well.
05:12 Today, I'm very happy with the design that I have.
05:15 I will probably really be wearing it
05:17 for the entire month of March, celebrating St. Patrick's Day.
05:20 I'm really happy.
05:21 Again, Maria's done a fantastic job.
05:23 I will not, at this particular juncture of my life, at 51,
05:27 I have no intentions on cutting my nails any time soon.
05:30 I'm enjoying this life.
05:33 (upbeat music)