Nail Wearer Discusses The Long And The Short Of It.

Women new to wearing nails often complain about the difficulties they encounter managing small tasks — buttoning buttons, pulling up pantyhose, or picking up a dime off a counter. If you want to convince clients they can learn to live with long nails, tell them about Lori Groves, a former nail technician whose long nails have actually stopped traffic.

Groves currently works as a secretary and, unbelievable as it sounds, types and uses a computer despite her 5-inch long nails. “I’m the fastest typist in the office,” proclaims Groves proudly, something, my first real job was as a mechanic. I was pumping gas, changing tires, you name it.” Nails have never slowed her down. In fact, she says, “I can’t work without nails. I try to open the fridge and end up stubbing my fingers.”

Groves has had long nails since .she was a kid. “My nails are so hard you can’t bite them. So they just grew and kept on growing,” she says. Once, as a teenager, she asked a nail tech to repair a broken natural nail and the technician ended up cutting off all her nails. Groves was devastated. She swore that she’d never let anyone touch her nails again. She learned to do her own acrylic nails and eventually got her license.

Groves is a staunch supporter of super-long nails, claiming there are a million and one household uses for them. “You can use them to stir the sugar in your ice tea, unlock the bathroom door, and comb your kid’s hair when there s not a comb handy,” she says.