“Patriarchy”: Woman Goes Viral After Her Short-Nail Theory Divides The Internet

A content creator sparked a debate about aesthetic choices and self-confidence after sharing her thoughts on women who wear short nails.

According to 26-year-old Ashley Shim, short nails are a sign that the woman wearing them lives by her own rules and doesn’t seek anyone’s approval.

Taking to TikTok, Ashley explained, “All the girls who wear their nails super short—you just know they don’t give a flying f*ck. They don’t care. They’re living their best life. You just know she’s a baddie, and she’s really freaking confident.”

Ashley Shim, a 26-year-old content creator, sparked a viral debate by stating that short nails signal confidence, not a lack of style or effort

Image credits: stock.adobe.com

Ashley told Newsweek she’s had short nails all her life and used to feel insecure about them, as she associated short nails with not being “cool enough” or “in style.”

“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 shared.

Ashley used to feel insecure about short nails but grew to love them, saying they express her personality

Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels

Ashley also discussed the influence of social media in setting beauty trends for women and how easily we can get swept up in what we see on our screens.

“It’s easy to feel like that’s the normal standard—that everyone should have long nails.

“I’ll still catch myself admiring the cool patterns and tiny animations and think, ‘Ugh, I want that.’ But then I remind myself: that’s just not me. And that’s OK.

“It’s about embracing what feels true to you … It’s about owning it, not hiding it,” she concluded.

Image credits: Marlen Stahlhuth / Unsplash

Ashley’s video has garnered over 2 million views and thousands of comments from women sharing why they agree or disagree with her theory.

“The real baddies are the ones with short nails and unpainted haha” one user said.

“Long fake nails are the patriarchy making sure you can’t do anything efficiently,” said someone else.

A third shared: “I learned long ago that fussing over nails, hair and makeup (and shoes and purses) was a waste of money and mental health. True power is ignoring all of it.”

Many agreed short nails show confidence, in addition to being practical

Image credits: ashleyy.shim / TikTok

Image credits: ashleyy.shim / TikTok

Others emphasized that they keep their nails short not for appearance but for practical reasons, as long nails would interfere with their work, household tasks, or hobbies.

“As someone who bakes, works in an ER and takes violin lessons, this is probably the most annoying social standard,” penned one woman.

“I’m confident knowing my short nails aren’t going to slam into anything and bend freaking backwards,” commented a separate viewer.

“Totally! But also job-dependent. Hard to have pretty nails if you’re handling raw materials or in a lab, etc!” someone else agreed.

“All the girls who wear their nails super short—you just know they don’t give a flying f*ck. They don’t care. They’re living their best life,” Ashley said

@ashleyy.shimtheres nothing more lethal than this 💅♬ original sound – Ash in NYC

Others expressed different opinions. “Ok [thank you] for this BUT as someone who has short nails out of comfort & convenience I literally see every girl with long nails as a baddie.”

Many commenters highlighted another reason for keeping their nails short: hygiene. “My nails seem to act like little shovels for dirt when longer. 😅 It grosses me out so I cut them.”

To learn more about the relationship between nails and hygiene, Bored Panda consulted Dr. Lauren Ploch, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“Nails in general harbor bacteria. Because nails are made of d*ad skin cells, the nail plate itself doesn’t usually show evidence of a bacterial infection, but nails can infect skin around the nail,” she said.

“Also, biting our nails or picking open wounds can spread bacteria.”

Others said they simply chose short nails for hygiene, as long nails “act like shovels for dirt”

Image credits: Oleg Ivanov / Unsplash

Dr. Ploch noted that artificial nails aren’t necessarily more likely to harbor bacteria than natural nails.

“Brittle nails harbor more bacteria than intact, healthy nails. The risk with nail treatments is that it can make the natural nail underneath more brittle.”

When asked how nail length affects hygiene, Dr. Shari Lipner, Associate Professor of Clinical Dermatology, told Bored Panda that shorter nails are less likely to harbor bacteria.

“With long nails, there is a large surface area, and pockets to accumulate dirt and moisture, which serve as breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast.”

Image credits: stock.adobe.com

According to Dr. Lipner, artificial nails aren’t as hygienic. “With artificial nails, there may be a small gap between the artificial nail and the natural nail. Therefore, a bacteria called pseudomonas aeruginosa can colonize the nail and turn the nail green.” 

To maintain nail and hand hygiene, the dermatologist recommends washing your hands thoroughly with a gentle cleanser, then drying them well. “A cool hair dryer can be helpful,” she notes.

Additionally, she recommends keeping nails short and cutting them straight across.

“Avoid cutting or pushing back the cuticle. The cuticle creates a seal from microorganisms.” 

Kristin Gulino, who owns a nail salon called Paintbucket, said long nails are for women who are “glamorous high maintenance”

@paintbucketnails are you short or long? 💅 #nails#nailtrends#nailsalon#longervideos#beautytok#nailsoftiktok♬ original sound – Paintbucket

@sliimkim short natural nails… I, personally, could never, but they’re onto something! #forthegirls♬ original sound – Slimkim

Some women said they were surprised to see certain celebrities wearing short nails, considering they can afford housekeepers or nannies to handle many daily tasks.

Kim Kardashian, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendall Jenner, and Olivia Rodrigo are among the stars who have recently been spotted with short manicures.

In contrast, Kylie Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande favor longer nails.

“As someone who bakes, works in an ER and takes violin lessons, this is probably the most annoying social standard,” one woman said of the long-nail trend

Image credits: Chu Chup Hinh / Pexels

Kristin Gulino, who owns a nail salon called Paintbucket, agreed with Ashley’s take. She said women with short nails “don’t need to be too flashy” and are “clean and meticulous.”

Meanwhile, women with long nails, like her, are “glamorous high maintenance.”

“My hands are everything to me,” Kristin said. “And that is how every woman with long nails feels. These women are confident, but it’s not ‘roll out of bed’ confidence. I’m putting work into my outfit and every detail of what I’m doing to keep me looking good.”

People are split on whether they prefer short or long nails

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