The owner of the world’s longest fingernails has decided to cut off his nails after 66 years of growing them.

The Indian man from Pune, Shridhar Chillal, 82, held the Guinness World Record for the longest fingernails on a single hand, had them cut at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Times Square, New York, on Wednesday.

Mr Chillal had been growing his nails since 1952, when he was just 14.

It took a power tool to cut through the thick nails. Photo: YouTube / Ripley’s

When they were last measured, Mr Chillal’s nails were a combined length of 909.6cm.

He told the Guinness World Records in 2015 due to years of growing his nails and their weight, his left hand is permanently handicapped. He cannot open his hand or flex his fingers.

“I am in pain. With every heartbeat all five fingers, my wrist, elbow and shoulder are hurting a lot and at the tip of the nail there’s a burning sensation always,” he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwoYzpesr4c

Mr Chillal said he originally grew out his nails after being told off by a teacher for accidentally breaking his long nail.

He added that the nails often affected his life, saying they were extremely fragile and he needed to take care of them while sleeping.

“I can’t move much, so every half an hour or so I wake up and move my hand to the other side of the bed.”

Mr Chillal’s nails will be put on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in New York. His individual nails measured longest at 197.8cm on his thumb and shortest at 164.5cm on his index finger.