Why Do Some Men Grow Long Pinky Nails?

A guide to the history & uses of long pinky nails

Co-authored by Aimee Payne, MFA

Last Updated: December 21, 2024 Fact Checked

Have you ever noticed a person with a long nail on their pinky finger and wondered if there was any significance to it? From ancient history to modern times, people from many different cultures have grown out their fingernails to symbolize wealth and status or for more practical purposes like scratching their ears. We’ll list the many reasons someone might grow long pinky fingernails below to help you understand this trending TikTok meme.

What Are Long Pinky Nails For?

Long ago, people grew out their pinky nails to show that they were so wealthy they didn’t have to work with their hands. Nowadays, people might use a long pinky nail as a painting aid or to play guitar. It can also be a symbol to raise awareness of violence against women and children or a sign of good luck.

1

Symbol of Wealth

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Ancient Chinese people wore long nails as a sign of wealth. Men and women of the upper classes grew their nails long to show that they didn’t have to do manual labor, which would break longer fingernails. ^{[1]
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Research source} In some parts of the world, long pinky nails still symbolize prosperity, even when they aren’t worn by the wealthy upper class.
- The Chinese philosopher Confucius, often depicted as having long nails, was thought to have said, “Our body, skin, and hair are all received from our parents; we dare not injure them.” ^{[2]
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- Some believe Confucius’s philosophy began the tradition of growing long nails, but it hasn’t been confirmed.

2

Good Luck

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In some parts of Asia, people believe that having a little finger that extends past the joint closest to the tip of the ring finger is a sign of good fortune. They grow their nails to extend the length of their little finger and draw good luck. ^{[3]
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3

Handy Tool

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Some men grow long pinky nails to use as handy tools when others aren’t available. These men use their long pinky nails to tighten screws, scrape off labels, or cut through soft items, like plants or mushrooms. However, using fingernails as tools can tear or break them.
- The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends avoiding using your fingernails as tools to keep them healthy and strong. ^{[4]
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  American Academy of Dermatology
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4

Painter’s Aid

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Artists use a long pinky nail to keep their hand off the canvas while painting. When painting, an artist often needs a steady hand for intricate work. Some artists grow their pinky fingernails and brace them against the painting so they don’t have to rest their hand on the paint to steady it.
- Famous television artist Bob Ross was known to have a long fingernail he used for this purpose. ^{[5]
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- Artists also use a Mahl stick, a wooden stick with a weight on one end, to prevent their palms from touching the painting’s surface. They rest their hand against the Mahl stick instead of growing out a fingernail. ^{[6]
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5

Guitar Aid

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Flamenco guitar players grow long pinky nails to play rasgueado. Rasgueado is a technique in flamenco music for strumming the guitar using 4 or 5 fingers in rapid succession. ^{[7]
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Research source} While flamenco guitarists often grow all of their fingernails, the pinky nail is usually longer to compensate for the shorter, weaker pinky finger. ^{[8]
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- The longer pinky nail is usually only on the player’s dominant (or strumming) hand.

6

Symbol of Awareness

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A long pinky nail can be used to raise awareness and stand against violence. The Polished Man and Pinky Promise encourages people to paint a fingernail blue to help raise money and awareness to end violence against women and children. Both are month-long campaigns that focus on supporting survivors of violence and sexual assault.
- The Polished Man campaign takes place in October and asks participants to paint any nail blue to show support and raise money for prevention and recovery programs.
- The Pinky Promise campaign takes place in April and asks participants to paint a pinky fingernail blue to support child abuse prevention and sexual assault awareness initiatives. ^{[9]
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7

Ear or Nose Picker

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Some men clean their ears or noses with long pinky nails. While you shouldn’t stick anything into your ears or nose, that doesn’t stop some people from doing it. That is especially true if your ear or nose feels dry or itchy. However, a sharp fingernail can damage the nose's delicate lining, leading to bleeding or an infection. ^{[10]
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- Sticking a fingernail in the ear can scratch the skin of the ear canal or even rupture the eardrum, so it’s not recommended. ^{[11]
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8

Sign of Drug Use

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In the US, a long pinky nail is often referred to as a “coke nail” for its rumored use as a spoon for cocaine. Some rehabilitation centers also consider a long pinky nail a telltale sign of drug abuse. ^{[12]
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Why Do Some Men Grow Long Pinky Nails?

What Are Long Pinky Nails For?

Steps

Symbol of Wealth

Good Luck

Handy Tool

Painter’s Aid

Guitar Aid

Symbol of Awareness

Ear or Nose Picker

Sign of Drug Use

Expert Q&A

Tips

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