As fun as long fingernails may be, shorter nails are very much in vogue. From hygiene to lower maintenance, here are the main reasons why.

While a quick scroll through social media often showcases the popularity of the long nail trend, let’s not forget about the classic appeal of manicured, short nails.

Clean, elegant and eternally chic, here’s why they’re still a fave – and always will be.

Short nails equal easy maintenance

London-based manicurist Julia Diogo, who counts model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley among her clientele, says almost 95 per cent of her clients love keeping their nails short.

“It looks super chic and is easier to manage, which makes it more appealing,” Julia says.

Beauty expert and The Parlour Room Sydney founder Natalie Ferrari says the majority of her clients request short, polished nails.

“While long nails are on trend, it’s less common to have that strength and length in a natural nail, so we find a lot of our clients prefer to have a clean and polished look that they can maintain,” Natalie says.

Some also like short nails for practical reasons, finding long nails a little trickier to navigate everyday tasks with, from typing to putting on jewellery and applying make-up.

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Shorter nails are generally healthier

If your nails are prone to breaking or you’re experiencing splitting or peeling, wearing your nails at a shorter length can often be a great way to improve them.

“(Short nails) can help you rejuvenate the nail to promote strength and length, especially if you’ve been having regular (manicure) appointments without giving your nails a break,” Natalie says.

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Research has also found longer nails have been consistently shown to have greater numbers of micro-organisms present compared to shorter nails.

Long nails are also associated with having a higher probability of ineffective hand hygiene practices – in other words they make it harder to wash your hands as well as needed.

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Short nails still have wow factor

Julia and Natalie agree you can still achieve a striking manicure with short nails.

It’s just about choosing the right hues and designs to suit a shorter nail length.

Julia says an upcoming trend she’s seeing is neon shades.

“(They are used) to create micro/reverse French tips or even petit cuticle dots with a sheer base to suit individual skin tones,” she says. 

Natalie says French tipped nails are still very much trending, but with a more modern twist. “Nail art isn’t going away anytime soon,” she says.

“The micro French tip is a popular finish for those who have short nails to give the appearance of longer nails and we’re also seeing bright pops of contrasting colour.”

Along with the micro French tip, Natalie says a contrasting half-moon or small lines and dots are a great way to further embrace nail art on short nails.

“Because you don’t have the length, I’d suggest staying away from anything too intricate and detailed, but rather taking a minimalist approach with less is more,” Natalie says.

For hues that work beautifully on short nails, Julia says soft sheer pinks are always in.

“They give the ‘my nails but better’ appearance, which is really popular,” she says.

“The milky manicure is also another popular choice, followed by a perfectly painted rouge noir manicure.”

Whichever option you choose, it’s all about keeping things short and sweet.

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Written by Tania Gomez.

— Update: 21-03-2023 — cohaitungchi.com found an additional article It’s Official: Short Nails Are Making A Comeback In 2023 from the website www.thezoereport.com for the keyword is having short nails bad.

While long nails in their various iterations — almond, coffin, and ballerina among others — will always be a staple of the beauty world, shorter nails might be a trend you resigned to your younger years. They are clean and simple, but perhaps not the most daring or exciting — forcing you to graduate to long nails by way of social media influencers and Kardashian-level celebrities. However, short nails are having a moment and on track to become one of the biggest manicure trends of 2023 — proving the look is back in a big and bold way.

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Although you might have first lamented the change from extensions to natural nails, Charlotte Knight, founder of Ciaté London, credits the resurgence to popularity of minimalist beauty looks in recent years. “Short nails are in line with the current ‘clean girl’ aesthetic that’s trending at the moment due to the time spent with our nails,” the pro shares. “They’re chic, low maintenance, and more natural-looking than longer styles.”

Vanessa Sanchez McCullough, celebrity nail artist to Blake Lively and other A-listers, agrees: “I think people are finally realizing the size of the canvas does not matter,” she says. “Short nails or long nails, you could still have beautiful trendy looks.”

To find out more about why short nails are at the top of the fashion set’s list, TZR spoke to six seasoned and celebrity manicurists for the 411. Ahead, they share their expert insight as well as tips for keeping the shorter look at its best.

Short Nails Win For Practicality

Long nails have more real estate to create elaborate designs but can be a lesson in trial and error in terms of functionality. Take Cardi B for example, who often posts TikToks opening a can, buttoning clothes, and changing a diaper as a tutorial for life with 4- to 5-inch nails. With shorter styles, of course, daily tasks are not of concern as they do not get caught on things or keep you from opening and closing things. “Short nails are easy to maintain,” says Emily Rudman, founder of nail brand Emilie Heathe. “They don’t get in the way like at the gym or when cooking.”

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Short Nails = Healthy Nails

To get longer manis people often apply fake nails which can be tough on your natural ones (think: brittle, breakage, and tearing) if left on too long or removed incorrectly. A short regular or gel polish manicure makes for a more durable and stronger nail bed. Because short nails look best when they’re healthy, make sure you keep them moisturized with a nourishing cuticle oil. Hannah Lee, global ambassador for Sally Hansen recommends filing them down with a smooth file to prevent any sharp edges. Rudman also suggests pushing back and trimming cuticles frequently to keep your manicure looking neat.

Short Nails Are More Hygienic

The added length with fake nails (no matter the material) is the perfect environment for trapping bacteria and viruses. With short nails, you can see the dirt enter your nails — making you more prone to clean them versus on long nails. The less surface area there is, the easier it is to keep the hands hygienic.

Short Nails Can Still Sport Innovative Designs

“Bright and bold colors still look incredible on shorter nails,” Knight tells TZR. Just because the real estate is smaller, doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with your manicure. The expert has been seeing emerald green, neon yellow, and classic reds pop up all over social media for shorter lengths. As for the shape, she suggests oval or squoval as these looks are classic and elongate the fingers while still letting the colors and designs do the talking.