Fashion

7 Bizarre Nail Trends I Don't Miss At All

by Lindsey Rose Black

Since ancient times, humans have gone to some pretty intense extremes to be "beautiful." And after scouting out these insane nail trends throughout history , I've got to say gel nails and stickers seem way less dramatic to me than they did earlier today. I'm feeling very grateful I'm a '90s baby that didn't have to suffer through any of the rather unusual and potentially painful looking trends below.

But just because the nail looks below seem a little out there doesn't mean weird things haven't been happening this past year. Like, did you see the whole bubble manicure thing? I can't help but wonder how you successfully button a sweater with those nails. Or how about those super sharp and potentially dangerous stiletto nails? And I'd be lying if I said I didn't totally test out the tea bag for broken nails concoction.

Whether you're a crazy nail style addict or complete clean and simple natural nail minimalist, you can't help but "ooh, ahhh, and ow!" over the nail trends below. It's hard to imagine that women actually willingly did some of these things to themselves in the name of beauty. I'm all for doing whatever feels good for you fashion and beauty-wise, but yowza.

1. Really, Really Long Fingernails

Imagno/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Considered a status symbol, long nails equated to wealth in parts of Asia in the late 1900s. Can you imagine trying to create the perfect top knot with those nails?

2. Mad Sharp Natural Stiletto Nails

Hulton Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Actress Theda Bara was one of the first to rock the stiletto trend in the 1920s, and she made sure hers were kept extra spiky. Ouch.

3. Pirarucu Fish Scales

Imagno/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Apparently, women in the 1930s considered it a wise move to cover their nails in the scales of Amazonian Pirarcuru fish scales as a beauty hack. I don't even know.

4. Matching Nails & Lips

Chaloner Woods/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

While the '60s matching nail and lip colors trend doesn't sound particularly painful, it does sound like way more effort than I'd ever want to put in my morning routine...

5. Multicolored Nails

Carlo Allegri/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

This '00s trend wasn't necessarily hard to do, it just always required having so many polishes on hand. Can't say I miss it.

6. Rhinestone Nails

Giulio Marcocchi/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Ugh, I remember slaving in my tween years to try and get these little rhinestones to stay on. #Fail

7. Fluffy Nails

STR/AFP/Getty Images

2005 was a big year for nail art innovation, but I'm not exactly bummed this fluffy nail style didn't take off. Like, how would showering even happen?

Want more style tips? Check out the video below, and be sure to subscribe to Bustle’s YouTube page for more hacks and tricks!

Image: John Sadovy/Hulton Archive/Getty Images