Duck Nails Have Been Trying To Make a Comeback for Years and They Finally Succeeded, According to TikTok

There are so many styles of nails you can choose from at the salon for gel nail extensions or acrylic nails. You have stiletto nails, almond nails, coffin nails and so many more. But what about duck nails? Duck nails in the 2000s were a major trend with celebrities like Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi sporting them with blingy nail art and jewels. And if that term rings a bell, you probably lived through being a pre-teen or teen in the early aughts and 2010s.

But if this is all new to you, we’ll explain what the heck duck-shaped nails are and why they’re coming back now. Some of it has to do with Lizzo sporting them in a now-deleted TikTok. However, this Y2K nail style has been pushing at the edges of the trending world for years now and has finally broken through. Read on to find out what duck nails are, when they were popular and how you can get them.

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What are duck nails?

If you’re wondering what duck nails are (and why someone would wear them), we can start with their name. The shape of duck nails is the reason behind the style's title; the look includes a nail that flares out dramatically at the ends, kind of like a duck bill. To match its wild shape, duck nails are often adorned with flashy nail art and/or jewels or 3D accents on top. For example, before Lizzo rocked them recently, Cardi B sported some French-tipped duck nails with cherries on them in September 2022.

Currently the term “duck nails” has about 35.4 million views on TikTok alone. Plus, duck nail press-ons are all over Etsy, if you wanted to try out some truly bedazzled and eye-catching duck nail designs without having to go to the salon.

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Do these nails look weird or unattractive to you? You’re definitely not alone in thinking that. Hypebae dubbed duck nails as part of the “movement of intentional ugliness.” Plus, one of the top comments in the video of Cardi B’s nails asked how she puts rings on (because the tops are flared well past her knuckle size). The shape is definitely unique, that’s for sure.

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When were duck nails popular?

As mentioned before, duck nails are nothing new, they’re just another Y2K trend making a comeback in 2023. The duck nail trend made its mainstream debut in the early 2000s and stayed until the early 2010s. Jersey Shore star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was a big wearer of the duck nail, which of course went really well with her larger-than-life personality and the Jersey Shore house’s duck phone (although, no relation). And, appropriately, Grazia reported that duck nails are also called “Jersey nails,” most likely because the trend was hugely popular in New Jersey in the 2000s.

As with anything flashy and wild from the 2000s and 2010s, duck nails fell out of style. But influencers have been trying to bring duck nails back for years. Trisha Paytas was one of the first people in this new duck nails wave of popularity to announce that “DUCK NAILS ARE BACK!” about a year ago. But even as early as 2021, duck nails were showing up on the internet again.

And thanks to how quickly things blow up on TikTok, and how Gen Z and content creators love gravitating toward the wild and fabulous, it’s now a true trend, back at it again.

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How to get duck nails

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Duck nails are all about their unnatural shape, which means using fake nails is kind of the only way to achieve this look. You can call ahead of time to your favorite salon to see if they are able to give you duck nails.

If you want to take matters into your own hands, though, Etsy sellers are creating duck nail gel extensions so you can get this style from the comfort of your home. Plus, there are several Amazon sellers that have duck nail tips as well. As stated before, there are other Etsy sellers that create intricate press-ons so all you need to do is glue them on and go.

And if you’re feeling bold and have stiletto tips at home already, this YouTube tutorial will explain how to turn those into duck nails. Feeling inspired? There are several creators with even more tips on how to get the perfect duck nail.

So if you're feeling adventurous, take a page out of Snooki's book (the one she definitely wrote with acrylic duck nails) and try out this outrageous Y2K trend.

Next up, if you're shocked about duck nails returning, wait till you see what other Y2K trends are making comebacks this year.