How to make your nail polish last longer? Simple tips and mistakes to avoid
It’s not the end of the world, but ending up with chipped nail polish just two or three days after investing time and effort (or a good amount of money) into a beautiful manicure isn’t exactly the most pleasant experience. Of course, we have to accept that even the most beautiful nail art does not last forever, but wasting energy or throwing money away does not help either. So, how to make your nail polish last longer so as not to break your head or the piggy bank?
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Soaking Your Fingers Can Do More Harm than Good
Did you know that when your nails are soaked in water, the liquid alters their microstructure? The nail plate expands and when varnished, moisture is sealed inside. As the varnish dries, it partially absorbs residual moisture, causing it to peel prematurely. While a good soak can soften the coarser skin on your feet, it’s not absolutely necessary for the more delicate skin on your fingertips, especially just before applying the polish. Leave a few hours between the hand bath and the varnish if you want your trendy manicure to last a long time.
How to Keep Your Nail Polish? Waiting!
Along the same lines, avoid soaking your fingers after the manicure too, whether professional or homemade. Not only can the prolonged soaking and subsequent drying cause your nail plates to expand and contract, but your nails can also become brittle over time. So, if you’re wondering how to keep your nail polish, patience is the key to success: you just have to wait before going swimming, taking a long bath or doing the dishes.
Polish the Nails after Filing to Clean Them Up
After cutting and shaping your nails into the desired shape, don’t skip the polisher. When you file the nail with a rough file, you can create tiny micro-cracks in the keratin of its structure. And even if we can’t see the small breaks, they can seriously compromise the durability of our manicure. That said, how do you keep your nail polish? By polishing the nails well after filing them! You can also use a fine-grit glass nail file to smooth the free edges of the nails.
Why Does Avoiding Polishing the Cuticles Matter?
This is easier said than done, but do your best to “color inside the lines”. In other words, avoid staining your cuticles with varnish if you want to keep your manicure for longer. You see, for a variety of reasons, the nail polish on your skin will wash off faster than the varnish on your nails. And if your polish is stuck between your cuticles and your nail plate, when it peels off the epidermis, it will eventually separate from the nails too, even if only on a microscopic level.
How to Make Nail Polish Stick Using Petroleum Jelly?
The simple and at the same time infallible trick for a flawless manicure? Before applying your base varnish, you coat your cuticles with coconut oil, petroleum jelly or a balm. However, be careful not to oil the nail plate, which has a detrimental effect on the longevity of the manicure! The oily substance creates a barrier between the skin and the nail and when you stain the cuticle with varnish, you can clean it immediately and without effort.
Use Nourishing and Revitalizing Varnishes
As a general rule, when your nails are weak and brittle, your polish will chip faster and easier. After all, how is it supposed to stay on unhealthy nails that split? So, avoid products containing formaldehyde, camphor, toluene, and other drying chemicals that are toxic. Choose products with nourishing and moisturizing ingredients that have better resistance, which applies to color varnishes, bases and topcoats.
Apply Base and Top Coat to Keep Your Nail Polish
Since the varnish base is the only one in real contact with the nail plate, its quality is of greatest importance. This is why, if one plans to invest in a top-of-the-range varnish, this must undoubtedly be the base. Similarly, a quality top coat is not only shiny, but at the same time it is chip resistant. Now we know how to make your nail polish last for a long time thanks to a few simple, yet 100% effective tips!
