6 Ways to Keep Your Nails On Longer
There’s nothing worse than paying for a beautiful manicure (or doing the work yourself) only to find that it starts to go south after just a few days! After all, you want your time, money, and effort to be worth it by achieving a long-lasting manicure. But what can you do to actually keep your nails on longer? Thankfully, there are a few solid steps that you can take to increase the lifespan of your manicure! Some of these steps really only apply if you’re doing your own manicure, while others will also work for a salon manicure as well. So here are six ways to keep your nails on longer:
Prep Your Nails Properly
You might think that the trick to keeping your nails on longer only relates to how you treat your nails after they’re done — but that’s definitely not the case! Prepping your nails properly can also go a long way towards providing you with the right base for a long-lasting manicure. Probably the best prep tip is to wipe down your nails with a cotton swab dipped in white vinegar before you apply any polish. This totally cleans your nail and provides you with a solid base so that you can then apply a sticky base coat. Another trick is to avoid soaking your nails before painting them because your nails will shrink back to size while the polish will stay the same.
Let your Nails Dry All the Way
Once your nails are prepped and painted, it’s really important that you let them dry all the way before going out into the world. There’s nothing worse than assuming that your nails are dry only to quickly find out that they aren’t by unsightly smudges and indentations. The best way to dry your nails is with cool air from a fan or even a blow dryer set to cool. You can quickly dry your nails by dipping them in some ice water for one minute.
Protect Your Hands
When you have a beautiful manicure, you need to protect it! You should always wear gloves when cleaning with harsh chemicals that could potentially break down your manicure. You should also wear gloves when washing the dishes so that your nails don’t get overly waterlogged and soft.
Regularly Apply a Topcoat
Another trick to help make your manicure last longer is to regularly apply a layer of topcoat every few days. This rule also applies when using the best glue on nails that are actually reusable! Keeping up your topcoat a great way to help seal your manicure, prevent chipping, and enhance shine. When applying a topcoat, don’t forget to also seal off the edge of your nail for full coverage.
Keep Your Cuticles Moisturized
Believe it or not, how you treat your cuticles can actually impact the lifespan of your manicure. Moisturized cuticles help keep your nails strong and healthy — this then prevents things like chips and breakage that will totally ruin a manicure. So make sure to apply cuticle oil or another type of moisturizer daily.
Trim Your Nails
Finally, you need to consistently trim your nails bit by bit to keep your manicure in tip-top shape. Nails usually start to chip at the edge, so by trimming them, you eliminate this chipping area. Once you trim and seal with a topcoat — you’re really extending the lifetime of your manicure.
Consistently doing your nails at home takes a lot of time. Consistently getting your nails done at the salon takes a lot of money. So really help make your manicures last longer by prepping and caring for them properly!
