What Happen After Paint Your Nail

How Long Does It Really Take for Nail Polish to Dry?

The experts break information technology all down for us.

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Getting a manicure should be an act of self-care that brings joy, but we all know that sinking feeling that comes with underestimating polish's drying time and accidentally ruining our newly-painted nails. To ensure your nails look their best post-manicure, information technology's important to give that lacquer enough fourth dimension to dry. So, how long does this process really accept? Nosotros asked Kelly Bannon, senior product testing manager at ORLY, and Mimi D, celebrity manicurist and nail artist, to share everything y'all need to know about nail shine drying times. The experts even share ways to speed the process up and the best ways to maintain a fresh manicure then your investment stays in tip-top shape.

adult female painting fingernails at home

Credit: Carol Yepes / Getty Images

Know that drying time varies.

Mimi says that drying fourth dimension depends on a number of things: how many coats y'all employ, how thick each coat is, and what type of polish y'all choose. If you lot consider all these aspects, she says you lot can expect drying time to take anywhere from five minutes to an hour. If you don't take an hr to look, Bannon says you want to at least wait 20 minutes before doing anything with your hands, which will let for the top layer to outset drying. This method isn't foolproof, merely it will at the very least minimize whatever chance of smudging.

You tin speed up the drying fourth dimension.

There are a couple of means to speed up drying time. If you're painting your own nails, Mimi says her top slice of communication is to wait 2 minutes between each coat of shine and paint your nails while you're doing something enjoyable, like watching your favorite TV show, as this volition help pass the time. "Let's say you're watching an hour-long evidence, smooth [your nails] during the prove and permit the polish to dry out during the commercial breaks or vice versa," she says. Bannon adds that polish application is super important when it comes to fast drying times. Instead of two thick coats, she says to opt for 3 sparse ones as thinner layers dry faster than thicker ones. She besides says using nail polish that only requires one to three coats betwixt the basecoat, color, and topcoat will help expedite the procedure.

You'll also want to await into topcoats and fast drying drops. Mimi says a dry fast top glaze really helps with speeding upward the drying fourth dimension. A topcoat similar Zoya'due south Armor Summit Coat ($10, amazon.com) or Olive & June's Super Sleeky Height Coat ($9.79, target.com) are 2 peachy recommendations. Bannon agrees and suggests something similar ORLY's Fast Dry out Drib ($fifteen, amazon.com), which works with the topcoat to dry out polish faster. Other nail drying tips include using an electric or hand fan. Bannon says that even using a accident dryer will assistance speed upwardly dry time (though she warns that you'll need to exist conscientious virtually air bubbles forming or lint accidentally sticking to the polish).

One popular idea that actually doesn't practise much is running your nails under cold water, so it's best to skip this step. "I don't recommend running underwater because then you take to motility and yous run the risk of dinging or smudging your polish," says Mimi. "Information technology would really only work on the elevation layers, and the bottom layers would be wet, so yous'd want to still be careful," Bannon adds.

Prevention is central.

Mimi says the best way to forbid polish from chipping is "capping" the costless edge as your concluding pace with the nail color of your choice when polishing. "This ways sweeping the brush along the very tip of your boom," she says. She also recommends reapplying a meridian coat every other day.

Bannon adds that using a base glaze earlier putting on shine will help keep a manicure look fresh. "Using a basecoat not only helps to prevent staining from the color simply products like the ORLY Bonder Basecoat ($10, ulta.com) is used equally a double-sided double record to assistance prevent chipping from the color," she says. And with household chores that involve frequent utilize of your easily, both Mimi D and Bannon say to wear gloves. "I joke with my clients that their nails are 'jewels' not 'tools,'" says Bannon. "When doing daily activities, specially those that include the use of easily a lot, taking preventive measures similar wearing gloves can help reduce chipping, [and] remembering not to use your nails to open boxes or a can of soda tin besides assist."