There’s nothing like newly manicured nails, whether you do it yourself at home or treat yourself to a salon manicure. And having taken the time to treat your nails you’ll want the results to last as long as possible. Here are our eight tips for making your manicure last longer.
Avoid soaking your nails in water After your manicure, try to avoid soaking your nails in the bath or while washing dishes as this can cause your nail to expand and contract. This can distort the polish and make it chip prematurely. It’s a good idea to wear gloves to help protect nails if you do need to immerse your hands in water.
Buff nails after filing Once you have clipped and filed your nails into your desired shape we recommend that you buff the nails along the free edge of the nail, or the part of the nail that protrudes from the nail bed. This helps to seal the keratin layers that may have split during filing. By smoothing any potential splits, even the ones that are invisible to the eye, it means that your polish will be less likely to chip and crack.
Ensure polish is on the nails and not on your cuticles If you’re doing your own manicure take extra care when applying the polish near your cuticles. You want to avoid getting polish on your cuticles as polish on your skin will come off more quickly than on your nail. If this does happen, the polish on your nail will start to lift as it comes away from the cuticle skin. A tip to help avoid getting polish on your cuticle is to carefully apply a small amount of oily balm around the perimeter of your nail before you apply the base coat. This oily balm will act as a barrier between your skin and the nail so that if you do accidentally get some polish on your cuticles it will easily wipe off.
Keep cuticles pushed back Using a cuticle pusher gently keep cuticles pushed back to help create space on your nail plate. This will help you avoid getting polish on your cuticles as mentioned in point three above.
Keep nails hydrated Having well hydrated and nourished nails will mean your nails are less likely to be weak or brittle. Nail polish will last longer on strong, healthy, hydrated nails so it’s a good idea to regularly use a good quality nail oil in your nail care routine.
Use a base coat We highly recommend using a good quality base coat before applying your chosen nail polish. Base coats include vitamins, minerals and moisturisers that help to nourish the nail and keep them strong. Nail polish is much less likely to split or chip on strong, nourished nails.
Use a top coat Err on the side of caution and give your polish the full 10 minutes to set. Once the time is up try to be extra careful with your nails for a while after to avoid any annoying dents or chips in your polish.
Be patient and let polish fully set A good quality top coat is essential to help polish from chipping over time. It is also a good idea to add a fresh layer of top coat a few days after your manicure as it can sometimes start to wear off.
With these tips you’re sure to experience beautifully manicured nails for longer. With all polishes, it’s a good idea to remove it once it eventually does start to show signs of wear and tear and use it as an opportunity to check in with the overall health of your natural nail.
Check out our in-salon manicure treatments and our range of at-home manicure products.
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