Ten Tips for a Perfect Nail Polish Job

Natural nails look great with a perfect polish job. Here are the secrets Nail Techs know about getting the most out of a polish job.

1. Dehydrate the nail — Just before polishing nails, douse a cotton swab in acetone (nail polish remover) and rub it over each nail. Repeat the process. This removes any surface oils or particles. Do this step within minutes of beginning the polish job. Waiting more than twenty minutes renders this step ineffective. A dry nail free of oils and particles will allow the polish to adhere better.

2. Use a high-quality base coat — Take a peek in the window of your local salon to see what brand they’re using. OPI and Essie both have excellent base coats. Using a base coat protects your nail from the colored polish. Over time your natural nail will absorb colored polish and become discolored without a base coat. Base coat also creates a perfect surface to which colored polish will adhere.

3. Don’t touch the nail surface during any step of the polish job — Touching the nail before or after any step of the polish job will leave behind oils and cause lifting and peeling of the polish. You may also leave dents or fingerprints in the polish that will ruin a perfect result.

4. Don’t allow polish to touch the cuticle — By leaving a tiny space between your cuticle and where your polish starts improves the longevity of your polish job. When polish runs into the cuticle, oils from your skin will permeate underneath the polish and eventually cause lifting. Avoiding the cuticle also creates a nice clean line rather than one that runs.

5.  Use two coats of colored polish — Most polishes are designed to look best with two coats. Colors will brighten, deepen and become shiniest with two coats. This will also make the polish job last longer.

6. Never shake your polish — Shaking nail polish causes tiny bubbles to form. Instead of shaking, simply roll the polish bottle between your hands to warm and mix it. Do this for about thirty to sixty seconds.

7. Use high-quality nail polish (or lacquer) — Salons use more expensive polishes for a reason. They last longer, and in many cases give of less vapors, protect the health of the nail or have other advantages.

8. Do not wait too long before each layer of the polish job — The quicker you layer your polishes the better  your chances of avoiding particles. Be sure to give each layer a good minute to harden, but by the time you’ve finished one hand, your other hand should be ready for the next layer.

9. Use a high quality top coat — Top coat adds a beautiful shine and protects the colored polish. Top coat also dries differently in order to seal the polish job and protect against particles or dents occurring as all coats dry.

10. Let your polish dry for twenty full minutes — If you don’t have a good forty-five minutes to do the polish job from beginning to end, you will end up with peeling, chips, dents and smudges. A polish job can be ready for gentle activity after twenty minutes, but really takes a full 24-hour period before it is completely dry down to the base coat. Keeping this in mind will help when you’re tempted to reach into your pocket or put on those gloves.

Knowing these salon secrets helps keep nails looking the best they can without getting a professional manicure. There’s no replacement for a professional job, but following these tips will certainly improve the look and longevity of a polish job done at home!