How To Get A Manicure To Last Longer
Photo of person with painted pink nails typing at a keyboard by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Updated 2024.08.11. This page contains affiliate links and this site earns from qualifying purchases made through these sponsored links.
If you are wondering, how can I make my manicure last longer? Read on -
Manicures are a great way to show yourself some love, protect your nail bed, and have something beautiful to look at during the day.
They can be a great way to boost your mood. However, the process of giving yourself a manicure can be time consuming - and you may not have this time every night for a new look.
While it is fun to switch up nail designs frequently, some weeks, you simply like your manicured nail design too much, or have a lot going on, and you want to stretch your fresh paint as far as you can.
The below tips can help you get a longer wear out of your manicured nails, no matter which brand of polish you use -
Vertical photo of person with heart tattoo on hand and painted pink nails, holding bright pink flowered plant by Disha Sheta from Pexels
Avoid using your nails as tools
Most of us have one nail that takes the brunt as the tool. For many it is the thumb nail, which can show chips pretty early on.
When your nails are freshly painted, simply refrain from using any nail as a blunt force tool. It may take some practice, but using actual tools for the tasks intended can help extend your fresh coat of paint.
When you have a fresh manicure, don’t use your nails to screw in wall hooks, open cat food cans, or even to scratch off old adhesives and tape.
Most importantly, avoid using your nails for any tool-related task that requires torque, or a bend of movement - such as opening canned goods or assembling furniture.
Use actual tools for these tasks instead. You probably have one within your reach for just about any chore that is on your to-do list.
Cover your nails when submerging them in water
Whether you are taking a bath or doing the dishes, soaking your manicure in still or running water can create chips in your manicure.
Water gets underneath any area where polish is just slightly lifting, and it will create more lift, releasing the bonds that attach polish to the nail, creating larger chips.
Submerging your hands in water is a surefire way to reduce your timeline of keeping your manicure perfect.
After submerging your hands in water for as little as 15-minutes, chips can appear within that same hour.
To avoid this, if taking a bath, keep your hands out of the bathwater and rest them on the sides of the tub.
Wear gloves when gardening (or when doing any dirt-related activity)
Another note on gloves.
While it is fun to play in the dirt, plant vegetables and design your potting arrangements, doing so with bare hands invites fine scratches into your polish and organic material into the cuticles and under the nail tip, inviting chips, tip wear and dullness.
Doing so will give you both a beautiful flower display, and beautiful nails.
Note: this one also applies to any activity involving soil or organic matter, such as when cleaning animal cages.
Freshen any tip wear 3-4 days in, if needed
Dullness on the tips is usually the first sign of a manicure past its prime. On the tips of the nails is where the chips most easily appear.
Tip wear is one of the easiest ways to spot a fresh manicure from one that is worn.
If you notice yourself getting tip wear, where polish pulls back from the tips of the nails, within a few days of a fresh manicure, simply swipe the tips of the nails oil with a thin, fresh coat of matching polish.
Give it a few minutes to fully dry before moving on to the next task.
This will conceal any light wear on your tips, and give you a few more days to enjoy a fresh manicure look.
Reapply a top coat 3-4 days in
Due to cleaning solutions, hand sanitizers, hand soaps, and general wear, the top coat can show wear in any manicure pretty quickly.
As soon as your manicure begins to look dull, or shows signs of lifting, tip wear, or has a crack or chip, simply reapply one coat of any top coat you love.
This will protect the manicure that’s left, while extending your overall manicure for up to four more days.
If you’ve already freshened any tip wear, as mentioned above, simply wait for that to dry, then re-apply your top coat.
Vertical photo of person with heart tattoo on hand and painted pink nails, holding bright pink flowered plant by Disha Sheta from Pexels with text overlay How To Get A Manicure To Last Longer
So to recap, try these tips to make your manicure last longer:
Avoid using your nails as tools
Cover your nails when submerging them in water
Wear gloves when gardening (or when doing any dirt-related activity)
Freshen any tip wear 3-4 days in, if needed
Reapply a top coat 3-4 days in
The above are just a few of the secrets of how to make your manicure last longer, extending the wear time of your polish.
They are all simple changes, but simple changes can be effective, and make days of a difference.
You don’t have to wait to see wear in your manicure to do any of the above.
All of the tips above can be used as preventative measures, before you notice any damage to your manicure.
So in the weeks when you want to preserve your polish for as long as possible, try at least 1-3 of the above to get a couple more days of your manicure.
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