How To Keep Nail Polish From Chipping
Photo of hands together with periwinkle and glitter nail paint by deanna alys on Unsplash
Updated 2024.08.08. This page contains affiliate links and this site earns from qualifying purchases made through these sponsored links.
Preventing chipped nails. Get your manicured nails to last with these 9 tips for keeping nail polish from chipping.
In this post are a few ideas to help you increase your manicure’s lifespan.
Getting a chip in your manicured nails is always a bummer, especially if it’s within the first few days of your fresh coat of paint.
While it is fun to switch up colors frequently, there are times when you want to extend your manicured nails life for as long as it will go. This post is for that time.
Outside of switching to gel polish or nail polish strips, each have their place in this world, you can get a standard nail lacquer manicure to last chip-free.
Below, are 9 tips for keeping nail polish from chipping -
Photo of woman holding succulent with red nail polish by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
1 - Buff down a rough nail surface before applying paint
2 - Use a nail polish primer
3 - Try a sticky base coat
4 - Choose shades from long-wearing lines
Certain nail polish brands, and specifically certain lines within those brands, are formulated for long-wearing finishes.
5 - Choose shades from long-standing brands
Brands that have been in business for more than 20+ years (OPI and essie were both launched in 1981) tend to have their formula on lockdown and have achieved consistency in what you can expect formula-wise.
If you start with the best sellers advertised within those brands, you’re even more likely to find a high-quality nail polish that lasts.
6 - Coat the nail tip with polish
After your first coat of color paint, wipe a brush with polish on it over the tip of each nail. This is called painting the free-edge and it can decrease the occurrence of tip wear, where your nail tips chip early on in your manicure’s lifespan.
7 - Try a long-wearing top coat
8 - Avoid using nails as tools
If this is a habit of yours, it may take some retraining yourself, but it is essential to do. Most people have a single nail they use to open cans, boxes, to peel off stickers, or scratch food off plates as they do dishes.
This nail is then notorious for chipping. If you want to stop getting chips in recurring places, use a butter knife to open a can, a box cutter for a box, a plastic paint scraper for removing adhesives and so on.
9 - Avoid submerging the hands in water for long periods of time
Most nail polish is water resistant but not waterproof. If you take baths, keep your manicured nails on the edges of the tub. If you do all your dishes by hand, wear cleaning gloves.
Nail polish may not chip when it’s submerged in water but it will peel or lift which will lead to chipping, so this is one way to circumvent chipping.
Photo of hands together with periwinkle and glitter nail paint by deanna alys on Unsplash with text overlay How To Keep Nail Polish From Chipping
So to recap, 9 tips for keeping nail polish from chipping:
Buff down a rough nail surface before applying paint
Use a nail polish primer
Try a sticky base coat
Choose shades from long-wearing lines
Choose shades from long-standing brands
Coat the nail tip with polish
Try a long-wearing top coat
Avoid using nails as tools
Avoid submerging the hands in water for long periods of time
Each of these strategies may require a change in your lifestyle and nail care habits, so consider making one tweak at a time to your routine until you notice results.
If starting anywhere, the best place to start is with what you have - do you already have a buffer? Cleaning gloves? Can you try painting the free edge next time?
After you start with easy behavior changes, then head to the product changes, such as getting the primer, sticky base coat or getting your long-lasting polish collection up to speed.
Wishing you that the dream long lasting manicure is just ahead -
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