Here are some tips on how to make a manicure last and look fresh for longer.
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This post is all about how to make a manicure last longer.
When it comes to fingernails, few things are better than a fresh manicure. Besides giving your nails a clean and polished look, a manicure can provide a number of benefits, from supporting healthy nails and hands to alleviating stress and anxiety.
Getting a manicure at a nail salon gives you a spa-like experience that can be relaxing and fun. But the price of the experience may make you want to look for ways to help make your manicure last longer.
Once you get a manicure, the countdown begins when it comes to maintaining a manicure and making your nails look fresh for longer.
How long a manicure lasts depends on a variety of factors, including how the manicure was applied, how fast your nails grow, environmental conditions, and aspects of daily life. In some cases, a manicure may last from a few days to up to two weeks.
Cold, dry weather and daily chores can create conditions that wreak havoc on your hands and nails. Keeping hands and nails moisturized and protected can help to maintain a manicure, as can making sure to take care of nails and apply a manicure properly.
Whether you go to a pro or style your nails at home, here are some tips that may help you keep a manicure looking fresh longer.
How to Make a Manicure Last Longer
These tips may help you keep your manicure looking fresh for longer.
1–Start with Clean Nails
Start with clean, dry fingernails when getting a new manicure. Wiping the nails with isopropyl alcohol can help to remove oils and residue from the nails, making it easier for new polish to adhere to the nails.
Start with dry nails, as moisture can cause the nail polish to crack, lift, or peel more easily.
2–Keep Your Nails Short
Nail polish often starts to chip at the tips of the nails. Keeping your fingernails short— and keeping the nail tips smooth and sculpted—may help to prevent nails from snagging and chipping.
3–Sculpt the Nails
Use an Emory board to file your nails and sculpt them. A fine grit Emory board helps to shape nails and give them a finished look. (Oval or rounded nail shapes can be the easiest ones to sculpt.)
Gently file in one direction, since sawing back and forth can weaken the nails over time.
4–Choose a Subtle Nail Color
Subtle nail polish colors make it harder to notice when nail polish starts to chip or wear away. Sheer nail polish tones can also help to hide imperfections in the manicure.
Apply two to three thin coats of nail polish for a salon-like finish. Use the least amount of strokes possible to cover the nails, making the nail polish looks smoother.
Fixing chipped nail polish when you first notice it may help to preserve the manicure and also keep you from picking at it.
5–Apply Base Coat + Top Coat
Using a three-step system of applying base coat, polish, and top coat can help a manicure to last longer.
A base coat or primer can help nail color to go on more smoothly, and it can also help nail polish to stick to the nails longer.
A top coat creates a clear, hard shell that seals in color to prevent nail polish from chipping. Applying a top coat every two to 3 days helps to preserve the manicure and keep it looking glossy.
Some nail polishes are one-step polish that are meant to be applied without a base coat or top coat.
6–Protect Your Hands and Nails
Daily activities, from showering to washing dishes, can chip away at your manicure. Exposing nails to moisture for long periods of time can weaken the manicure, causing the nail polish to chip or wear away.
Wearing gloves when using household cleaning products, doing chores, or washing dishes can help to protect your hands and manicure to keep it looking fresh longer.
7–Keep Hands and Nails Moisturized
During the fall and winter seasons, hands and nails are especially prone to becoming dry. Cuticle oil, and hand and cuticle cream, can help to keep hands and cuticles soft and moisturized. Stay hydrated to help your skin and nails look and feel their best.
This post was all about how to make a manicure last.
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credits
- Photo by Adrien King / Unsplash
- Photos are for illustrative purposes only.