A manicure that doesn’t make it past a day or two can be so frustrating. You know, when you’ve done an at-home manicure and painstakingly tried to re-create what the pros do in the salons. You spent so much time being extra careful not to smudge or get the polish on your skin. You had endless amounts of patience when you were waiting for your nails to dry. Then, a day or so later, you’ve got the dreaded chipping. What was the point of all that time spent?! And yes, this hurts when you’ve paid for a manicure, too. Goodbye, money!
I may sound slightly dramatic here, but I think you get the idea. Like a lot of things in life, why waste your time and money on something that’s not going to last long?
Whether you’re DIY’ing it or going to a salon, there are a few tricks to ensuring your manicure lasts a long time (or, at least, longer than a few days). I turned to nail experts to get the tricks of the trade—here’s what they said.
Before you start painting your nails, you’ll want to do some prepping first. “Gently buff them to create a nice, gritty nail bed for the polish to stick,” suggests nail artist Hang Nguyen.
This is another part of the prep process. “With so much moisturizing we do lately post-hand sanitization, it is extremely important to clean the nail surface thoroughly to remove any oil or lotion residue off of the nail surface pre-polish application in order to ensure that the polish sticks on,” explains editorial nail artist Queenie Nguyen. Alcohol can be used to clean the surface.
“When you’re doing your manicure, always use a base coat, apply your polish in thin layers, and use a topcoat. Thin layers allow the polish to dry more evenly,” says Brittney Boyce, a consulting nail artist for Orly.
Hang Nguyen recommends capping the tip (or painting the end/edge of the nail) after every layer to ensure there’s no lifting or chipping of the polish.
This seems like a no-brainer, but I would guess that a lot of us don’t have much patience in this department. But seriously, wait for your nails to completely dry before doing anything. Queenie Nguyen recommends waiting a bit before doing any heavy physical work, too.
“Reapply the shiny topcoat in between manicure appointments to extend the wear of the manicure,” says Queenie Nguyen. “Or if you do your own nails at home, reapply the topcoat every three to four days to seal everything in.”
You’ve got to keep those nails moisturized! “Apply cuticle oil daily to keep your nails hydrated,” adds Boyce. “I’ve noticed that when cuticles are well hydrated and healthier, manicures tend to last longer.”
Boyce also recommends her clients take breaks in between manicures to let their nails rest so they’re in the best shape.
With all of those tips in mind, it also helps to have a nail polish you know is going to last a long time. You could do all of the above and still notice some chipping because your nail polish isn’t up to snuff. Take a look at some long-lasting options below.
