Tips To Making Your Traditional Manicure Last Longer
Do you still enjoy a traditional manicure? Want your manicure to last up to 8 to 10 days? Here's some tricks to a longer lasting manicure ...
Although gel manicures are amaze balls, especially when done properly, some people still enjoy a traditional manicure with lacquer. With care you can get your manicure to last up to 8 to 10 days. Here’s a few tricks to how..
• Thorough Manicure
The purpose of a manicure is to clean the nail. You are removing the polish, cuticle, hang nails, etc. while filing, shaping, buffing, and prepping the nail for the finished product. If polish is placed on top of any cuticle or debris, when the nail starts to grow the polish will detach from the nail and most likely chip.
• Make Sure the Nail is Completely Dehydrated
Just like hair, when wet, the nail stretches. When it drys, it shrinks. If you apply polish to a wet nail, when the nail drys the polish most likely will chip. Completely dry manicures are the best way to prevent this. I know people still enjoy a wet manicure so 100% alcohol, acetone, and OPI Bond Aid are my go to’s to dehydrate the nail for any service.
• Thin Even Coats
Ever received a manicure and were able to peel the polish off like a sticker? It may have been applied too thick. You want to make sure the coats of your base, lacquer, & top are thin, even layers. Be sure none of the polish is touching the cuticles and skin. As stated before, if the polish is applied to the cuticles, when the nail grows polish will lift and chip.
• Base and Top Coats
Base and topcoat are important parts of your manicure. The base coat protects your nail from staining to say the least. Your topcoat seals polish. Rather it’s a high shine or trendy matte finish, its the icing on top. My favorite traditional base coat is CND sticky. My favorite top coat is Seche Vite Fast Dry topcoat. My clients tend to have great results when I use this combo.
• Avoid Soaking Hands
Soaking your nails in water causes your nails to stretch. It softens your nails and the polish on top. Soaking hands includes anything from long baths to washing dishes. Gloves are your best option when cleaning. If your job requires you to always have your hands in water, traditional manicures may not be for you.
• Long Wear Lacquer
Long where lacquer has become one of my new favs! It’s formulated to double your manicure wear. So, if you normally get 4 days from your traditional manicures, with long wear lacquer you can get 8! There is no soaking required to remove it. My favorite long wear brand is Essie Couture. They have amazing colors. The process for Essie Couture is very simple, just lacquer and topcoat. Your favorite polish remover at home will do the job. Also the brush is shaped perfectly for at home use.
• Add a thin layer of top coat
I was hesitant about adding this tip. Reason being, we all have that bottle of top coat at home that we've had for years. The shelf life of an opened bottle of top coat is about 2 years. If you add a layer of thick, sticky, and old top coat to a great manicure, you'll ruin it. So I'll say this, start fresh with a new bottle. Applying a thin even layer of top coat every 3 to 4 day to your nails will help to prevent chipping and enhance shine.
• If your polish starts to chip, file them down and add top coat
The polish on the tips of your nails are more likely to chip due to everyday wear and tear like typing and even grabbing things out of your purse. If this happens simply file down the tips and apply a thin layer of top coat to seal.
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