How to Make Nail Polish Last Longer, According to Manicurists (2024)

By

Reviewed by

Nail Educator

• Adriana Lombardi, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Surgery Center of New Jersey (SCCSNJ).
• Elle Gerstein is a celebrity nail artist and imPRESS partner who has worked on clients like Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, and Michelle Williams.

Don't Skimp on Prep

As the old adage reads, "An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure." The same goes for your nails. Aside from the obvious stuff like filling and clipping, celebrity manicurist and imPRESS partner Elle Gerstein stresses the importance of washing your hands pre-manicure and cleaning the nail with alcohol—not acetone. "This will remove excess oils and get you lint-free," she says. This allows the polish to stick to the nail for longer.

Keep Them Short

While long nails are lovely, it's a fact that they don't hold up as well as shorter cuts do. Shorter nails are less likely to break, chip, and peel so opt for this style when clipping and filing.

Choose Your Top Coat Wisely

Choosing to go matte or high shine aren't the only questions to ask yourself when selecting a top coat. You'll want to opt for a formula that boasts chip resistance, protection, and strengthening—and bonus points if there is a hydrating component, too. The Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat Nail Polish is both a professional and user favorite thanks to its affordable price and long lasting results.

Use the Right Base Coat

We all know that it's what's on the inside that counts, right? While many are quick to blame the polish or the top coat for their manicure woes, the basecoat is equally, if not more important—and it's a step that many skip over entirely. By using a grippy, strong basecoat, you'll significantly extend the life and look of your manicure. Gernstein loves the Orly Bonder. "This rubberized base anchors any nail lacquerto extend your manicure," she says.

Reapply Your Top Coat Every 2-3 Days

Contrary to popular belief, top coat is not a set-it-and-forget-it type of application. Like most things worthwhile in life, it requires maintenance. For best results and preservation of your mani, reapply your top coat every two to three days.

Take Care of Chips Right Away

Ever look at a chipped nail, roll your eyes, get annoyed and then totally forget about it? Yep, us too. But tackling chips when they first happen will help to preserve your manicure in a few ways and the sooner you restore your nails to a cohesive, flaw-free look, the better. Odds are if you let the chip sit, you just might peel and pick your way into mani-destruction. Also, fixing the chip will prevent it from spreading and getting worse on its own.

Use Gloves

Protecting your hands from water, harsh household cleaners, and any heavy-duty work is always a good idea, but it is an especially important part of protecting your polish, too. Celebrity manicurist Michele Saunders previously told Byrdie readers to avoid damaging their nails and cuticles by wearing quality rubber gloves anytime you engage in handy work.

Skip the Hot Bath

You know how you can get pruny after spending too much time in the pool or bath? Well, just think of what that's doing to your nails at the same time. Being submerged in water for a significant amount of time can result in moisture seeping in beneath the surface of the polish, which can cause peeling and flaking prematurely.

Dermatologist and founder of the Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Surgery Center of New Jersey (SCCSNJ) Adriana Lombardi, MD, says that although nails are firm to the touch, they are "actually made of several layers that can absorb water. Submerging your hands in water or taking long, hot baths can make the nails expand as they absorb the water." Then, when they dry, they contract. The expanding and contracting can cause the chipping of your polish.

Let Them Dry Properly

Waiting for your nail polish to dry is about as exciting as, well, watching paint dry. But, it's a necessary evil if you want to preserve your mani. Did you know that most polishes aren't completely dry for nearly an hour after application? We were surprised, too.

So even though they may feel dry to the touch after a few minutes, or if you've had them in the dryer for the recommended amount of time, it's not really hardened and settled for quite some time after that. Keep this in mind and tread very carefully while your nails are still wet.

Choose Your Color Wisely

While we love vibrant, deep, dark hues for a statement mani, unfortunately, they are the first to show nail growth, breakage, and chipping. So, to make your mani last longer (or at least look good for a bit longer) opt for more mellow colors like pastels and neutrals or even a French manicure.

Wipe with Vinegar

Did you know that wiping your bare nails with white vinegar will help to remove excess oils and serves as a natural cleanser pre-mani? Swipe each nail with vinegar on a cotton swab and let them air dry to ensure a clean slate for your manicure. Then, apply base coat, polish, and top coat.

Paint Only Your Nails

It's not intentional, but sometimes when applying polish, it will bleed onto your cuticles or skin. Try to avoid this at all costs, because it can essentially break the seal between the polish and your nail so that when it comes off your skin or cuticle, it will lift off the nail as well.

Don't Bite

This sounds like a no-brainer but is often easier said than done. Even if you're not a nail biter, biting your cuticles or any skin around the nail can lead to a manicure disaster, so avoid biting or putting your fingers anywhere near your mouth. For many, biting your nails is a subconscious nervous habit. In other words, when you feel the urge to do so, try to focus on your breath instead (three breaths slowly in, three out). There are also foul-tasting top coats you can try, too.

Roll, Don't Shake

It seems to be a common practice to bang the bottom of the nail polish bottle on your palm, or to shake it up to get even color and the last bit out of the bottle—but in doing so, you'll create air bubbles. Then, when you apply the polish, even though the bubbles may be undetectable, they'll cause your mani to chip faster than it should. Instead of shaking or tapping, roll the bottle between your palms at a rapid but smooth pace.

Cool It

Ever use a blowdryer to dry your nails? Don't! There's no need for heat to aid in the drying process as it will delay drying. Instead, use cool air or a fan at room temperature.

Submerge in Ice Water

Instead of impatiently running out before your nails are dry, try this speed-drying technique instead: Fill a bowl with ice water, submerge your nails for about three or four minutes, and when the water begins to bead up on the surface of your nails, you'll know you're done. This will also harden the polish more than a standard air dry. By speeding up your drying time, you're less likely to smudge them before they're ready.

Wrap the Tip

When applying the polish, be sure to wrap the polish around the tip, following the curvature of the nail and finishing slightly underneath the tip. If you just stop at the tip of your nail, it leaves them more prone to chips and cracks. However, by wrapping, you essentially create a seal that makes the manicure harder to damage.

Buff Your Nails Before Applying Polish

Buffing the nails can help polish adhere better because it works to remove any natural oils that might otherwise interfere with a product. Plus, it helps to seal the nail post file, and creates a clean base on which to apply polish.

Push Back Cuticles Before a Mani

Not only does pushing your cuticles back lengthen the nail and make it appear longer, but it allows polish to bond to the nail (rather than to the cuticle). The result is a manicure that lasts longer, as the polish will be less likely to lift and peel off.

Apply Thinner Coats

There's a reason nail salons often add a drop of acetone to a bottle of nail polish: it makes polish easier to apply and (counter-intuitively) helps manicures to last longer. That's because the thinner consistency is less likely to clump up and lift off of the nail.

Be Gentle with Your Tips

It may seem like common sense, but Gernstein reminds us that your freshly-painted hands should be treated like "jewels, not tools." She recommends using a knife to open a can of soda rather than your tips and avoiding hand-washing dishes, and using the dishwasher instead.

• Use a base coat and top coat to both protect your nails and extend the length of your manicure.
• Using gloves when washing dishes and cleaning around the house will help protect your nails.
• Remove any natural oils before applying nail polish.