How to Care for Nail Art

Nail art is a fun way to beautify your nails. Whether you're into intricate designs and stickers or a simple French manicure, there are a few things you will want to do to make sure your nail art lasts for more than a day or two. With a bit of preparation and good technique, you will be able to care for your nail art and enjoy it for many days.

Part 1

Preparing Your Nails

1. Develop healthy fingernails. Since your fingernails are the canvas for your nail art, you want to start with a healthy surface. Strong nails will allow your nail art to look great and last for a long time. To improve your nail health, start with your diet. Make sure you are getting enough biotin, Vitamin E, and omega 3s. If you need help getting these nutrients, try taking a supplement. Protein rich foods will also help your nails grow, so be sure to eat beans, fish and nuts.

Additionally, keeping your hands and nails moisturized and protecting them from harmful elements, such as harsh weather or cleaning chemicals, will go a long way.

2. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before applying polish. This will allow the polish to adhere to your nails. It is important to remove any lotion, dust, or water on your nails right before you begin. These elements create a slick surface that hinders the nail art from adhering and will lessen the nail art's longevity. Starting with a clean, dry surface also helps nail polish to dry quicker and prevents smudging.

To fully remove any oils that might be on your nails, try using nail polish remover before you start, even if you're not wearing nail polish. Apply any kind of nail polish remover to a cotton round and brush over each nail to start with a clean surface.

3. Choose quality nail polish. Avoid ingredients like formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which raise health concerns and have been shows to be allergens. Also, try not to use quick drying nail polish, which can dry out your nails, or hardening nail polish, which can result in your nails breaking or cracking. Instead find nail polishes that are labeled “three-free” to show that they do not include harmful ingredients. This will allow you to wear your nail polish for an extended period of time without it adversely affecting your health.

4. Apply a base coat to your natural nails. Besides protecting your nails from stains, a good base coat gives the polish an ideal surface to adhere to. It creates a sticky surface that the polish will grab onto so that it lasts longer. A good base coat also creates an even surface for your nail art and certain formulas can moisturize your nails. Just make sure to use a quality base coat or it can end up doing more harm than good.

Give your nails two thin coats of base. It acts as double-sided tape for the polish and creates a barrier between your nail and the polish.

Never use top coat as base coat. Top coat is much thicker and has different chemical properties than base coat. It also dries much slower and doesn't have the sticky power of base coat. Not all clear nail polishes are created equally!

Part 2

Drying Your Nail Art

1. Let your paint fully dry. This is of vital importance in creating quality nail art that will last. Besides allowing the initial layers of paint to fully dry, as you add nail art, each additional element needs to dry. For example, if you are painting flowers on your fingers with multicolored petals, allow each color to fully dry before adding the next. This will prevent the paint from running or smudging so that your nail art lasts for a long time. Taking the time to allow paint to fully dry each time you use a new polish is one of the most important things you can do to make long-lasting nail art.

If your design is the same on each nail, it is best to apply one part of the design to each nail and then do the next part of the design on each nail, as opposed to fully painting one nail at a time. This ensures adequate time to allow each element to dry before adding the next part.

2. Apply a top coat when your nail art is fully dry. A top coat adds great protection to your nail art. Consider adding two thin coats of top coat to your finished nail art for extra protection, letting it dry in between coats. Be sure to let your top coat fully dry before you do anything else. Top coat acts as a sealant for the polish, protects it from chipping and fading, and gives it a nice sheen.

Use a quick drying top coat. This is excellent for when you don't want to wait 20 minutes for your nails to completely dry on their own. Since the top coat isn't directly touching your nails, but rather is touching the other paint, you don't need to worry about it drying out your nails. It will protect your nails and speed along the process to avoid smudging.

Avoid using base coat as a top coat. Base coat is tacky for the purpose of adhesion and could harm your nail art rather than protect it. It is also pliable which makes it prone to indentations, which would distort your nail art. Top coat, on the other hand, creates a hard outer cover of protection.

Consider applying an additional top coat every few days. This will help your nails to look freshly polished and stay nick free.

3. Avoid using your hands. This is the only way to allow your hands to dry without damaging your nail art. To fully allow nail polish to dry, wait at least a half hour before using your hands. It is tempting to check your phone or write a quick note, but forgoing these tasks for a half hour will ensure that no harm comes to your nail art.

Play some music or turn the TV on before painting your nails so you'll have something to listen to or watch as your nails dry.

4. Place your nails in front of a fan. This will help your nail art dry effectively and efficiently by helping them to set. Hold your nails in front of a fan for 5-10 minutes. Just don't use too high of a setting or it could cause your nail polish to ripple.

5. Use drying drops or sprays. These work by absorbing solvents in the polish to speed up the drying process. Simply apply a few drops or lightly mist your spray on each finger, and your nails will dry about 10-15 minutes faster.

6. Submerge your nails in ice water. To use this method, fill a bowl with cold water and several ice cubes. Place your partially dry nails in ice water for about a minute. This will harden and dry your nails much faster than letting them air dry. Just make sure you don't hit your nail on the ice, which can mess up your nail art. Also make sure your nails are at least partially dry before submerging them so that the polish doesn't run.

Alternately, you could even stick your hands in the freezer for a few minutes. The cold air will help the polish to set and the circulating air will help the solvent to evaporate.

7. Avoid hot water. For several hours after your manicure, try to keep your hands out of hot water. You might normally wash your hands under hot water without even questioning it. But hot water will fade the color and weaken the layers of your polish. Be mindful of the temperature of water while washing your hair or hands.

Wear gloves when you wash the dishes.

Part 3

Protecting Your Nail Art

1. Apply cuticle oil. When your nails are complete, applying cuticle oil can add protection. Apply generously not only on your cuticles but also on top of your nails. The slick surface of the oil will help deflect any nicks and will act as a barrier so that if you hit your nail on something, the cuticle oil is affected rather than the polish.

Apply the oil after your nail art has dried, and refrain from using your hands for a few minutes.

2. Touch up as needed. In case you do end up with a small smudge, you don't need to completely redo your nails. Instead, fix that one area by repainting it and then when it dries, follow with a layer of top coat. The same is true if one of your nail art elements comes undone. Simply reapply another sticker or gemstone as needed.

3. Moisturize your hands. Apply moisturizer to keep your hands and nails healthy. Consider using one with sunscreen to protect from UV damage. Pay attention to the ingredients of your moisturizer and try to find one with healthy oils, such as almond oil or avocado oil. These will lock in moisture without exposing your hands to any harmful chemicals.

4. Protect your hands. Wear gloves or mittens when your hands are exposed to cold weather. This will prevent them from drying out or getting chapped. When cleaning your house, gardening, or exposing your hands to chemicals, wear rubber, vinyl, or plastic gloves. This will prevent any harm to your hands and allow your nail art to stay on for much longer.

5. Use your hands carefully. Try to pay attention to what you are doing with your hands. You need to take special care of them after your manicure. To protect your nails, many things that are second nature to you need to be approached much more carefully.

Be gentle when picking things up and try not to hit your nails against anything.

Gently lift any items you might drop and avoid rough surfaces.

Be careful while typing. If possible, avoid typing until your nails are dry, and type as little as you can if you want to preserve your nail art.