Those who like to paint their nails regularly know the annoying wait until the paint has finally dried. What many do not know: There are various (home) ways and means to shorten the process – which ones are explained in this article.
If this has not happened to you before: The nails have just been freshly painted and yet it takes less than five minutes for the first flaws to become visible. In most cases, the drying time was not adhered to – although it must be said here that there is no guarantee that the paint is really dry if you adhere to the recommended waiting time. Because the fact is: The drying phase varies depending on how thick you apply the paint. Therefore, the manufacturer’s minute specifications for how long a nail polish has to dry are not always applicable. The good news is, there are helpful tips on how to speed up the process. We will introduce you to seven of them.
These tricks will let the nail polish dry quickly
Basically, the same rule of thumb applies to all nail polishes: the more layers you apply, the longer the paint has to dry. Regardless of how many minutes the manufacturer recommends. It usually takes at least five minutes for ordinary nail polish to cure – if you apply another layer, the waiting time is extended by another ten to 15 minutes. A third layer therefore only hardens after about 30 minutes. Painting the nails becomes a real test of patience. You can shorten this process significantly with the following seven tricks:
1. Cold (ice) water
Take a large bowl, fill it with cold water and add a few ice cubes. After that, paint your nails as usual and let the paint dry for at least a minute. Then dip your fingertips in the water and let the nail polish harden for one to two minutes. In theory, this also works under running water, but too high a water pressure can damage the paintwork. In addition, several liters of water would have to be wasted for this.
2. Top Coat
This is a so-called quick dryer that is applied to the fingernails after painting. The top coat is clear and seals the paint underneath quickly (within ten to 20 seconds) and effectively. In addition, the so that the nail polish can withstand external influences for longer. In other words, quirks and scratches should be seen less often or at least significantly later.
3. Drying spray
The quick drying one has the same function as a top coat, only it is not painted directly on the paint, but sprayed over it. Due to the spray, it is important not to hold the can too close to your fingernails so that the fresh paint is not attacked. It is best to keep the drying spray 30 centimeters from your nails before applying it. It must then act for at least 20 seconds before the paint hardens. Repeat the process two or three times.
4. Hair dryer
Have you ever tried to dry your freshly painted nails faster by blowing or breathing on them? Then you surely know that this method is not very promising – because you only add more moisture to the paint. In fact, dry air can help the nail polish set faster. For example with a hair dryer: set it to the cold setting and hold it at a distance in front of your fingernails for 45 to 60 seconds (after they have been allowed to dry for 30 seconds).
5.UV-Lamp
Alternatively, you can use artificial heat to let the nail polish dry quickly. All you need is a special lamp that uses UV light. It should be noted, however, that not every paint is suitable for this process: only gel paints, which contain so-called polymers, dry under a . Hold your hands in the light for a few minutes to allow the nail polish to harden faster.
6. Quick drying nail polish
Or you make a conscious decision when buying for a quick-drying variant: Depending on the manufacturer, the paint should be cured after 60 seconds – although there is no guarantee here either. And it always depends on how many layers you apply on top of each other.
7. Quick-Dry-Tropfen
Another way to let nail polish dry is with these (for example from Essie). Their job is to let the solvents in the paint evaporate faster so that the paint hardens. Important to know: only apply the drops to the nail polish after it has been allowed to dry for 60 seconds. Use only one or two drops and then wait for them to soak into the nail polish.
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I am a 24-year-old writer and journalist who has been working in the news industry for the past two years. I write primarily about market news, so if you’re looking for insights into what’s going on in the stock market or economic indicators, you’ve come to the right place. I also dabble in writing articles on lifestyle trends and pop culture news.
