A good pedicure can brighten your mood and put a spring in your step. But even the prettiest pedicure loses its luster when the polish begins to chip and peel away. Waiting for nail polish to dry can be like, well, like waiting for paint to dry. The more coats of nail polish you apply, the longer the drying time will be. If you’re just going out and want a fast single coat of color, you’ll only have to wait 15 to 20 minutes for it to dry.
If you want a pedicure that last for a couple of weeks, you’ll need to apply a base coat, 2 to 3 coats of color and a top coat to seal it all in. Generally speaking, that will take a good 2 hours of drying time for the nail polish to cure. It can be hard to wait for your nail polish to dry, but impatiently applying more coats of polish when the undercoats haven’t thoroughly dried can cause cracking and peeling just a few days after application. But there are a few simple tips you can use to speed up the drying time and keep your nails looking luscious, longer. And if you don’t want to do it yourself, come visit us for a wonder Signature Pedicure experience.
A Few Pedicure Tips
- Try using formaldehyde free polishes. Formaldehyde free nail polish dries more quickly and is better for you nails as well.
- The thinner the nail polish, the faster it dries. If you use a glittery or old goopy nail polish, be prepared to wait longer for it to dry.
- After you’ve applied a base coat, allowing five minutes for it to dry thoroughly, apply 3 thin layers of color instead of 2 thick layers. It may seem counter intuitive, but a thin layer of nail polish takes only 2 to 3 minutes to dry instead of 5, so this actually lessens the over-all drying time of your pedicure.
- When applying the top coat of polish, try using a fast drying type. Be sure the under coats are completely dry first, as painting a fast drying top coat on nails that haven’t completely dried can cause lumps and pulls in the undercoat and significantly reduces the length of time your pedicure will last.
- To speed up the drying time of your nail polish coats, try holding them under a fan or a hair dryer on cool. Nail drying fans can be found at almost every drug store. Never put your pedicure under a hot dryer. Heat will slow the drying time down.
- Cold water can also help nail polish to set. Putting your toes in a bowl filled with ice water for 1 minute will cure the polish. If that’s too cold for you, running cold water on your feet and toes, but not on the nails themselves, will speed things up too.
- If freezing your toes isn’t your thing, store bought, mineral oil based, spray on nail polish drier is a fast and easy way to dry your nail polish and is available at most drug stores. If you can’t get out to a drug store, spray on cooking oil is a good alternative. Let it sit on your finger tips for a few minute before rinsing it off with cold water.
- Using toe separators and going barefoot or wearing flip flops while you wait for your pedicure to dry to protect your nail polish is always a good idea.
- Remember to keep your nails away from heat for a minimum of 12 hours after you pedicure is done, to make it last. This means no showers, baths or saunas.
So don’t put off a fun pedicure just because you’re worried about a long drying time. Just follow these simple tips and you’ll have great looking nails in the amount of time it takes to relax and watch a movie. If you prefer, come visit us for a professional pedicure experience. You’ll be so glad you did.