Painting your nails is a fun way to get glam hands, but don’t you wish your nail polish dried faster?
There tends to be a point where, after painting your nails, you’re forced to sit perfectly still and not touch a thing. Even when you think it’s dry, it’s often not, and something simple like taking a shower or putting on your shoes can smudge it.
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This is where you need advice. We’ve found some tried and tested ways to make your nail polish dry fast.
Not only are there hacks for faster drying nails, but we’ve also found products that can ensure your nail polish is dry and cured in no time!
Is there a way to make nail polish dry faster?
In short, yes. There are a few ways to make nail polish dry faster.
The first, and most obvious one is to buy fast-drying nail polish. Some brands do a fast-drying nail polish that claims to be dry in 1-5 minutes. That’s not at all bad when you consider some nail polishes take well over 10 minutes to dry.
Of course, you could switch up your manicure and use a gel polish. Gel polish cures under UV light, so you’re not waiting around for hours until you can use your hands again. There are loads of colours and styles of gel polish, so switching from traditional polish shouldn’t be an issue.
Using a nail dryer is also an option. You could invest in a salon nail dryer that blows out warm air and encourages your nail polish to dry. Alternatively, you could just give your nails a quick blast with the hairdryer.
Running your hand under cold water is said to make your nail polish dry faster. I’m not entirely sure how adding water aids evaporation, but the water seems to react to the polish and thicken it, which in turn seems to reduce drying time.
Another method to dry your nails faster is to invest in some fast-drying topcoat. To use it, just paint over the top of your nail polish and let it get to work. These special speedy topcoats contain chemicals that help absorb the solvents in nail polish, causing them to solidify quicker.
How can I dry my nails in 5 minutes?
The best way to have fully dry nails in 5 minutes is to use gel nail polish and cure it under a UV light. Gel polish is one of the fastest-drying nail polish options and probably the most durable too. Gel manicures can last 2-3 weeks and stay glossy and strong for the whole time they’re on.
Gel nail polish does need a couple of coats, but it’s feasible that you could have beautiful, completely dry manicure in 5 minutes or under (providing you don’t try any intricate designs!)
If traditional nail polish is more your bag, then a combination of fast-drying nail polish and a nail polish air dryer machine is your best bet. Paint thin coats of the fast-drying nail polish and give each hand a blast under the dryer between coats.
How many hours does it take for nail polish to fully dry?
While your nail polish might feel quite dry after 15 minutes, it can actually take up to 2 hours to dry fully. This is why people often smudge nail polish they believe to be completely dry – until the formula has fully cured, it’s still quite easy to smear.
Can you dry nail polish faster with a hair dryer?
Using a hairdryer on your nails can help your nail polish dry quicker. It works very much the same way as an air nail dryer, by blowing out air over your nails and aiding evaporation. One thing you need to watch out for is that you don’t apply too much heat. The heat in the atmosphere can stop your nail polish from drying, so use the cool feature on your hairdryer to get the best results.
Can you buy fast drying nail polish?
Waiting for traditional nail polish to dry can be a real pain. Luckily, some brands make fast drying nail polish.
These fast-drying options are usually one of three things – fast-drying nail polish, fast-drying topcoat, or gel nail polish.
The fast-drying nail polish is a special formula of nail polish that makes it dry faster. The topcoat option absorbs solvents in nail polish to aid drying, and gel polish is different altogether and needs to be cured under UV light, rather than waiting for it to evaporate.
What is the best way to make your nail polish dry faster?
The best way to make your nail polish dry faster is often a combination of methods.
While using gel polish and curing it with UV is the fastest and most durable option, that doesn’t help you if all you’ve got access to is regular nail polish.
If you specifically want to dry traditional nail polish fast, then you’ll need to get savvy with your speed hacks.
The first, important step is to paint thin layers of nail polish. A couple of thin layers is far superior to one thick one. It’ll dry quicker, harden better, and have a much nicer finish.
If you’re using the thin layers method, try teaming it up with using a nail blower or the cool setting of your hair dryer to allow each layer to dry well before applying the next one. Once you’ve applied your last layer and used a blower on it, you can then dip it in cool water. This can set the polish and help stop it from smudging.
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Tried & tested ways of drying nail polish quickly.
There are quite a few methods that are said to make your nail polish dry faster. Some have already been mentioned above, but not every method has been touched upon.
Different people in the nail community have different views on what works and what doesn’t. Below are some methods that have been tried and tested by real people who love experimenting with home manicures.
- Put your nails in a bowl of ice – cold air and cold water can help dry nail polish, and a bowl of ice provides both. It might not be the most comfortable way to dry your nails quickly!
- Cover your nails in olive oil – oil is thought to speed up the drying process, which is ideal if that’s what you’re after. Oil also stops your nails from feeling tacky, adds a shine and moisturizes your cuticles too. So, whether it helps dry your nails or not, it’s probably still worth applying.
- Use a cool air blower – cool air works better than hot air for drying your nails and helping them set.
- Run your nails under a cold tap – cold water is thought to help set drying nail polish.
- Spray hairspray on your nails – it might make your fingertips feel sticky, but in the absence of a quick-drying topcoat, some nail enthusiasts swear by using hairspray to set their manicures.
- Spray with compressed air – this works in a similar way too using a hairdryer on the cool setting. Compressed air shoots out at a low temperature – perfect for drying nails!
- Use a fast-drying topcoat – some brands make products specifically designed to make your nail polish dry faster. If you’re not a fan of the other drying methods, give a fasty-drying topcoat a go.