Tips for Making Your Manicure Last

Everyone wants the best value for their money. When you invest in the health and appearance of your nails, you want to keep your nails looking nice and neat for as long as possible to increase the value of each salon visit. Here are simple tips and tricks that you can use in order to make your visit to the best nail salons last even longer.

Use the right nail products at home.

You can’t just slather any old thing on your nails and hope for the best. Higher quality products will keep your nails healthy and extend the life of your professional manicure. Ask your nail salon specialist about the best care for your nails in particular, and which products they recommend.

Pro-tip: Use a daily top coat.

Everyone knows the value of a good application of top coat to promote shine and protect your polish from chipping. Use a good top coat daily, or at least every other day, to keep your manicure lustrous and long-lasting.

For goodness’ sake, use that cuticle oil!

One of the biggest visible differences between a mani done at home versus in a professional salon is the particular attention to the cuticles. If you maintain the work of your salon specialist in taking care of your cuticles, it will keep your manicure looking good for a longer time. We recommend purchasing a high quality cuticle oil and massaging gently so that it penetrates the skin and nail deeply—after your daily top coat application, that is!

Be careful when it comes to heat and moisture.

Of course, you can’t avoid personal hygiene and washing your hands, but the less exposure to excessive moisture and heat, the better your manicure will look for longer. Over exposure to moisture causes the nail shape to change as it absorbs, and then shrink again when it dries, wreaking havoc on your manicure. Use gentle soaps and shampoos.

Take extra care to protect your nails while doing housework.

It may seem a little retro, but one of those pairs of long, yellow rubber gloves your grandmother used to use in order to clean her home will be a great asset to your wallet and your manicure. Not only should you use them while washing the dishes, you should also use them while using any cleaning fluid. Bleach and other common household cleaning products, in addition to being hazardous for your health, are not only disastrous when coming into contact with your perfect gel manicure, but horrible for your nails in general. Whether you’re spraying window cleaner or spritzing on furniture polish, make sure that you’re wearing a clean set of gloves.

Never pick at that polish!

This should go without saying, but the information is important enough for it to be acknowledged. Picking at your nail polish, whether it’s your everyday polish, gel, shellac, or what have you, will obviously ruin the appearance of your manicure—but that’s not all. When you pick and peel at your polish, you’re also losing parts of your nail.

If you have a gel manicure, don’t file or trim!

Part of what makes gel manicures last longer and look so nice is the seal that the gel forms around the nail. Anytime that you file down your nail or use fingernail clippers to cut them, you run the very real risk of breaking that seal, thus leading to splitting, chipping, and lifting.

When you do get ready to go back to the salon, let the professionals remove your acrylics, gel, etc.

One of the most important ways to keep your manicure looking great, as mentioned above, is to have good, healthy nail conditions in the first place. Since the removal of these products in themselves can be potentially damaging to your nails if done improperly, you should always leave it to your trusted nail salon specialist. That way, you don’t turn up with disaster nail beds, ripped cuticles, and damaged nail surface!

As for healthy nails, it comes from within.

Not only should you do everything listed above for the health of your nails so that your manicure stays looking sharp, you have to take care of your nails from the inside, too. This means nutritionally. There are several vitamins and minerals, such as b12 and zinc, that contribute to the healthy appearance of nails. Biotin in particular is a wonderful supplement to use, and many women choose to take prenatal vitamins for the health of their nails and hair. Of course, you should always consult with your doctor before adding any supplements to your healthcare regimen.