Every girl takes care of her hands and gets her nails done. Therefore, everyone is probably familiar with the situation when it was not possible to quickly dry the nail polish, because it was not known in advance how long it would take for the nail polish to dry, but it was time to run errands. As a result, everything needs to be done extremely slowly and carefully, because as soon as you touch the nail, the coating is smeared or imprinted. You have to either quickly redo the damaged nail, or, if there is absolutely no time, completely remove the coating and go with “bare” hands. To avoid such incidents, you need to know how long it takes for nail polish to dry.
On average, it takes 15-20 minutes, but the time may vary due to certain factors. A lot depends on the material used:
- It is necessary to use high-quality varnish. Cheap varnish may dry fairly quickly, but it won't even last until the end of the day.
- Keep an eye on the expiration date
- Store in a cool place, protected from the sun
- After use, close the lid tightly, as evaporation occurs, the varnish thickens and dries, and if the consistency has become denser, then drying will take longer. In this case, you can drip a special thinner
- Glitter and glitter polish will take longer to dry.
- The richer the color, the longer it takes to dry.
The drying time depends on the thickness of the applied coating. The larger it is, the longer it takes to dry, so you need to apply the varnish in a very thin layer.
If the nail plate is poorly painted, it is better to wait until the first layer dries, then apply the second. There is a slight subtlety here; if you apply a second layer to a wet varnish, the first one may be smeared under the brush. You should also take into account the ventilation of the room and the temperature in it.
Varnish drying rate
The varnish consists of special enamel and coloring pigments. A durable layer will take 20-25 minutes. Please note that decorative varnishes require more time.
The amount of time allowed for drying depends on several factors.
- Brand and product quality;
- Preparation of nail plates;
- Room temperature, humidity level.
However, there are other aspects that deserve attention.
Alkyd solutions
They also contain organic solvents, are resistant to moisture, and create a durable, protective layer. It is best to apply varnish from an aerosol can. Many people ask how long does alkyd varnish take to dry? It takes about 4 days for it to dry completely, but if you add a hardener to the composition, this period will be reduced to one day.
They produce quick-drying alkyd solutions called alkyd-urethane varnish solutions. Due to the presence of urethane alkyds, the drying time is 10-12 hours.
Reasons why varnish takes a long time to dry
The popularity and high cost of varnishes does not guarantee absolute success.
The unprofessional performance of the master leads to disastrous consequences:
- The varnish takes a long time to dry and lays on the surface in an uneven layer.
- Subsequently, cracks and bubbles appear.
- Other defects cannot be excluded.
Outdated varnish
With a large assortment of colors, it is problematic to choose the appropriate shade option for the current image. Sometimes craftswomen resort to old varnishes, the shelf life of which is already questionable.
This is definitely a bad approach and should be avoided. Expired products cause additional costs.
Oily surface
You cannot apply enamel after cream - a common mistake of most craftswomen. Due to the greasy film, the surface is uneven and the varnish takes a long time to dry.
Therefore, it is recommended to wash your hands before the procedure, and then use a cosmetic degreasing product.
Many layers of varnish
For greater saturation, varnishes are applied in two layers. What does this mean? If you perform the procedure carelessly, the enamel will be rough when it dries.
- Professionals practice a double thin layer.
- The next layer of paint is applied after complete drying.
- Test by lightly touching the surface of the nail.
- If it is sticky, then it is too early to start the second stage.
What do the professionals advise?
To avoid wasting time, adhere to the following aspects:
- Cheap products attract low cost, but not high quality. Manufacturers save on fixatives, so the drying time of a cosmetic product is much longer than that of high-quality and expensive products.
- Varnishes are stored in a cool place. If exposed to sunlight, the product will quickly deteriorate.
- Do not forget to close the lid of the cosmetic product, otherwise the substance will lose its elasticity. If you need to return the previous structure, add drops of solvent. True, this does not always work.
When painting, color is taken into account. Coloring products with additional decoration elements are time consuming.
How long does it take to dry two layers of nail polish?
yennifer
2005-11-02 13:30:00 (link)
If the varnish does not dry in 15 minutes, then IMHO it belongs in the trash.
It's a shame, but what can I do? Varnishes also fly there, which must be applied in more than one layer. What companies would you recommend then?
whysherie
2005-11-02 13:27:00 (link) yes, it also takes a long time for me to dry, so I apply makeup at night, either before vocals or before a movie or a bath - in general, so that I have an hour in my stash, people recommend various magic fixatives for oil-based, which manicurists use, it is claimed that after them everything dries in about 10 minutes and you can go outside. but practice shows that after this it’s still better not to get into your purse with your claws, everything will come off.
Now I’ve switched to a light version, not 4 layers but 2 (base + varnish) - life has become more fun
leggie
2005-11-02 13:48:00 (link) almost the same garbage there are dryers for varnish - for example, Orly has them, i.e. . you smear everything you need on top of this, then it dries more
Simple and fast
First, let's try to solve the problem in a traditional way without any complex approaches:
- Immerse your hands in cold water to reduce the amount of time it takes to dry. This is the simplest known method, but there is a risk of enamel peeling. Experiment with other polishes to determine effectiveness with a particular product.
- A hairdryer with a switch to cold air will solve the problem. There are positive reviews online from professionals who have already tried this technique. The other side of the coin: you need to take out the hair dryer without damaging the top layer of enamel. For convenience, it is better to lay everything out on the table before starting the painting procedure. Find yourself without a hairdryer? Use a fan.
- The freezer is a known working method. Place your hands in the freezer for a few minutes to set the nail polish.
Three life hacks
If you don’t have special products on hand, try equally effective ways to speed up the drying of your nails.
Ice water
Take a small basin or bowl, fill it with cold water, and throw some ice into the water. Immerse your fingers in the water for a couple of minutes.
The varnish dries quickly under the influence of low water temperature
If you are going to dry your manicure this way, do not apply a thick layer of varnish: the coating may lose its smoothness.
Video: experiment with painted nails and cold water
Cold air
Hairdryer, air conditioner, fan - any of these devices will probably be found in your home. However, it is necessary to take into account that the hairdryer is used in cold air mode, since hot air does not harden the varnish coating, but becomes softer and risks swelling and peeling.
Cold can be used in another way: before you start painting your nails, put the polish in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. This “cold” manicure will dry faster. For the same reason, varnish should be stored at room temperature.
Vegetable oil
A few minutes after applying the polish, place a drop of olive or other vegetable oil on your nails and lightly spread the oil over the surface of the nail plates with light movements of your fingertips. Leave on for 3-4 minutes and then rinse off with cool water. The oil will not only dry out the polish, but will also have a beneficial effect on the cuticle.
Instead of oil, you can use cooking spray: it also has a fat base.
Video: how to dry varnish with olive oil
Specialized drugs
The market offers various products for beauty salons, with an impressive wide range. Enamels in different color variations are sold on store shelves; means for fixing nail polish.
Tops
Chemical cosmetic for effective drying and fixing. At first glance it looks like an ordinary varnish, but in fact it is an effective product that is easy to use.
Apply the paint varnish to the surface, and then wait a few minutes until the base layer dries.
- This product is impressive because it not only promotes quick drying.
- It strengthens the enamel, increasing durability and giving it greater expressiveness.
- To avoid premature damage, apply the product in a thin layer.
Spray
Express drying is suitable for beginners. After designing your nails, just spray them with a spray. Then wait for a few minutes. The composition of the spray contains useful components to care for the skin of the hands and cuticles.
Oils
This refers to oil-based cosmetics. These are effective and useful drugs. They have long been in demand due to their positive effects on the skin around the nails. Solves the problem of cracked and dry skin.
- The above mentioned cosmetic products are quite applicable at home.
- The main thing is to read the instructions before use, carefully apply the substance to the surface, following all the rules.
- Such products can always be purchased at an affordable price.
Double Layer Feature
If you apply regular polish in two layers, your nails will dry in half an hour. By purchasing a proven product, the drying time is reduced by fifteen minutes. Using special means that speed up the drying process, it is possible to further reduce the waiting time.
Professionals recommend applying two thin layers. This guarantees the durability of the coating and color saturation.
Why doesn't shellac dry?
As a rule, there are no problems with gel polish - it dries perfectly under a special lamp. However, it also happens that after drying, the coating is partially or even completely removed along with the sticky layer of the top . There may be several reasons for this phenomenon:
- The lamp is not suitable for drying specific varnish. The bottle should contain information about which lamp the product is intended for - UV, LED or hybrid. Most varnishes will cure successfully in all types of lamps, however, if the product is designed exclusively for a UV device, it will not cure in others.
- The application technology is not followed. It is possible that the coating has flowed under the cuticle or into the side ridges - in this case, it is unlikely to harden properly. And even if this happens, literally after a couple of days the leaks will begin to peel off.
- The drying time has not been met. The drying duration depends on the power and type of lamp - in LED devices the drying process lasts much less than in UV, and a 9 W device will dry shellac longer than a 36 W lamp.
- The lamp has failed. In this case, there is only one thing left to do - replace the device with a new one.
By the way, many women try to dry regular polish with a shellac lamp and, moreover, claim that the coating actually dries much faster. However, in ordinary varnish there are no particles that react to ultraviolet radiation , so the use of a UV or LED lamp in no way affects the speed of its hardening. The same myth is the statement that shellac can be dried without using a special lamp - yes, it can really set and even stop sticking, but it will never harden completely.
