How to Make Your Nail Polish Last Longer

Why we ever decided that decorating the ends of our fingers with paint is a good idea is a complete mystery, considering that everything we do, we do with our hands. Would you polish the business end of your hammer? The blades of your scissors? Our fingernails are like Swiss Army Knives, serving as toothpick and tweezer, picker and peeler, scraper and slicer, grasper and scratcher, pry bar and screwdriver. And yet, we utter expletives at the slightest nick in our polish, as if we're surprised that in the course of our day, a fingernail touched something the wrong way.

Nail polish has been around for over 5,000 years, originating in ancient China, where women of the ruling class used it to distinguish themselves from the riffraff. Over the centuries, the popularity of polished nails waxed and waned until the late 17th century, when the admiration of fancy nails took a tenacious hold, and by the early 20th century, manicure establishments were cropping up all over the world and polished nails became as much a part of impeccable grooming as a smattering of lipstick.

And here we are, a full 50 centuries after nail polish first appeared, still struggling to prevent our polish from chipping and peeling. Happily, five thousand years of trial, error, science, and common sense have combined to formulate the perfect recipe for keeping our manicured nails nick-free and preventing our polish from peeling for a good, solid week, at least.

Proper Prep is Paramount

When you paint a house, you don't just start slapping on coats of paint, because it will just peel right back off if the surface isn't prepped. Same goes for nail polish. Before you even choose your color, prep your nails.

Start by not soaking them to soften the cuticles, which also water logs your nails and makes them expand. Later, they'll shrink, and your polish will be a couple of sizes too big. If you have to tend to your cuticles by soaking them, do it the day before you polish, or use cuticle oil instead of a full-on nail bath.

To prep your nails for polish, dip a cotton ball in vinegar and wipe them thoroughly to remove natural oils and residue buildup from whatever it is that touches your nails during the day — lotion, shampoo, hair spray, soap, you name it — and acts as a barrier between the nail and the polish. 

Use a Grabby Base Coat

If you rough up your nail bed with a file so that the polish will stick better, stop that this instant! It's terrible for your nails. Instead, paint on a sticky base coat, which will feel slightly tacky when it's dry. The polish will stick to it like bug goo on the windshield.

Don't Forget the Free Edge

The top edge of your nails takes a serious beating, even when you're trying to be super extra careful by moving through your day like you're being held up at knifepoint. Run the base coat and all other coats across that naked edge to seal and protect it, which will go a long way toward preventing chipping and peeling polish.

Prep the Polish

Don't shake the polish like it's a can of spray paint, for Pete's sake. Do, and you'll be painting microscopic air bubbles onto your nails, and air bubbles will pop, leaving the polish vulnerable to chipping and peeling. Instead, roll the bottle between your hands gently, like you're making a Play-Doh snake.

Layer It On Thin, and Top it Off

Apply three thin layers of polish, allowing the first and second coats to dry thoroughly before applying the next. Apply the protective top coat to the third coat while it's still wet. This helps the top coat penetrate and bond to the polish, and everything will stay put on the nail longer.

Stay Cool While Drying

If you can't sit still during the seemingly eternal drying process, by all means, speed it along with air. Just don't use hot air, which will actually slow the drying process. Instead, hold your nails in front of a fan or A/C vent, or use the cool setting on your blow dryer. And remember: When your nails are dry to the touch, they're really only teasing you. They won't actually be fully cured for another 12 hours, during which you should avoid heating up your hands and engaging in hand-to-hand combat.

Give 'em Love Every Day Thereafter

Apply nail oil every day to keep your nails and cuticles hydrated. Wear gloves when you're engaging in household drudgery like dishwashing and sorting laundry. Every couple of days, brush on another layer of top coat for added protection.

Eventually, your polish or your nails are gonna chip, or the nails will outgrow the polish. You can just keep touching them up until they look like a train wreck, but that'll soon defeat the purpose of having nicely appointed nails. Instead, clear off the polish, tend to your cuticles, file your nails back into a comely shape, and start the polish process over again.

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