How to Get Painted Fingernails to Dry Faster

Try one of several tricks to dry nails quickly.

When you get a manicure at the salon, your fingernails look polished and professional. With proper painting and drying techniques, you can give yourself a salon-quality manicure at home. Nail polish takes a long time to dry if you apply it too thickly or unevenly. Even worse, if your nails brush against something while still wet, the polish smudges. Dry your nails quickly and correctly to avoid this unfortunate problem.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Ice cubes
• UV nail dryer
• Hairdryer

Instructions

1. Use quick-dry nail polish instead of regular nail polish. Quick-dry nail polish often dries within one minute after application.

2. Use less nail polish when you paint your nails. If you apply too many thick coats, the polish takes much longer to dry. Only use two thin, even coats.

3. Fill a bowl with cold water and put a few ice cubes into the water. When the water is very cold, dip your freshly painted nails in it. Keep your nails under the water for about three minutes to dry the paint.

4. Dry your nails with a hairdryer set on the coolest air setting. Do not blow hot air on your nails. Alternatively, use a UV light dryer. This device, often used in salons, dries most nail polish within 30 seconds.

Resources

• Marie Claire: Do It Yourself Manicure