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Mistakes You Make While Painting Your Nails

By Padmapreetham Mahalingam

Getting a manicure done in salon doesn't mean that it can keep your nails in a good condition. In reality, it can even ruin your nails and your health too if it isn’t done correctly. Most women assume that it is easy to throw a coat of nail polish when it is properly manicured. However, even spa worthy treatments are just not enough to prevent you from making common nail polish mistakes.

Sometimes, when the manicure is done incorrectly, there will be potential pitfalls. There are a lot of chances of you ending up with fading colour, chipped polish and a smeared messy finish. This may be because of not cleaning your nails properly or you may have applied the nail polish incorrectly and end up messing up your manicure.

Sometimes, what we mostly fail to realise is that there are some key techniques that you need to follow if you don’t want to make mistakes while painting your nails. Most of us are unaware of the common mistakes that we tend to make when painting our nails. Here are some nail paint mistakes we do.

HOW TO MAKE NAIL POLISH STAY LONG?

Applying nail polish on dirty nails
One of the common nail polish mistakes is to paint on dirty nails. Nail polish will never stay on the nail for long when it is unclean. All you need to do is clean the nails with a soft-bristled toothbrush and some mild liquid soap before applying coats of nail paint. When your nail is covered with grime or dirt, it can be difficult for the nail polish to stick on it. So make sure to apply paint when your finger nails are dirt-free.

Acetone nail polish remover
Before applying nail paint, you need to swab your nails with acetone nail polish remover to retain the polish. Do not skip this procedure at all.

Skipping the base coat
One of the major nail polish mistakes most us of do is when we skip the base coat. Base coat is created to make the polish last longer. It helps smoothen the surface of the nail and improves the hold of the polish on the nail plate. The important tip is that the base coat thwarts the pigments found in the nail paint from yellowing the natural nail.

Putting on thick coats of paint
When you tend to apply generously thick layer of nail paint, you are creating a mound of polish on top of your nails. It will take much longer to dry or is more likely to chip or dent. Nail polish is not formulated to dry when it is in thick layers. One of the nail paint mistakes is when you use a bottle that has begun to clump or thicken.

Applying only one stroke
Most of us make nail polish mistakes as we don’t know the key technique to apply polish. If there is one technique that you need to learn from a salon, it is to apply three or four strokes of polish to the nail. When you apply only one stroke on your nails, it will look unfinished. Make sure to apply nail polish in an arid and cool place. Remember never to use UV lights to dry your nail paint. Using UV lights can damage the body.

Mistakes You Make While Painting Your Nails

Never cut cuticle
It is better not to cut the cuticles as they protect your nails from infection and germs. One of the most common nail paint mistakes most women do is that they cut the cuticle. This has huge potential for infection. Before applying nail polish, never cut your cuticles. Instead, try to soften them with cuticle lotion or push them back with cuticle pusher. Even cuticle oil is essential for long lasting polish.

Story first published: Tuesday, December 9, 2014, 18:19 [IST]
Read more about: nail care body care