Manicure Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Nails

Did you know that the average woman spends a total of 15 months painting her nails in her lifetime? That’s a lot of time spent applying nail polish, so it’s no wonder that we want our manicures to look good and last as long as possible. While we all make mistakes sometimes, there are some common ones that can ruin your mani, and even lead to damage.

These are the biggest nail no-no’s you should avoid at all costs:

1. Using Old Nail Polish

Expired polish is one of the main reasons your manicure will chip, or won’t go on as smoothly. If your nail polish has thickened up or has changed color, it’s time to toss it out (and if you have trouble remembering when you bought it, write the date on the bottle with a marker). Also be sure to keep your polish away from sunlight and excessive heat for best results.

2. Keeping Your Polish In The Bathroom

While it may seem like a good idea to keep your nail polish near your bath products so you remember to do your nails when you’re in there, heat and humidity aren’t good for polish longevity. Instead of keeping it in the bathroom

We all want beautiful nails, and for many of us, that means a trip to the salon for a manicure. But even if you’re not doing your own nails at home, there are still ways you can ruin your mani. Here are the most common mistakes people make when getting their nails done, and what you can do to avoid them.

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Women spend a lot of time and money on their nails, so it’s important to do everything we can to preserve them. If you have a good relationship with your nail technician, talk to her about what she notices happening to your nails during or after appointments. The more you know about your nails, the better off they’ll be in the long run!

Your manicure isn’t meant to last forever, but it shouldn’t chip off in a few days either. Here are five reasons your mani doesn’t last and how to fix them.

Not using a base coat.

I was at a party recently when I noticed my friend’s nails. Lately she had been opting for black and pink nails, but this time her manicure was missing the black polish. When I asked her why, she said, “I got tired of the black chips.”

So what is the best way to combat chipped polish? The first step is to make sure you are using a base coat; it will help lock in the color and protect your nails from staining. Next, be sure to use a ridge-filling top coat as it can help prevent future chips as well. Also, if you’re applying glitter nail polish or any polish that has a texture to it, you’ll want to double up on your top coat to smooth out the finish.

If you’re still having issues with chipping, try switching up the brush that comes with your nail polish bottle. Most brushes are too wide for the average nail size, so they end up making contact with your skin and lifting off polish along the way. Try using a thinner brush instead; it will help prevent mistakes and make painting your nails much easier.

You’ve gotten the perfect mani, and then one day, you look down and see that your nails have turned black or blue. What happened? Well, it’s actually a pretty common occurrence caused by the hardening agent in your manicure drying out. “When warm air hits the hardening agent it dries out and turns black,” says manicurist Gina Edwards. To avoid this, Edwards recommends applying a quick-dry topcoat after you paint your nails to seal in that hardening agent so it doesn’t dry out.

Dark nail polish can also turn your nails blue or green, so make sure you always use a base coat before painting on color. And if you do notice discoloration on your nails, don’t pick at them or try to remove the polish yourself — just wait for it to grow out.

Do not File Nails Down:

Sometimes the temptation to file down your nails is too strong to resist. You may want them shorter for some reason or another. In any case, stop yourself from filing down your nails as this will only make them weaker and more brittle.

Use Enough Polish:

Some people think that they are saving money by using less nail polish. This is not true! Using less nail polish only makes your nails look bad and makes it more likely that the polish will chip off faster. If you find that you are running out of polish, just buy more.

Do Not Wash Dishes With Your Nails Wet:

This may sound like a strange tip but trust me on this one, do not wash dishes with your nails wet and freshly polished. This will cause your nail polish to chip and change color. If you must wash dishes right after painting your nails, wear gloves or wait until the next day for your nails to dry completely.

I’ve been seeing a lot of women with way too much pink in their nails. And I don’t mean the color of their polish (although I do see a lot of that too). Many women are still wearing their nails long, square and pink. This was a trend in the early 2000s and it’s time to move on!

Too much pink is both unsightly and unhealthy. Even if you try to keep your pink-white nail ratio balanced, there is nothing you can do to prevent the natural shortening of your nails over time. And when they grow out, all that white shows through and makes them look like they belong on an elderly lady. So unless this is a look you want to go for, it’s time to cut them back and embrace a shorter, more modern nail shape.

A great shape for most women is oval or almond shaped. This will make your nails look longer and slenderize your fingers. Oval nails are always appropriate for any occasion from the boardroom to the ballroom and require less maintenance than stiletto or square nails. You can even get away with leaving them unpolished from time-to-time without looking like you’re living in another decade!

I also recommend opting for shorter nail lengths over longer