How long does it take to air dry varnish? Special varnish coating

I think all women are familiar with the problem when they need to do something urgently or run somewhere, but the nail polish they just painted is not yet dry. What to do? Should I run away and all my hard work be in vain, or “let the whole world wait”? Or maybe there are other ways to solve this problem? How to quickly dry nail polish at home?

Express drying of varnish using folk and professional means

Oh, what a long and painful wait for the varnish to dry. 40 minutes of hard work, fear of moving your hand and smearing a fresh manicure, and this beauty will last for three days at best.

No one denies that you can use shellac, but not everyone can wear the same design for several weeks. Many girls prefer to be different every day, and only regular nail polish can be washed and reapplied without significant harm. But how to speed up the manicure process itself?

The average nail painting consists of four layers: a base, two coats of polish and a top coat. Each layer dries for 10-15 minutes, and the whole process drags on for a long period of time. “Oh, if only the varnish dried faster!” - exclaims every second girl in the process of manicure. It turns out that this is not the stuff of science fiction; indeed, with the help of professional products and folk methods, you can cut your manicure time in half.

How to quickly dry nail polish at home?

Anything we have at hand and in sight can speed up the drying process.

Firstly, something we can’t last even a week without – water. Place your freshly manicured fingers under running cold water. The main thing is not to put your hands in the baths, as the varnish may bubble or start to “strip”. Wait 2-3 minutes after applying the polish and run to the sink.

Secondly, the coldest place in the house is the freezer. After painting your nails, stick your hands in the freezer for 3-5 minutes. But be careful when you take your hands out of the refrigerator, you may unwittingly touch your nails and smear your beauty. If you have no one to help you, then “make hands” one by one.

Third, oil. After a few minutes, drop a drop of oil on each nail and leave for another 5 minutes. You can use any vegetable oil, and if you take olive or flaxseed oil, you can also moisturize the cuticle.

Fourth, the cold is your friend. A fan or hairdryer on a cold setting will help quickly dry each layer of varnish.

Using at least one of the options for quick drying of polish given above, you will reduce your manicure time by an average of 10-15 minutes.

Professional “drying” - is there an effect?

You've probably come across products for quickly drying nail polish. But they never took the risk of buying it, for fear of being disappointed. Most professional dryers contain oil, which helps the varnish dry. These products form a protective film on the nails, which protects the varnish from the harmful effects of the environment and, as a result, prolongs the life of the manicure.

There are three types of drying:

  • In the form of nail polish. It’s easy to use, but if you press too hard on the brush, you can smear the polish.

For example, Essence coating for quick drying of varnish" express drying"at an attractive price.

  • In the form of a spray. Spraying must be carried out over the sink, since the product gets not only on the nails and hands, but also spreads over a certain radius. Is very economical.

For example, high-quality Alessandro spray drying for varnish " Nail Polish Speed ​​Dry", 50 ml. Can be ordered in the online store.

  • In the form of a liquid drip product. It’s convenient to use, just drop a drop on your nail; you don’t touch the “raw” varnish, which means you won’t damage it in any way. The downside is that it may swell on your fingers.

A common problem for women when creating a manicure is long-term nail drying, so women use various life hacks that can significantly increase the drying speed of the polish.

Types of coating and drying speed

There are a huge number of nail coatings, but there are main types of varnishes that are especially popular.

  • Liquid nail polish. The most common coating, because the use of such varnish allows you to conduct various experiments when creating a manicure. The consistency of this product allows you to apply various designs and patterns at the moment of drying. The main advantage of liquid varnish is its affordability and a rich palette of shades. The disadvantages include the long drying process, which can last from 5 to 10 minutes, and also retains its original appearance for only 1-3 days.
  • Fast drying products. The complete drying period is 1-2 minutes, and does not harm the nail plate during the drying process. Externally, such varnishes are practically no different from liquid coatings. The advantage of using this product is that they dry quickly and have a rich palette of colors. But there are also negative aspects of using quick-drying coatings. During drying, manicure correction cannot be carried out, and after applying such varnish, the nail plate acquires a yellow tint.
  • Clear base coat, which is the base for colored varnish. Such products have the ability to protect the nail plate from the effects of colored elements contained in the decorative varnish. The base coat also allows for uniform application of subsequent layers.

There are special coatings on sale that moisturize, level or correct colored varnish.



  • Gel polish is considered the most convenient. After all, for 100% drying it will take 1-2 minutes in a specialized lamp, in which drying is carried out with ultraviolet light. It retains its original appearance for 3-4 weeks.
  • Durable coating. This type includes stickers, which are fixed to the decorative layer using heat. In this case, special tools and devices will not be required. To create a manicure using a durable coating, you do not need to have any skills, so it is often used at home.
  • Fixing special coating. This is a varnish used to improve the quality of a color finish. This product also helps to increase the shelf life of the manicure and gives the entire look a glossy tint. The advantages of such a coating include protection from ultraviolet rays and environmental influences on the nail plate.
  • Acrylic paints. This decorative special coating is a harmless product, because it does not harm the nail plate. And also, with the constant use of this product, the nails become stronger, they are less likely to split and break.

The only drawback is the drying speed. When applied in multiple layers, it will take quite a long time to dry (about an hour).


How to dry varnish quickly?

Modern fashionistas have come up with a huge number of life hacks to create an attractive look, thanks to which it will take a minimum amount of time to dry your manicure at home.

Cold liquid

Since the varnish dries faster at low degrees, you can use regular cold water. For this purpose, the liquid can be placed in the freezer for a while, or you can add a few ice cubes. It is enough to immerse your hands in the ice-cold liquid for 3-4 minutes. There is no need to hold your hands under running water, this way you will only ruin your manicure, because the varnish has not yet completely hardened.

Hair fixation spray

Experienced manicurists recommend using a reliable product for accelerated drying of varnish coatings, which is regular hairspray. It is necessary to spray the product onto the nail plates, and choose a special product with strong fixation. Thus, you will not only reduce the drying time, but also preserve the original appearance of the manicure for a long time.


Vegetable oil

A good effect can be achieved by using vegetable, olive or peach oil. To dry each nail plate, you need to apply a drop of the ingredient to each nail. For convenience, you can use a pipette. Plant products should be washed off with gentle movements 5 minutes after application. This method will not only fix the nail polish, but also strengthen the cuticle.

Freezer

To allow the varnish to dry quickly, place it in the freezer for five minutes. This cooling method will allow you to admire your manicure in 4-5 minutes. The condition is fulfilled if the varnish is applied immediately after removing the coating from the refrigerator, that is, it should not heat up.

Hairdryer

Female representatives come up with various tricks in order to become beautiful. Therefore, to dry the varnish as quickly as possible, many people use a regular hair dryer. Only in this case it is necessary to turn on the cold air flow mode. It is enough to hold the nails under the air stream of this dryer for about 7-10 minutes. By the way, you can replace the hair dryer with a regular fan; you need to dry your nails in the same way as using a hair dryer. Specialized fans designed for drying varnish are available for sale. They can be either for one hand or for both.

Most women purchase special, expensive lamps for drying manicures. But you can do without them by using the drying methods described above.



Applying varnish for faster drying

Every girl has experienced the fact that after a long time of creating a manicure, one awkward movement ruins the whole look. No one is immune from this problem, so it is worthwhile to correctly perform the varnish application technique, which will reduce the drying period of the varnish coating.

  • The first step is to prepare all the necessary tools and equipment so that you don’t have to do this later with painted nails.
  • Nail plates and cuticles are carefully processed. The old decorative layer is removed from the nail, and the cuticles are also removed.
  • Ten minutes before applying nail polish, put the product in the refrigerator. After all, the special coating in a cold state will harden much faster at positive degrees.
  • Before painting, you should degrease your nails; for this you can use nail polish remover or alcohol, they can dry out the nail plate.
  • It is not recommended to apply more than two layers of varnish. This manicure will look sloppy.
  • If you decide to do several layers, then you should maintain a time interval of 3 minutes before each application.
  • When finished, use a quick-drying special product.



These manipulations are necessary so that the manicure is ready in the near future. But there are also prohibited actions that you should not do:

  • Before manicure, apply rich hand cream;
  • do a manicure without removing the old decorative layer;
  • paint nails that have not been previously degreased.

By following all the above rules, you can not only get a beautiful manicure, but also speed up the drying process without resorting to additional tricks.


To speed up the drying process of the varnish, It is necessary to follow the useful recommendations of specialists.

  • Apply the varnish in as thin a layer as possible. The thicker the coating, the longer it will take to dry. If you want to apply varnish in several layers, then the subsequent application is carried out only after the previous one has completely dried.
  • The varnish coating will dry much faster on a smooth surface. Therefore, before painting, you should get rid of the old layer and also sand the nail.
  • Buy only high quality products. Most manufacturers produce coatings for accelerated drying. In this case, it is necessary to have skill, because the application must be carried out as quickly as possible.
  • The fewer color elements a varnish special coating contains, the faster it will dry. These include transparent and translucent coatings.
  • It is not recommended to use varnishes with a fairly thick consistency, otherwise the drying time will be long.
  • The use of special means for drying varnish will significantly speed up the drying procedure of the manicure from 2 to 5 minutes.

How to quickly dry nail polish? In fact, how quickly the polish dries depends on the technique of applying it to the nails. In order not to waste extra time waiting, do not forget about the basic rules:

Nails must be dry

You should not do a manicure immediately after taking a shower. To achieve maximum results in terms of durability and drying speed, immediately before manicure, degrease your nails with a special nail cleanser or dehydrator.

The varnish should be applied in two thin layers

The thicker the coating, the longer it will take to dry and the worse it will adhere. If the varnish does not give a dense color even after applying it in two layers, use the following life hack: first apply a thin layer of white varnish, and on top - one layer of colored varnish. This will avoid a multi-layered “cake” on your nails, which will take forever to dry. And don’t forget that before applying another layer, you need to wait at least a minute or two for the previous one to dry.

Wait 15 minutes for the coating to dry

Even if the bottle of varnish bears a promising “60 second” mark, do not expect that you will be able to run errands immediately after this time. In one minute, the varnish will only “set”, but the coating will not withstand such a test as fastening a button on a coat: the varnish will definitely smudge. Give your manicure at least 15 minutes - read a book, sort out your email on the computer, or watch a new episode of your favorite TV series. Of course, everything necessary for this should be prepared in advance.

If the coating is damaged during drying, moisten your finger with water or oil and rub the damaged area in a circular “polishing” motion. You will have time to do this quickly - there will be practically no traces left!

Professional life hacks and special products, the range of which is expanding every year, will also help speed up the drying process:

  • Top coat with drying effect. Typically, this is a quick-drying clear varnish that will not only speed up the drying of all layers of varnish, but will also help secure any protruding design elements.
  • Spray drying. Evaporating from the nails, the product helps the polish dry quickly.
  • Oil drying. Special oil-based drops not only speed up the drying of the polish, but also care for the skin around the nails.
  • Cold water. When exposed to low temperatures, the varnish hardens much faster. The easiest way is to place your hands under running cold water.
  • Oil. If you don’t have a special oil dryer at hand, you can use caring nail oil or even regular vegetable oil. It will prevent accidental smearing and speed up drying.
  • Special drying apparatus with a fan. The cool air flow will allow the polish to dry faster, but it's important not to overdo it. Too high a speed can cause the coating to shrink at the edges and cause bubbles to appear.
  • Hairdryer with cold air function. It is important not to use high temperatures - under their influence, the varnish, on the contrary, will soften more and more.

Do you have your own tips for drying nail polish quickly? Share with us in the comments!

Tired of waiting for your nail polish to dry completely? There are many methods to speed up this process. A neat manicure at home will be an achievable goal if you know the secrets of how to quickly dry your nail polish.

Professional products

The modern cosmetics market offers a wide range of special products that significantly speed up the drying of nail polish. The most popular forms of release of such compositions are spray, oil and drops.

Drying spray varnish is considered the most practical means of this kind. Immediately after applying the last coat of polish, spray the spray on your nails and wait for the time indicated on the package. The only drawback of the spray is that it gets not only on the nails, but also on the skin. Of course, this does not entail anything terrible, just minor inconveniences.

Special oil with a brush will not only speed up the drying process of the polish, but will also give your nails extra shine. After covering the nail plates with varnish, you need to wait a couple of minutes and then apply the oil. There is no need to rush in this matter - if you do not wait some time, the brush can smear the fresh varnish.

Drops Applying them to your nails is as easy as shelling pears – they come in a jar with a small dropper. But be careful and careful - thick oil tends to spread over your palms.

Another popular means for drying varnish is quick-drying clear topcoat. It is very similar to ordinary colorless nail polish, but it also has a fixing effect. Apply the coating after painting as you would a regular varnish.

Traditional methods

You can quickly dry varnish at home without professional products. There are many popular methods for accelerated drying of varnish. For these purposes, you can use cold water, a hair dryer, a hand gun for cleaning small parts, vegetable oil, and even a freezer.

  • To dry nail polish, you can use cold water, a hair dryer, a hand gun for cleaning small parts, or vegetable oil.
  • After applying the polish, place your hands in a container of cold water. To achieve the best effect, you can add a few ice cubes there. 2-3 minutes of cold bath will be enough for the varnish to set properly.
  • Cold air currents will naturally dry the varnish. Set the hairdryer to the lowest temperature and dry one hand, then the other, one at a time. It is not recommended to use warm and hot air: high temperatures will soften the varnish and only slow down the drying process.
  • A hand-held gun for blowing and cleaning small parts, such as a computer keyboard, will help dry the polish quickly. At a distance of approximately 15–20 cm, direct a stream of air onto your nails. After a few minutes the varnish will dry.
  • Any vegetable oil that you have at home will work for faster drying of nails. Pour some oil into a clean container and dip your painted nails into it. After 3-5 minutes, rinse off any remaining product with cold water.
  • The bravest ones can try drying nail polish in the freezer. Just keep your fingers in the open freezer for a few minutes.

In order for a manicure to last a really long time, it is necessary not only to dry the polish correctly, but also to carry out a number of measures ahead of time. Thus, quick and high-quality drying of the varnish is ensured if you comply with the conditions indicated below.

  • Apply polish to previously degreased nail plates. To do this, wipe each nail with a piece of cotton wool soaked in nail polish remover.
  • Before painting your nails, polish them with a nail file.
  • Don't neglect to use a base for colored nail polish.
  • Each layer of varnish should be as thin as possible. Before applying the second coat, you need to let the first one dry on its own for at least 2 minutes.
  • Use only high-quality and proven cosmetics.

Covering your nails with varnish for every woman is an entire event that requires concentration and absolute calm. Quick drying methods will significantly facilitate the task of creating an attractive manicure and extend its service life.

All girls are familiar with the situation when they urgently need to run somewhere, but the manicure is not yet ready. You may have just painted your nails or are wondering whether to paint them at all or not paint them anymore. Time is running out, and nail polish takes quite a long time to dry. We have compiled for you a complete selection of methods that will help you quickly dry your manicure.

How long will it take for your varnish to dry?

What do we paint with?

If we take ordinary colored varnish as an example, it will take 10–15 minutes to dry. Transparent nail hardening varnishes dry the fastest - in a minute. But for water manicure, depending on the final thickness of the coating, it takes about 30 minutes to dry completely.

There is an opinion that the darker the varnish, the longer it will take to dry.


Clear hardener varnishes dry the fastest

It is important to degrease your nails before the procedure and apply the polish evenly; without these simple measures, drying the polish may not be successful at all.

Gel polish dries very quickly, within three minutes, but this requires an ultraviolet lamp. Shellac, as well as gel coating, is recommended to be dried separately, in layers - the base one dries for a minute, and all the others for two.

Gel polishes will dry quite successfully on a clear summer day in the midday sun, when natural ultraviolet radiation is most intense.


The drying time of the varnish depends primarily on the type of coating.

Thick varnish in a thick layer?

A thick coat of varnish is guaranteed to take longer to dry than several thin coats, and you will likely smear it during the drying process. The situation is much better with several thin layers - just apply them one by one, waiting until the previous layer dries slightly.

If the polish is old and has also thickened a little, you should not try to do a quick manicure with it: most likely, it will not dry completely even in half an hour.

Special means

Professional products that will help dry varnish faster can be found in specialized stores and cosmetic departments. They are used with regular varnish.

There are such special means for quickly drying varnish:

  • Drying fan (or manicure fan). The device can be designed for 1 or 2 hands. The principle of use is very simple: immediately after applying the varnish, you need to place your hand in a device in which small fans will blow on your nails. This device is quite suitable for home use.

Remember that for gel coating you will not need a fan, but an ultraviolet lamp.

  • Varnish drying. A simple and reliable tool. In essence, this is an ordinary fixative varnish - a transparent coating that has the properties of quickly drying and accelerating the drying of the bottom layer. It is not applied to the nails immediately, but after the base varnish has dried a little - after 1–2 minutes. This way, your manicure will dry in 3-5 minutes, and it will also be more durable and shiny.

You should not use this method if you plan to paint your nails with varnish with a matte effect, the matte finish will not remain.

  • Spray drying. A slightly different form of drying, which is a can with a special oil-based liquid, equipped with a sprayer. After your nails are painted, you should immediately spray them with spray. This product will dry your manicure in 5-7 minutes.
  • Oil drying. This is a bottle with a pipette in the lid. Apply one drop to each painted nail and spread. The oil coats the polish and not only dries it, but also nourishes the skin around the nail, so there will be fewer hangnails afterwards.

Photo gallery: cosmetics and devices for quick drying of manicure


Almost all well-known manufacturers produce varnishes for quick drying of manicures.


Spray nail dryer has an oil base


A manicure fan is a good alternative to waving your arms to the sides and trying to blow on damp polish


Drying nails under an ultraviolet lamp does not require much time, but is only suitable for gel polishes


Oily nail dryers are applied using a pipette.

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

Don't even try: ineffective methods

  • First, as we have already said, a tempting but completely disastrous method is to apply one thick layer of varnish instead of several thin ones. This way you will save painting time, but will delay the drying process for a long time.
  • Another common, but completely ineffective method is waving your arms to the sides. Your nails won't dry much faster, but accidentally bumping or damaging your fresh manicure is quite possible. In addition, the coating runs the risk of drying simply unevenly.
  • Some girls have the idea of ​​drying their nails with a hot hairdryer, but hot air will only make the situation worse.
  • You should not dry newly applied varnish under a powerful stream of cold tap water, especially if the layer is thick: the result will definitely not please you - the coating will go in waves.

Thus, there are many ways to speed up the drying process of your nail polish. First of all, you need to follow the rules of manicure, degrease your nails, paint them not in one thick, but in several thin layers, and do not use old thickened varnish. Special cosmetic fixatives, sprays and oil drops, manicure lamps and fans, as well as short-term contact with cold or vegetable fat will do a great job of quickly drying the coating.


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