Nail polish is the perfect beauty solution for women to add a glamorous touch of color and style statement to their nails. It is straightforward to use for both beginners and expert manicurists. However, how Long Does it Take Nail Polish to Dry?
Depending on a few factors, it can take from 30 minutes to two hours. You will know your nails are completely dry when there is no longer any sticky feeling on the surface.
While nail polish products are already formulated with all the elements needed to dry completely, certain factors can impact how long they take to dry. Factors like humidity and temperature are the two most important variables determining how long it takes nail polish to dry on your nails.
How Long Does It Take Nail Polish to Dry?
Usually, nail polish takes between 30 minutes and one hour to dry completely. However, quick-drying polishes and a thicker coat of polish may speed up drying time, as can using a blow dryer on a cool setting over your nails.
However, how long nail polish takes to dry depends on the polish you are using. Nail polish dries the fastest with a quick-dry topcoat, followed by thicker formulas intended to not need a topcoat for most people, and then thinner and more brittle formulas.
The secret to nailing polish drying time lies in the additives. Manufacturers add certain materials to their products that accelerate the drying process. The additives evaporate during application and make the polish dries faster than the paint itself would take to dry alone. Do you know you can also apply acrylic paint on nails for a greater look? This paint also delivers a shiny and vibrant look on your nails. It took almost the same amount of time to dry.
Factors That Affect Nail Polish Dry Time
Nail polish takes a few minutes to dry. However, four factors can influence how long it takes your nail polish to dry: the type of nail polish you are using, the polish’s age, the temperature and humidity levels in your environment, and whether or not you use a drying agent.
Types of nail polish
The types of nail polish that you use affect how quickly the nail polish dries. Certain nail polishes, like those made with nitrocellulose, are known to dry more quickly than others that may not be advertised as fast dry or quick dry.
Regardless of nail polish, you can always speed up the drying process using a drying agent.
Polish age
Different brands of nail polish are set up at different times. One key factor is the age of the polish. It will take longer to set as nail polish gets older and dries out. Unfortunately, there is no way to make old nail polish perform like new except to mix it with some nail polish thinner or remover.
Paint ingredient
The drying time of nail polish is determined by its ingredients, not the thickness or thinness of the polish. Thicker polishes are less prone to streaking, making them appear opaque in one coat, but the drying time will be longer than that of thinner polishes.
Temperature
Temperature is a factor that affects the dry time of nail polish because the molecular motion will slow down when the temperature drops, which sets down the polish.
Also, temperature affects nail polish dry time because solvents evaporate more quickly at higher temperatures. While open-air is usually good for drying nails, direct sunlight or a heater can dry the polish too quickly, leaving it soft and prone to smudging.
Humidity
Humidity can absorb excess moisture in the air, ultimately slowing down polish drying time. However, this effect is not dramatic, and most people will never notice it.
Also, humidity has the biggest effect on drying time. The drier you can keep your nails and the surrounding air, your polish will dry quicker. If you can’t do anything about the weather, you can try using an indoor dehumidifier or a high-powered fan to dry your nails faster.
The Use Of A Drying Agent
The use of a drying agent has a great impact on nail drying time. The main component of the fast-drying agent is the sticky toluene or polar volatile ether solvent, which has a relatively stable molecular structure.
When the polish is applied, the solvents in the film may be well addressed by the polishing film and quickly evaporate. And these fast volatile solvents can quickly evaporate polish and polish dry faster than normal.
Using a drying agent as a top coat instead of your usual one will help reduce dry time. Drying agents work by dissolving the wet nail polish on your nails, allowing quicker drying time. However, do note that this route may shorten the longevity of your manicure and cause your nail to feel gritty after it dries.
How To Dry The Nail Polish Faster?
Nail polish is one of the popular beauty products for women. Many women use it to dry their nails. However, nail polish can take a long time to dry. It can take up to 1 to 24 hours to dry completely. It is why many people prefer drying devices such as nail lamps or UV lights.
These devices use ultraviolet light, which causes the nail polish to harden when it comes into contact with them, thus making it easier for you to put on your clothes without worrying about your clothes getting stained.
There are many methods you can use to make the nail polish dry faster, and you just need to choose a method that works fine for you. While you are looking for a way to make it dry faster, always remember that there are factors that affect the dry time and never overlook them.
Conclusion
If you love nail polish, you must know its importance in your life. The main reason for using this is to beautify the skin and make it more attractive. Applying nail polish also protects your nails apart from making them look attractive.
So, this page helps to reveal to you How Long Does it Take Nail Polish to Dry? Many people do not know the factors that contribute to the nail polish drying time and how to make it dry faster, and you can learn those on this page.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
