Making Monday Pretty: How to Avoid Top Coat "Shrinkage"
Posted by Hayley French on
You've just finished painstakingly applying your new favourite polish colour, applied your top coat and then wake up the next morning to your manicure already looking worn! Many people think it is from wear and tear on the tips of your nails, and although sometimes it is, many times it is from your nail polish shrinking, which exposes the edges of your nails. Here are a few tips to avoid this very annoying problem...
1. Always make sure to apply top coat to wet polish. A heavy duty top coat will penetrate all layers of polish to make it extra durable. You can always add extra layers of top coat in the days that follow to make your mani last but make sure to apply the first one when the polish is still wet.
2. Do any clean up before top coat. Using a q-tip or angled brush dipped in polish remover, fix any mistakes on the nail or cuticle before applying topcoat so as not to disrupt the seal at the edge.
3. Get every edge. When applying your top coat make sure that it comes into contact with your nail bed at every edge and then wrap the free edge of your nail (aka make sure you apply polish to the ends of your tips!) and remove any that has gotten onto the cuticle with an orange stick.
4. Slow down. If you have the time, try using a regular top coat instead of a quick dry version as they are notorious for causing shrinkage when they dry.
Quick tip: We know one of the most beloved top coats out there is Seche Vite for its quick dry time, self levelling and super shine, but it is also known for causing shrinking. We recommend applying a regular top coat after painting your nails to seal it and then applying Seche Vite on top of that to avoid the shrinkage problem!
Have a beautiful Monday everyone!