How to Make Quick-Dry Nail Polish

Nail polish needs about 20-60 minutes to dry completely. If you want to shorten the time, try applying a few thin coats of quick-drying paint and using a drying spray. Besides, you can also use a hair dryer, non-stick cooking spray or ice. With one of these methods, it’s easy to forget about the worry of smearing the perfect nail polish!

Table of Contents

Use the quick drying method

Apply thin coats of nail polish to make them dry faster. Remove some paint from the brush and apply 2-3 thin coats to the nail. Let the nail polish dry for about 1-3 minutes after each application. Nail polish will not dry completely if you apply many thick coats. ^{[1] X Research Source}

This method will prolong the time the nail polish lasts, but shorten the time it takes for the polish to dry.
Paint each nail in turn, then repeat in the same order. If you do it this way, the first nail will be dry enough to apply a second coat when you’ve finished the first coat of your last nail.

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Turn on the hair dryer on cool setting and blow on the nails for 2-3 minutes is the simplest way. Plug in the hair dryer and select the cool setting. Next, use a hair dryer to blow on your nails for about 2-3 minutes. The cool breeze will dry your nail polish quickly. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Do this on both hands so that the entire nail is completely dry.
Make sure the dryer is turned on to a cool setting before starting. When blowing dry nails, you must place the dryer about 30cm away from your hands to avoid damaging the nail polish.
If you use the dryer on high heat or place it too close to your nails, your nail polish will bubble or melt.

Dip your finger in the bowl of ice water for 1-2 minutes. Dry your nails for about 60 seconds, then prepare half a bowl of very cold water. Add 2-5 ice cubes to the water bowl. Place your fingertips in ice water for about 1-2 minutes and then remove your hands. Usually, the cold will help the paint solidify; So, soaking your hands in ice water is a great way to dry the paint. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Be careful when doing this method because the nail polish can be damaged if you put your hands in the water too soon. You need to wait until the paint is about to dry.
Although this will dry out the nail polish, it will leave your hands cold!

Blow wet nails with an air duster for 3-5 seconds. The dust aerosol contains a cold compressed air that is blown out at a very fast rate. You need to keep the dust sprayer about 30-60cm away from your hands so that your hands don’t get cold. With just a quick 3-5 second spray on your fingertips, your nail polish will dry in no time. This method is effective in drying nail polish because of the coldness of the airflow. Remember to place the spray towards the nail. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Make sure your nail polish is nearly dry before blowing on as the duster can damage the paint, and you could accidentally damage the surface.
Dust sprays are available at most supply stores.

Spray nonstick cooking product onto your fingertips to dry the paint. When using this product, place the non-stick spray about 15-30cm away from your fingertips and then spray a thin and even layer on the surface of each nail. This may seem odd, but the oil in the nonstick spray helps the nail polish dry faster. However, you should avoid using nonstick sprays that have a buttery scent. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

After the nail polish is done, you need to wait 1-2 minutes before applying the non-stick product. Otherwise, you will damage the paint.
The oil in the non-stick spray also helps to hydrate the cuticles.

Use quick-drying nail polish

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Paint your nails with a quick-drying nail polish. Many brands have launched nail polishes that are advertised as quick-drying. If you use these products to paint your nails, you’ll shorten the time it takes for the polish to dry. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Choose products that are advertised as quick drying with English names such as “rapid speed”, “express dry”, or “quick dry”.

Choose a quick-drying top coat to shorten the drying time. After the final coat has dried, apply a glossy top coat from cuticle to tip. Use only quick-drying topcoats. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

This is also a way to prevent the paint from peeling off.

Try small or spray-on nail polish drying products to shorten the time. Once the top coat is finished, wait for 1-3 minutes and apply a drop of the nail polish drying product to each nail or spray the product onto the fingertips. Wait for 1-3 minutes, then wash your hands with cold water. You can use this product to reduce the time it takes for the paint to dry. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Nail stores have spray and dropper drying products.

Advice

You need to know the nail drying time and choose the drying method before you start painting your nails. If you just try to dry your nail polish as soon as you finish applying it, your nails can get smudged.
For best results, you should let your nails dry for about 1 minute before using other options. This will make the paint stick to the nail.
New nail polish dries faster than the old one.
To test nail dryness, simply place the outer corner of one nail on top of another. If you see marks on the paint, it means the paint hasn’t dried yet.

Steps

Use the quick drying method

Use quick-drying nail polish

Advice

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