My Top 10 Tips for Avoiding Chipped Nails

By Suzanne Roberta-Meyer, MBA

I absolutely love this quote and 100% believe it to be true. How we show up in the world says a lot about us. And in my humble opinion, how we take care of our nails and cuticles speaks volumes.

Beautifully maintained and manicured nails and cuticles make a bold statement – I’m confident and I take excellent care of myself!

That’s why it can be so frustrating when we get a chip. Especially when it happens just a day or two after you've applied your polish or gotten a professional salon manicure.

Not only does chipped nail polish look unsightly, but it can damage and weaken your nails if you pick at the chipped areas.

But don’t worry, I’ve put together my top 10 tips for having a gorgeous manicure that doesn’t chip:

1. Start with clean nails: Before applying nail polish, make sure to clean your nails thoroughly with a gentle nail cleanser. We recommend Purifying Nail Cleanser, which gently cleanses your nails with natural ingredients such as lemon and cranberry extract, without stripping the nails.
2. Remove any dirt or grime under the nails, wash and dry your nails and hands thoroughly.
3. File & buff your nails to get the desired shape. Our Glass Nail File Duo Set contains one long file for shaping and one smaller file for buffing the nail surface. We recommend filing nails in one direction, then the other, as opposed to the sawing method.
4. Once nails are clean, dry, shaped and buffed, apply a Base Coat and allow to dry for 30 seconds. Base coat serves as a protective layer between your nails and the nail polish. It helps to prevent the nail polish from staining your nails and makes it easier to remove when it's time to change colors. It also helps the nail polish adhere to your nails better, resulting in longer-lasting wear.
5. Next, apply thin layers of nail polish: Instead of applying a thick layer of nail polish, try using thin layers. Thick layers of nail polish tend to take longer to dry and are more prone to chipping. By applying thin layers, you'll be able to achieve full coverage without having to wait as long for each layer to dry, allow about 30 seconds. Plus, thin layers are less likely to chip.
6. Once the nail polish is dry, apply a Top Coat and cap the nail tips to seal the manicure. To enhance the wear and chip resistance of your manicure, we recommend Diamond Shine Top Coat. It seals the nails and delivers a long wearing, super shiny finish.
7. If you’re particularly hard on your nails, you can apply a top coat every other day or so. This can help to extend the life of your nail polish and refresh your manicure.
8. Treat your nails like jewels, not tools! We’re so hard on our nails, using them to open things and banging them on our keyboards. To help prevent chipping, use other objects to do the heavy lifting.
9. Touch up any chips: If you do happen to get a chip in your nail polish, don't panic. Simply touch up the chipped area with a small brush or a toothpick dipped in nail polish. Be sure to let the touch-up coat dry completely before applying a top coat.
10. Use a cuticle oil or serum every day, especially after washing your hands. When cuticles are dry, the nails get dry and are more likely to chip We recommend Sweet Almond Cuticle Oil for daytime use and Marine Algae Hydration Serum for overnight, concentrated hydration.

By following these tips, you can achieve perfectly polished nails that won't chip easily. With a little bit of care and attention, you can keep your nails looking beautiful and well-manicured.