With the best nail dipping system, you can now easily get gorgeous nails that won’t disappoint. You can flaunt them for weeks without fear that they will get chipped after only a few days of application, unlike those nails that are coated with a regular nail polish. Dip manicures are a hybrid between a manicure and fake nails and can last two to four weeks. They are thinner and do not need a lot of filing, as well as special tools to do. They also leave a more natural finish, while they are easier to apply and are not likely to lift. To do a dip manicure, you won’t need any odorous liquid monomer or a UV light. If there will be any broken or split nails (which are most unlikely to happen), you can just cover it with this lightweight overlay of powder and resin.
It may seem interesting to know that you can do your nails with a dipping powder system even on your own. You can just follow the easy and detailed process provided below.
1. Prepare Your Nails
Just like when you do your nails with a regular polish, you will also need to have the surface of your nails properly cleaned and cut before the color is applied to them. Have any hangnails trimmed and those nail cuticles pushed gently to uncover portions of the lunula which might have been buried in your cuticle as the nail grows.
If there is an old polish on your nails, you need to make sure that it is completely removed with a non-acetone polish remover on a lint-free pad. Allow new nail growth to show as this will help extend the life of your manicure. Use a cuticle pusher to gently push the cuticles slightly back from your nails. You may also remove any excess cuticle that seems to be sticking up with a cuticle trimmer or a scraper.
2. Buff the surface of your nails
Use a 180 grit nail file, block, or a natural nail stone to gently buff the surface of your nails. Use a nail brush or a makeup powder brush to remove the grit from filing from your nails. Make sure that you do not leave the grooves and the cuticle area untouched.
3. File away any loose or damaged edges.
If you have a previous dip manicure that you need to fill, make sure you don’t leave any portion that has lifted (although many dipping powder users testify that this is most unlikely to happen). A coarse nail file (one that is marked with 100 or 180 grit) will be most efficient on those areas.
4. Sanitize your nails.
Use a paper towel or lint-free pad soaked in alcohol or nail sanitizer to sanitize your nails, and your fingers. Rub the damp paper towel from the closest knuckle to your cuticles towards your nails. This will clean and dehydrate the surface of your nails that make them ready for a dip manicure.
5. Find nail tips that will cover the edges of your nails if you want to extend the length of your nails.
Make sure that you have the natural nails shortened to the right length and have the nails filed smoothly on their edges. Use the tips to cover the third part of your nail bed. Make sure that you place the tips only across the whole width of your nail (nail groove to the other nail groove) and not on any part of your skin. Use a tip resin to coat the wells of the tips. Then, hold each tip gently but firmly to the edge of the nail at a 45-degree angle for about twenty seconds. If there is no nail tip that that is just the right size, use a nail file to adjust the shape and length of the tips so that they will fit securely on your nails. Make sure that all areas of the tips fit snuggly on the nails, including on the edges of each nail.
6. Trim and file the nail tips.
To ensure that all the nails are of the same length and size, as well as remove any uneven portions on the edges of the tips, file from the edges of the tips all the way across. Then, gently buff the top surfaces of the tips as well as the nails. This will make it easier for the bonder to have a better hold on the surface of each nail.
Coating Your Nails with Powder.
First, apply the bonder. Apply the bonder using light, small strokes, from about 1/16” away from your cuticles. Spread it out evenly making sure that the solution will not well up near the cuticle area. Allow it to dry for about a minute.
Next, brush resin onto your nails. Apply it slowly and evenly on each of your nails. Focus on creating a clean edge above each cuticle, as this will be where your dipping powder will bond with later on. If you’re only doing a fill after, let’s say, two weeks since your last dip manicure, you will need to apply resin for about three to four times, but you won’t need to re-dip on a powdered coating afterward.
If it’s been about three or more weeks since your last dip manicure, one coat of resin will just be enough.
Then, dip your finger into the clear nail powder. Make sure that you have mixed the content of the container well by shaking the closed container before doing so. You may also use a nail stick or pusher to mix the content of the container. Push your finger well into the container and roll it gently to ensure that all parts of each fingernail will be coated with the powdered coating. After five seconds, remove your finger and tap the edge of the pot. Then, shake off any excess powder off your finger by the tapping it with a finger of your other hand. Use a nail brush to remove the rest of the extra powder on each of your nails.
Next, apply more resin and powder on each of your nails. You may also want to use colored powder to coat your nails. Just dip your finger into a colored nail powder, then shake off any excess powder. You’ll still need to apply a third and final application of resin after dipping your nails on a pigmented LDS nail powder. For a thicker and stronger manicure, just repeat this process
Curing and Finishing Your Nails.
Apply the activator using the same strokes as you would apply a regular DND polish. Let it dry for about five seconds on the nails. Apply a second coat and wait for another five seconds for it to dry.
Then, you will need to file the nail edges to dull and let them take on a new shape. A soft grid file will just be fine as you work on the exposed edges and sides of each nail.
Once this is done, you can now end with a top coat. You may use one that can be used for acrylic nails. There are dipping powder kits that come with an activator. In that case, you may use that instead. Allow your nails to dry for about two minutes. You can apply some cbd oil into the skin surrounding your fingernails once you are done with this process.
Make sure that your nails are thoroughly dry before washing your hands. Use warm water, a hand soap, and a nail brush to do this. Once you have completely washed your nails and hands, you will need to pat your nails dry with a towel.
Your dip powder manicure can last for up to four weeks before needing a fill. You may notice new nail growth near the cuticle area, however, so you will need to do the fill about around two weeks after your previous dip manicure. You will also need to reapply a clear top coat after every few days to prevent your nails from chipping, thus extending the life of your dip manicure. Massaging hemp oil onto your nails each day will also improve the quality of your nails and the skin surrounding your nails as well as deter chipping.