nail polish peeling off

Jun 13, 2011

Rachel S.

I have a problem with my nail polish, not chipping, but peeling off with in the first day or two when I use a base coat and a top coat. It peels off in one or two pieces. It does it with all the brands I have tried. Including Mary Kay, Sally Hanson nail strengthener/base coat, and an off brand that came in a kit that my roomie gave me for Christmas (by off brand i mean there was no label for brand on the bottle and i threw away the box it came in)

If I just paint on the nail with no base coat, then the polish chips off with in 3 or 4 days, and I have stained nails. I have been told that I am applying it too thick, but I am not really sure how to apply it any thinner.

I really want to wear pretty nail polish, but this is really frustrating anyone have any ideas on what will help?

Jun 14, 2011

Kymberli G.

u should layer ur nail polish on. base coat (if needed), then thin layers until u get the desired look. let the nail polish dry between layers.
but if it's not adhering to ur nails then maybe u should take the lighter side of the emery board & run it over top ur nails a little. kinda like sanding a wall b4 u paint, so that it will adhere better.
i hope this helps hon :) good luck!
p.s. there is peel & stick nail polish also :)

Jun 14, 2011

Jasmine P.

I agree with Kymberli, The thinner the layers, the less inclined your polish will be to peel. I was doing that for a while when I was doing too thick of layers and was waiting tables where my hands were dipped in water constantly and it was always a struggle. 

Jun 16, 2011

Rachel S.

So I tried again last night, and I am happy to report that only one nail peeled off. With a little more practice I should have this down in no time. Apparently I could get it on thinner than I was. I tried again making sure to wipe off ALL the extra, and instead of dipping the wand in the bottle between every other nail, I tried to get it to last for 3-3.5 nails. The coats were so sheer; however, they dried quickly so I was able to layer 3 coats in the time it normally takes me to do two. Thanks for the advice.  

Jun 16, 2011

Yasmin K.

I wrote about this problem a few months ago here at Beautylish. Suffice it to say you need to start with a clean nail, if necessary you need to use a buffing pad to "rough" up the nail then apply a base coat before apply polish and a top coat. Think of your nails as a wall in your home. You need to wash the wall and clean it so it's free from grime and oil then if necessary sand it before applying a primer then paint, nails are essentially the same.

Jun 16, 2011

Kymberli G.

way to go Rachel! i'm glad it's working for u :D

Jun 17, 2011

Kelsea M.

I have that problem sometimes. Even if I buff my nails. You just have to keep trying different base coats. I use a Sally Hansen one but it peels off my mom's nails, whereas when I use her's, I can peel it all off with in 24 hours. There are probably tons of ways that you can prevent it from happening but personally, I just found the right base coat and now I'm fine.

Jun 17, 2011

gee m.

I have that same problem as well from time to time and no matter what technique I use I still have the same problem. Recently, I purchase the Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps Acrylic & Nylon polish and my polish has been staying on for about a week. I don't use a base coat under the polish I just apply the polish twice and add a base coat on top. 

Jun 21, 2011

Alison G.

I used to have the same problem... What I found with my nails were that they were too smooth even with a base coat on and the polish would peel off in like sheets. So now what I like to do is use a nail buffer and just slightly buff them not so much that that are ruff but just enough so that the polish sticks and stays... hope that helps.... on my YT i have some nail tutorials maybe you can see how I do it.... www.youtube.com/alicesunnnnn

good luck
xoxo 
alison

Jun 21, 2011

Nikki B.

if you wipe clean nails with acetone nail polish remover just before painting them it will remove any oils on the nail that may be causing the polish from getting a good bond with your nail.