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Nails play a big role in your appearance as it is the most noticeable feature of your hands. You can enhance your appearance by using colorful nail polish. Nail polish can improve our mood. Some like their nails long and others short. No matter your nail’s size, you can complete your look with nail polish. It is also a big part of our self-care routine. Nail polish’s top coat is used to make it hard by giving it a smooth film comparatively in a short time. In a nail polish bottle when some solvents evaporate and the top coat hardens slowly, it creates this stringiness.
Stringy nail polish can damage the beauty of your nails. When you have a beautiful outfit but your polish does not set properly or look stringy, it will ruin your whole outlook. You can get rid of this problem by following our ways of fixing the stringy nail polish.
The Causes Behind the Nail Polish Become Stringy
Nail polish is supposed to give a smother finish by adding to your appearance. There are certain times you will notice that your favorite nail polish becomes stringy which is upsetting. We will discuss some reasons behind this occurrence.
Exposure to Air
Nail polish consists of different types of solvents, not just one type. When nail polish is applied, some solvents evaporate and help the polymer film to stick to the nail. Some solvents can dissolve quickly and leave slower-dissolving solvents behind. This causes a change in the original composition. Leaving your nail polish lid open by exposing it to air is one of the reasons your polish is becoming stringy.
Warm Temperature
Sunlight can heat your nail polish bottle as a result it will get thicker than usual. Avoid storing your nail polish in the washroom as the temperature fluctuates and affects your nail polish.
6 Ways to Fix the Stringy Nail Polish
When you open your nail polish bottle and notice how stringy it looks. You can thin out your old nail polish that has become impossible to apply. These 5 ways will reduce your worry about dried-up nail polish by giving it a smoother consistency.
1. Keep the Bottle Clean
When you do not clean the neck of the nail polish, the residue of the nail polish will cluster there for this reason the cap won’t close tightly. It leads to nail polish inside drying out faster. You have to make sure that you close the cap tightly so that no air can cause damage to your nail polish again.
Process
- If you notice that your nail polish has been dried down and does not have good consistency, you can clean the neck of the bottle with acetone.
- You can also extend the life of your nail polish by cleaning the bottle with acetone.
2. Boiling Water
You can only use boiling water in your regular or gel nail polish if the consistency has not thickened enough.
Process
- Grab a bowl of boiling water. Put it aside to cool down a little bit so that you can put your nail polish in the water.
- Leave your nail polish in the hot water for 2 minutes but make sure that you do not touch the glass bottle as it can burn you.
- When the nail polish bottle cools down, try mixing the polish by putting the bottle upside down or rolling it between your palm. Avoid shaking it because it can cause air bubbles and become chipped.
3. Clean the Brush
If you regularly use your favorite nail polish, it can leave some remnants of your favorite nail polish in your brush. As a result, your nail polish gets too thick. Regularly cleaning your nail polish brush makes the bristle clean and gives you optimal effect. When your nail polish brush has clumps in it will ruin your nail polish consistency and you will not get your desirable nail polish finish.
Process
- You can set aside a bowl with monomer nail liquid.
- Put your brushes in the liquid for 2 hours. So that it can soak the liquid properly.
- After 2 hours rinse the brush with warm water. You can place the brush horizontally on a towel.
- If you feel it needs another wash, you can put the now-dried brush in a fresh monomer liquid and soak it for another 2 hours.
4. Use Nail Polish Thinner
Nail polish thinner is used to dissolve clumpy nail polish or even for dried-out nail polish to have a better consistency. You basically replace the dissolving agents that have been dried up when you add nail polish thinner to your favorite nail polish. You can make your nail polish smoother and easier to apply like brand-new nail polish.
Process
- Add 2 drops of thinner to your dried-out nail polish bottle.
- Put the lid back on and roll the bottle between your palms.
- Check if the nail polish has become thinner, if not add some more drops and mix the polish as we explained above.
- Avoid using too much thinner as it can make the polish harder to stick to the nail.
5. Use Rubbing Alcohol
Another solvent you can use to thin out your old nail polish is rubbing alcohol. Most hand sanitizer contains a little bit of alcohol. This is why you can also use hand sanitizer to thin out your stingy nail polish.
Process
- Put 2 to 3 drops of rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad or ball.
- Place the cotton ball or pad over your nail.
- Hold it still for 10 seconds then gently rub it back and forth.
6. Use Acetone or Nail Polish Remover
Acetone can be found in nail polish remover. You can only use acetone as your last shot if you cannot manage the above solutions. Avoid putting more than one drop as it will break the nail polish formula and decrease its lifespan.
Process
- Put one drop of acetone in your nail polish.
- Gently rub back and forth so that the elements can mix.
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4 Ways to Prevent Nail Polish From Becoming Stringy
If you want to have a smooth and glossy finish you need to prevent ways it can become stringy. These ways will only work if your nail polish has not expired yet.
Store in Cool Place
Always store your nail polish in a colder space like a fridge. Storing the nail polish in the fridge slows down the discoloration process and dissolving of solvents. Avoid storing nail polish in the washroom, the temperature fluctuates because of the blow dryer and shower. Heat has a way of accelerating the degradation of compounds in nail polish.
Store Right Side Up
You must store your nail polish bottle right side up otherwise it will clump up and dry at the neck of the bottle. If nail polish bottles are left on their side it will be harder to mix the pigments back together. It also increases the possibility of thickening while it is on their side.
Tighten the Lid
It is really important to close the lid during each coat. When the bottle is tightly sealed it will prevent solvents from evaporating. So your nail polish will not become stringy and clumpy. It is not a permanent solution but taking precautions can prevent it from thickening as long as it can.
Swirl the Nail Polish
You need to mix the nail polish once in a while. If you do not mix it, the polish might look clumpy and you will face some difficulty. Avoid shaking the bottle. If you shake the nail polish bottle tiny air bubble will form. It will make your nail polish clumpy. Mix it once a month to have a smoother finish.
FAQs
1. How long should I let my nail polish dry between coats?
You will only need 2 minutes of drying time in between coats so that you can have a smoother finish.
2. Should you shake nail polish?
Shaking your nail polish can create tiny air bubbles in your nail polish. So you should not shake your nail polish.
3. Why my nail polish is not smooth?
You might notice that when you are applying nail polish it does not have a smooth finish. This is happening because the brush stroke is showing through. Try angling your nail polish brush at a 45-degree angle, it will solve your problem.
4. Does waving your hands make nail polish dry faster?
When we are running late or want to dry our nail polish faster we tend to wave our hands. We all are familiar with this technique. Avoid waving your hands because it can cause uneven drying and smudging.
5. Why nail polish is sticky and won’t dry?
When you apply a thick layer of nail polish over your nail, it can cause stickiness and slow down the drying process.
Final Thoughts
Applying nail polish can make a woman confident and attractive. It is used to beautify your hands and bring attention to them. You can apply 1 coat of base coat and 2 coats of color applications. As nail polish is an unavoidable part of our life, we need to take proper care of it so it does not turn out stringy.
You will not like your nail polish if it does not have a smooth and glossy finish. Taking proper care will make your nail polish long-lasting. Avoid storing your nail polish near an electric spark as it is highly flammable. You can take preventive measures to save your nail polish from becoming stringy.
Key Points
- Leaving your nail polish lid open can dry out your polish.
- Nail polish thinner and warm water can bring back the consistency of your nail polish.
- These ways will prevent your nail polish from getting thicker.
- Swirling your polish will help them to mix perfectly.
- You can store your nail polish in cold places.
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