14 Ways to Make Nail Polish Dry Faster, Directly From Nail Techs (2024)

By

Reviewed by

Nail Educator

• Amy Oung is a professional nail artist and an ORLY brand educator.
• Sarah Gibson Tuttle founded the nail products brand Olive & June.
  

Run Your Nails Under Cold Water

"Try runningyourhands under cold water, which will help speed up thedrytime," says Gibson Tuttle. "I have no idea why this works, but it does." When implementing this trick, opt for a steady flow, not a heavy one—super-fast water can lead to smudging.

Paint in Light, Thin Layers

"To ensure that nail polish dries quickly, avoid applying too thick of a layer," says Oung, who recommends applying "as thin of a layer as possible. Let the first layer dry for about a minute before applying a second layer." She adds: "If you use a polish that does not require a top coat or base coat, likeORLY's Breathablelacquers, you are eliminating two layers from your manicure, which helps speed up the drying process."

Gibson Tuttle concurs: "Paintingyournailsusing thinner layers will help themdryfaster—even if you have to do another coat to get theopaquenessyou want." To paint your thinnest layer, be conscious of how much polish is on your brush. Your best bet is to swirl it around the opening of the bottle to remove any excess lacquer before applying polish to your nails.

Blast Your Wet Nails With Cold Air

"Whether you're at a salon or home, cold air from a fan or blow dryer will help the polish hardenfaster," Gibson Tuttle says. If you go the blow dryer route, make sure to press the cool shot button continuously while drying. Oung says forgetting to do so and accidentally using warm air could actually melt your polish. "[Many] people use fans or blow dryers to speed up the drying process, and while it works by evaporating the solvents faster, you can run into bubbles forming in the polish," she warns.

Hold Your Hands in the Freezer

If you hold your hands in the freezer for a minute or two, the cold air will help solidify the top layer of polish. Brrr, we know. But as much as we hate feeling cold, when it comes to our nails and the chance to keep them smudge-free before they're dry, we're willing to do what it takes.

Try a Fast-Drying Nail Polish or Top Coat

Many brands have launched quick-dry polishes that require zero extra steps to speed up drying. We like Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Nail Color; simply paint it on and marvel at how dry your nails are by the time you finish. Or, try a quick-drying top coat, like Le Mini Macaron's Le Sweet Top Coat, which dries faster with sunlight. "This top coat deep dries lacquer layers andprovidesa very durable finish," says Oung.

Choose Your Color Wisely

It may sound strange, but some nail polish colors really do dry faster than others. "If you're in a rush and needyournailstodryfast, reach for a sheer or metallic shade," Gibson Tuttle suggests."They tend todryfasterand typically require fewer coats."

Try Using Quick-Dry Drops

"If you're at a salon or have them at home, using quick-drydrops can help polishdryfaster," Gibson Tuttle shares. OPI's Drip Dry Lacquer Drying Drops and ORLY's Flash Dry Drops are designed to dry nails in mere minutes.

"These work best when you apply one drop to each nail one minute after applying your lacquer," says Oung. "They also help to prevent smudging. Dry drops work by absorbing solvents in nail lacquer, which helps speed up the drying process."

Drip an Oil Onto Your Nails

Just like quick-dry drops, oil can help speed up drying. There's no real rhyme or reason why this works, but beauty lovers the world over swear by it in a crunch. And hey, if all else fails, at least your nails and cuticles will be moisturized.

Soak Your Nails in Ice Water

Similar to holding your nails under running water or putting them in the freezer, when you soak them in a cup or bowl of ice water, the results are faster-drying fingertips. While it might seem like soaking freshly-painted nails in water would rinse the lacquer away, it actually shocks the color into place thanks to the temperature difference. Just be sure not to let your nails touch any ice cubes, as that would definitely dent or smudge the polish.

Increase Your Wait Time Between Coats

"Waiting five to 10 minutes between coats makes a world of difference," says Gibson Tuttle. "It will decrease the chance of bubbles and dries faster, I swear." Of course, in the long run, that can take more time to actually finish painting. But you tell us: Are a few extra minutes between coats worth avoiding twice that time to fix smudges? We think so.

Finish With a Spritz of Hairspray

Hairspray doesn't just hold intricate hairstyles in place—it can also help dry nail polish faster. Of course, it's important to remember that while a quick spritz will harden the top layer of polish, it doesn't work to dry the base layers below, so you still don't want to get too aggressive with your nails for at least 30 minutes.

Try the Cooking Spray Hack

If you've run out of hairspray, head to the kitchen for a bottle of cooking spray like PAM, an oil-based product that helps dry the top layer of nail polish in a cinch. Though, as you might have guessed, it does leave fingers a bit greasy.

Use a Dedicated Nail-Drying Spray

As creative as some of these nail-drying hacks are, you can always play it safe with a product designed specifically for speeding up nail drying time, like OPI's RapiDry Spray Nail Polish Dryer. You'll still want to avoid bumps to stay dent-free while the base layers are hardening.

Pass Time With Your Favorite Show or BFFs

"Okay, it won't helpyournailsdrymore quickly, but it will make the time go byfaster," Gibson Tuttle says. We don't know about you, but we like how she thinks. So, what're you waiting for? Grab your besties and kick off a DIY manicure party ASAP.