Here’s How to Prep Nails for Dip Powder for a Longer Lasting Manicure
Learning how to prep nails for dip powder is the best thing you can do to help your manicure last even longer! Plus, it’ll protect the health of your nails against common issues that can arise from a poorly applied dip manicure.
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If you don’t follow a solid nail prep routine, there is a very good chance your manicure will not last. You’ll get lifting. The edges may chip. Or worse, your dip will pop off entirely!
So to avoid the heartbreak (and potential nail health risks!) of a short-lived manicure, let’s discuss how to prep your nails for dip powder properly.
Watch Video: How to Prep Nails for Dip Powder
Why You Should Never Skip This Critical Manicure Step
You should never skip nail prep when learning how to do dip nails. This critical step in the manicure process is important for 2 major reasons.
1) Nail Prep Helps Your Manicure Last Longer
If you don’t create a clean canvas on the nail surface, the dip powder won’t adhere properly. Without proper adhesion, your dip nails will begin to lift and/or pop off entirely. Nothing ruins a manicure faster!
This is why you need to lightly rough the surface of the nail and remove the cuticle, oils, and moisture to promote optimal adhesion between the nail and dip powder. It’s also why you should opt for a proper nail cleanser to ensure your nail surface is fully cleaned.
If you skip these important nail prep steps, your dip powder may not adhere properly. This will lead to premature lifting, peeling, chipping or completely falling off the nail.
2) Nail Prep Reduces Health Risks to Your Nails
When dip powder other nail enhancement begins to lift, it creates an opening. This allows unwanted moisture, bacteria, and fungi to become trapped between the surface of your nail and the dip powder. The severity of this concern can vary. However, it can lead to discomfort, discolorations of the nail, and potential infection.
The most common issue that arises is often referred to as “greenies” in the nail community, also known as green nail syndrome. This happens as a result of moisture becoming trapped underneath the nail enhancement. Other than leaving an icky green spot on the nail, greenies can be relatively harmless. However, greenies have the potential to cause larger concerns. This is why steps should be taken to eliminate any cause for concern.
Finally, just as forcefully removing any nail enhancement can damage the nail, so can dip nails that pop off. Taking the time to prep your nails for the dip to better adhere will minimize the risk of lifting, snagging, and popping up.
Products Needed for Nail Prep
To prep your nails, you’ll need a few products to do it effectively.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Blue Cross Cuticle Remover – This cuticle remover will remove the cuticles easily from your nail bed to prevent lifting.
- Glass Cuticle Pusher – You can use any cuticle pusher for this step. However, this glass cuticle pusher does a phenomenal job at removing all of that ‘invisible’ cuticle from the nail.
- Buffer Blocks – When prepping the nail, you should very lightly buff the shine and rough the surface with a high grit file. These orange buffer blocks are great for this step.
- Nail Cleanser – You don’t need to buy this specifically because you can create a diy nail cleanser at home following this recipe.
- To mix your nail cleanser, you will need pure acetone and 99% rubbing alcohol for this cleanser.
How to Prep Your Nails for Dip Powder
It’s time to prep your nails for dip powder! Before getting into the prep steps, I highly recommend filing and shaping your nails. This ensures you won’t have to do much filing after you’ve applied the dip powder. It also prevents issues with filing away the dip powder if you’ve capped your edges to prevent dip nails chipping.
You can check out my nail shaping tutorials here:
- Square Shape Short Nails – this is the most basic and easy nail shape to do. It looks great on short nails with dip powder.
- Almond Shape Short Nails – though this tutorial shows how to shape shorter almond nails, you can use these same 3 tricks to shape longer almond nails too.
Step 1) Push Back Your Cuticles
To start, you need to gently push back your cuticles.
Pushing back the cuticles ensures that the dip powder adheres directly to the nail plate. This reduces the risk of chipping or peeling. This also creates a clean and smooth canvas for the dip powder application. Giving you a smoother finish.
The easiest way to push back the cuticles is by combining this powerful duo: a cuticle remover and a glass cuticle pusher. Together, these products remove the cuticle from the surface of the nail with ease.
To start, apply the cuticle remover. Then take your cuticle pusher and gently push the cuticles back. Then flip to the pointy end to remove all the gunk from the nail.
Be sure to thoroughly wash and dry the nails after this step. A nail brush is helpful for this step to remove any residue.
Recommended products for this step:
Step 2) Lightly Buff the Shine
Lightly buff the nail to remove the natural shine.
Buffing the nail surface helps remove any natural oils while slightly roughing the nail surface to promote better adhesion.
To avoid thinning your nails and causing potential damage, be gentle during this step. Apply light pressure and skim the nails briefly to gently remove shine and slightly rough the nail surface.
Recommended products for this step:
Step 3) Cleanse the Nails
Next, you need to fully remove moisture and oils from the nail.
The natural oils and moisture on the nail surface can compromise the adhesion of the dip powder. This may lead to uneven application, lifting, or premature chipping. By using a nail cleanser, you will thoroughly cleanse the nail, removing any lingering oils or debris.
You don’t need a fancy or expensive nail cleanser for this step.
You can follow these steps to create your nail cleanser at home. Simply wipe the nails with this cleanser before applying dip powder.
Using this nail cleanser has made such a difference in how long my nails last! In fact, it actually works much better than just using a brush on nail dehydrator. If you only use a brush on nail dehydrator, the brush can actually transfer oils to the nail if you don’t cleanse before using it. That’s why using a nail cleanser is best.
Recommended products for this step:
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I prep my nails?
It’s recommended that you prep your nails before applying a new dip powder manicure. This ensures the nail surface is optimized for better adhesion and promotes a longer-lasting manicure.
When should I shape my nails?
It’s best to do the majority of your nail shaping and filing down before your nail prep routine. I do this so I can cap my free edge during dip powder application. By shaping ahead of time, I don’t risk filing away the dip along the edge.
Can I skip doing nail prep?
It’s not recommended that you skip this important step. As mentioned above, skipping nail prep can reduce the longevity of your manicure and put you at risk for nail health concerns.
Should I trim or cut my cuticles?
Cuticle trimming is optional. However, I would caution against doing this, especially if you’re untrained, as there is a risk of cutting healthy tissues and potential infection.
Can I use an e-file to prep my nails?
If you are not properly trained to use an e-file, it can cause significant damage to your nail. For this reason, I would not recommend using an e-file for nail prep if you are not properly trained.
Will nail prep prevent lifting?
Yes! Nail prep will ensure your nail surface is properly prepared for better adhesion of the dip powder products. This will prevent lifting as well as chipping and peeling.
You can also prevent lifting by applying your favorite cuticle oil or cream daily. This will maintain flexibility in the nail enhancement and prevent it from becoming brittle and pulling away from the nail.
Final Thoughts
Learning nail prep routines like this is a critical step for achieving a stunning and longer-lasting manicure.
Pushing back cuticles, lightly buffing the nails, and cleansing the nail surface are the foundation for a successful dip powder application. You’ll get much better adhesion while reducing the risk of chipping and lifting. Plus, you’ll enhance the overall appearance.
Once you’ve prepped your nails, you’ll be ready for a gorgeous manicure. For nail ideas and trendy nail designs, be sure to check out this dip nail inspo board on Pinterest.
Ready for More DIY Dip Nail Recommendations?
You can find all of the best DIY nail product recommendations and essentials by visiting my Amazon storefront.