How to Dry Nails Fast Using Science

How to Dry Nails Fast Using Science The internet is full of tips that supposedly dry your nails faster, but which ones actually work? Heres a look at some of the most common ideas and whether or not they will speed your drying time. Plunging Wet Nails into Ice Water This doesnt work! If it did, dont you think every nail tech out there would be doing it? Think about it... nail polish is a polymer, formed by a chemical reaction. Lowering the temperature lowers the rate of the chemical reaction, plus it slows the evaporation of the solvents in the polish. Yes, the icy water may thicken the polish so it seems to dry more quickly, but the only way to get a hard coat of polish is to let it dry. The cold water wont hurt anything, but it wont speed things up  unless you dry your hands under an air dryer afterward. If you think this works, consider how much time you spend with your hands in ice water and compare it against normal drying. Or, conduct your own science experiment and put one hand in the ice water and leave one to dry on its own. Putting Hands in the Freezer This is not the most economical method, but its unlikely to hurt anything other than your electric bill. The cold can thicken the polish while the circulating air evaporates the solvent. Using a Blow Dryer or Fan This speeds the set of the film former (usually nitrocellulose). Just be sure you dont use so much force that you blow ripples into your polish (unless that is the desired effect). Apply a Quick-Dry Product These contain solvents that evaporate quickly, pulling the liquid in the polish along with them. Apply Cooking Spray Whether or not this works depends on the product. If you simply pressurize oil, youre not going to see much of an effect aside from moisturized hands. On the other hand (hah), if the spray contains a propellant, it will evaporate quickly, acting like a quick-dry product. Spray Nails with Canned Air Again, this works much like a quick-dry product. Canned air is a little expensive, so you might want to blow keyboard chow out of your laptop and opt for an inexpensive quick-drying top coat instead. What works and what doesnt? Quick drying polish is effective, plus it matters whats in the product.