Tips to Prevent Chipping & Lifting

In this lesson, we'll go through helpful tips to prevent premature chipping and lifting

Dip Powder

Est. 5-10 mins

Beginner

Prioritize Nail Prep

Nail prep is crucial. Push back cuticles, remove dead skin, lightly buff nails for texture, and clean with alcohol-soaked lint-free wipes to ensure they're oil-free.

Choose Quality Products

Opt for high-quality products from trusted brands. Avoid mixing different brands as they may be chemically incompatible.

Don't Skip Build Powder

Don't skip the Build Powder. It adds support, especially for active lifestyles. Apply two coats of Build and two coats of color for extra strength instead of solely relying on color coats.

Don't Apply Too Close To Cuticle

Avoid applying dip powder too close to the skin to prevent cracking over time.

Use Thin and Even Layers of Liquids

Always use a thin layer of a base to avoid hills and ridges in your surface. Dip powder should be applied evenly between layers and coats.

Activate Thoroughly

Ensure all powder layers are fully saturated with Step 2 Activator during the activation process. Proper activation sets and cures the powder, preventing chipping and lifting.

Blend the Edges

File and shape nails as needed, but remember that less filing is required when dip powder is applied correctly. Blend the edges of the nail to prevent snagging and minimize lifting risks.

Seal the Free Edges with Top Coat

Don't forget to seal the free edge of the nail withTop Coat to provide added protection and longevity to your manicure.

Hydrate Daily

Show your cuticles and nails some love by using Cuticle Milk daily. Hydrated nails are less prone to breaking or peeling away from dip powder layers.

Build Powder creates a stronger foundation for your color powder and prolongs the wear time. Build Powder can be used as a last layer to encapsulate glitter or color powders to protect them from filing and buffing. If you feel like your nails are naturally strong, and you are not a fan of the added thickness you can skip it.
We recommend you to continue using it if you ever had a chipping or cracking issues in the past. Sometimes our dip manicures are too thin for our lifestyle. Build up your nails to support the whole nail length. Use 1-2 layers of Build Powder and 2-3 layers of color powder if your nails need extra strength.

Nail prep is a key to avoiding the product lifting at the cuticle. There are 3 reasons you might have experienced lifting near the cuticle.

Product applied on the cuticles or skin surrounding the nail. When this happens there is a pocket between the nail plate that can cause lifting as nails grow out.
Leftover cuticle attached to the nail plate. If the cuticle is not fully removed from the nail with the product applied on top, it will create a small gap into which water and other debris can get into over time.
Not fully dehydrating the nail. Make sure to thoroughly wipe the nails with an alcohol wipe or pure acetone to clean the nail plate of any debris and moisture. Fold the wipe in half and go around the cuticle area to get to every spot.

Complete & Continue