I spent over 80 hours searching the web until felt that I had seen everything that it had to offer. Back then, the Internet was a lot smaller. And I still did not have an answer to my question.<\/p>\n
The solution came to me several months later after I had done another 200 plus hours of exhaustive research. I hadn’t\u00a0found the answer before, but I did find the pieces of information necessary to discover\u00a0the answer.<\/p>\n
The quick answer is that nails absorb 1\/3rd\u00a0their weight in water. When water is absorbed through the underside of your nail plate, it breaks the polish-to-nail bond.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_5″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”NCHQ Polish from Chipping” src=”https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NCHQ-Polish-from-Chipping.jpg” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2024-A-Premium-1464×600-Image-Water-Damages-Nails.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”2024-A+ Premium 1464×600 Image-Water Damages Nails” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” background_color=”rgba(211,211,211,0.47)” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”|50px||50px|false|false” custom_margin=”|50px||50px|false|false” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
The Answer to the Question<\/h1>\n
The long answer to all those hours of research is in my article “How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?<\/a>“<\/p>\n I created the Fab 5 Polish Wrap<\/strong>\u00a0technique to help prevent my nails from absorbing water.<\/p>\n Now, does it stop my nails from absorbing water if I’m doing dishes without gloves for 30 minutes? NO!!!<\/p>\n But it does stop my nails from absorbing water in a 15 minute luxurious shower! Yes. And as a Mom to 4 active children and an entrepreneur, that’s all I need!<\/p>\n The result, is that I can easily wear my nail polish for 7 to 10 days without any chipping<\/strong>! And when I’ve spent a few hours creating gorgeous nail art\u2014dang it, I want it to stick around!<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” column_structure=”1_2,1_2″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_2″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”Fab5″ src=”https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Fab5.jpg” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_2″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”|0px||0px|false|true” custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” sticky_enabled=”0″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NrUMbK2SpZ8″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(214,214,214,0.22)” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 1. Cleanse Nails:<\/strong> Wipe your nails with rubbing alcohol<\/strong> and a lint free pad as your first step. If your nails are long enough, use a Q-Tip brand cotton swab with rubbing alcohol to clean the underside of the nail. This removes the surface oils and dirt from your nails.<\/p>\n 2. Base Coat Wrap:<\/strong> Use a good ridge filling\u00a0base coat<\/strong>, wrapping it around to the underside of your nail (not just capping your tips).<\/p>\n 3. Color Coats:<\/strong> Apply 2 coats of colored nail polish.<\/strong><\/p>\n 4. Top\u00a0Coat Wrap:<\/strong> Completely wrap<\/strong> your nails with topcoat<\/strong> all the way to the underside.<\/p>\n 5. Clean Up:<\/strong> Clean up your polish along the eponychium (“cuticle” line) using acetone and a makeup or artist brush.<\/p>\n 6. Rehydrate your cuticle lines and surrounding skin<\/strong> with a high quality, penetrating jojoba wax ester based\u00a0nail and cuticle oil.<\/a>\u00a0 7. Maintenance: Apply a new layer of topcoat daily or every-other day, if desired, wrapping it all the way around your tips.<\/strong> Apply nail oil two times per day or more. I usually do 4 or more times a day.<\/p>\n TIP:<\/strong> The ingredients that make a good topcoat<\/strong> bond to nail polish and have an incredible shine make it a horrible base coat<\/strong>! Steer away from any product labeled as basecoat AND topcoat. It will do neither one very well at all. ~Ana<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After 7 or more\u00a0days, remove<\/strong> your polish with acetone<\/strong>. Remember, acetone is actually less drying to your nails<\/a> than non-acetone because it dissolves the polish quicker.<\/p>\n And if you want your polish to dissolve even faster, try using manicure\u00a0clips<\/a> to warm the acetone. This\u00a0technique of warming acetone is often used in the salon for quicker servicing. I explain this more in my how to remove polish faster article<\/a>.<\/p>\n TIP:\u00a0Before<\/strong> removing your\u00a0polish, wipe a generous layer of olive oil or any cheap kitchen oil\u00a0<\/strong>around your cuticles and skin to help reduce\u00a0the dryness<\/strong>\u00a0that acetone causes.<\/em><\/p>\n TIP:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Use Q-Tip brand cotton swabs to remove the polish on the underside of your nails. I’ve tried cheaper brands and they’re just not as effective, perhaps because they’ve wound the cotton around the stick tighter than Q-Tip does.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/JF2zCQXpbVE?si=RJWsoOMjXb6FUtY3″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Mini-Hydration Treatment is something that I like to do in between manicures.\u00a0I oil my naked nails for 2 to 8 hours before starting a new manicure. If your nails are feeling especially dry, you may be interested in trying the Overnight Hydration Treatment.<\/a><\/p>\n 1. Rinse your hands in warm water for 30 to 60 seconds. <\/strong><\/p>\n 2. Apply a high quality, penetrating nail oil to your nails about once an hour for the next 2\u00a0to 8 hours. <\/strong><\/p>\n 3. Start over with a fresh Fab 5 Polish Wrap Manicure.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Mini-Hydration treatment\u00a0with the Fab 5 Polish Wrap is a marriage made in heaven. Ok, well maybe not that extreme\u2014but pretty darn close!<\/p>\n Nail oil absorbs into your nails brilliantly but soap and water wash it away. The Fab 5 Wrap traps the oil into your nails.<\/p>\n Your nail bed continues to nourish your nail plate with moisture and sebum (body oil). Polish traps all of that wonderfulness in your nails keeping them strong but also\u00a0flexible.<\/p>\n But then the polish must be removed and we start over. Acetone\u2014dissolves polish and takes precious oils with it. The Mini-Hydration treatment\u2014reverses the damage.<\/p>\n It’s simple. It takes extra time\u2014but it works\u2014and it’s totally worth it. To have healthy nails in the 20th Century, you really can’t have one without the other.<\/p>\n Here’s your new mantra: Hydrate\u2014Protect\u2014Dissolve\u2014Repeat. It’s that simple.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/8IAqOmul0zU?si=O5nR3naE4b_icx-M” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How to Prevent Polish Chipping We are all looking for ways to have our polish last longer. For me, it started with a Google search in 2010, “How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?” I spent over 80 hours searching the web until felt that I had seen everything that it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" 1. Cleanse Nails:<\/strong> Wipe your nails with rubbing alcohol<\/strong> and a lint free pad as your first step. If your nails are long enough, use a Q-Tip brand cotton swab with rubbing alcohol to clean the underside of the nail. This removes the surface oils and dirt from your nails.<\/p>\r\n 2. Base Coat Wrap:<\/strong> Use a good ridge filling\u00a0base coat<\/strong>, wrapping it around to the underside of your nail (not just capping your tips).<\/p>\r\n\r\n 3. Color Coats:<\/strong> Apply 2 coats of colored nail polish.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n 4. Top\u00a0Coat Wrap:<\/strong> Completely wrap<\/strong> your nails with topcoat<\/strong> all the way to the underside.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 5. Clean Up:<\/strong> Clean up your polish along the eponychium (\"cuticle\" line) using acetone and a makeup or artist brush.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 6. Rehydrate your cuticle lines and surrounding skin<\/strong> with a high quality, penetrating jojoba wax ester based\u00a0nail and cuticle oil.<\/a>\u00a0\r\n<\/a><\/p>\r\n 7. Maintenance: Apply a new layer of topcoat daily or every-other day, if desired, wrapping it all the way around your tips.<\/strong> Apply nail oil two times per day or more. I usually do 4 or more times a day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n TIP:<\/strong> The ingredients that make a good topcoat<\/strong> bond to nail polish and have an incredible shine make it a horrible base coat<\/strong>! Steer away from any product labeled as basecoat AND topcoat. It will do neither one very well at all. ~Ana<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\nThe Fab 5 Wrap Overview<\/h1>\n
\n
The Fab 5 Wrap Details<\/h1>\n
* I wrote another article explaining why acetone is the best choice for removing polish.<\/a>\u00a0But the quick answer is that acetone dissolves polish quicker than non-acetone polish removers. Therefore, it is less drying.
<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Polish Removal<\/h2>\n
Mini-Hydration\u00a0Treatment<\/h2>\n
The Perfect Marriage<\/h2>\n
PREVENT POLISH CHIPPING<\/span><\/h6>\r\n
![\"www.NailCareHQ.com](\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Fab-Five-Polish-Wrap-150.png\")
<\/a>How to Prevent Polish Chipping<\/h2>\r\nWe are all looking for ways to have our polish last longer.\r\n\r\nFor me, it started with a Google search<\/a> in 2010, \"How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?\"\r\n\r\nI spent over 80 hours searching the web until felt that I had seen everything that it had to offer. Back then, the Internet was a lot smaller. And I still did not have an answer to my question.\r\n\r\nThe solution came to me several months later after I had done another 200 plus hours of exhaustive research. I hadn't\u00a0found the answer before, but I did find the pieces of information necessary to discover\u00a0the answer.\r\n\r\nThe quick answer is that nails absorb 1\/3rd\u00a0their weight in water. When water is absorbed through the underside of your nail plate, it breaks the polish-to-nail bond.\r\n\r\nThe long answer is in my article\u00a0\"How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?<\/a>\"\r\n\r\nI created the Fab 5 Polish Wrap<\/strong>\u00a0technique to help prevent my nails from absorbing water.\r\n\r\nNow, does it stop my nails from absorbing water if I'm doing dishes without gloves for 30 minutes? NO!!!\r\n\r\nBut it does stop my nails from absorbing water in a 15 minute luxurious shower! Yes. And as a Mom to 4 active children and an entrepreneur, that's all I need!\r\n\r\nThe result, is that I can easily wear my nail polish for 7 to 10 days without any chipping<\/strong>! And when I've spent a few hours creating gorgeous nail art\u2014dang it, I want it to stick around!<\/strong>\r\nThe Fab 5 Wrap Overview<\/h1>\r\n
\r\n \t
![\"www.NailCareHQ.com](\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Fab-Five-Polish-Wrap-800.png\")
<\/a>\r\nThe Fab 5 Wrap Details<\/h1>\r\n
\r\n
Polish Removal<\/h2>\r\nAfter 7 or more\u00a0days, remove<\/strong> your polish with acetone<\/strong>. Remember, acetone is actually less drying to your nails<\/a> than non-acetone because it dissolves the polish quicker.\r\n\r\nAnd if you want your polish to dissolve even faster, try using manicure\u00a0clips<\/a> to warm the acetone. This\u00a0technique of warming acetone is often used in the salon for quicker servicing. I explain this more in my how to remove polish faster article<\/a>.\r\n
Mini-Hydration\u00a0Treatment<\/h2>\r\n