Fast & Easy Ways to Dry Your Manicure at Home

Wet nails putting a damper on your plans? Try these simple hacks!

Co-authored by Kristin Pulaski and Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: October 21, 2024 Fact Checked

You love painting your nails, but the 2 hours it takes for your manicure to dry just isn’t worth it. What if we told you there was a way to cut the drying time in half? From ice water to baby oil, these quick-drying hacks are perfect for when you’re in a rush. So, if you want to dry that top layer of polish fast while giving your manicure a beautiful shine, keep reading.

Things You Should Know

Submerge your nails in ice cold water for 3 minutes to harden the top layer of polish.
Blow your nails dry with a hairdryer or compressed air to cut the drying time in half.
Use nail-drying products like drying drops or nail-drying spray to moisturize and dry your nails.

1

Dip your nails in cold water.

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Dunking painted nails in ice water helps them harden. Submerging your nails in cold water can actually help them dry quickly. Let your nails air dry for about a minute, then put them in a bowl of ice water for 3 minutes. Carefully remove them from the bowl, dry them, and go about your day.^{[1]
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- Putting your nails in the water too soon could smudge the polish.

2

Blow dry your nails with cool air.

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A blast of cold air can speed up the nail-drying process. If your hairdryer has a cool setting, use it to your advantage! Paint your nails, then run the cool air over them for 2 to 3 minutes. Do this between each coat, and your nails will dry super fast.^{[2]
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- Never use the hot heat setting on your nails. Hot air will melt polish, causing it to ripple and bubble, destroying your manicure.
- If you’re in a pinch and don’t have a blow dryer handy, try using a fan instead.

3

Spray your nails with compressed air.

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A spritz or two from an air duster can dry your nails quickly. Have a can of compressed air sitting on your desk? Well, consider using it to dry your nails. Let your nails air dry for about 10 minutes. Hold the can about 1 to 2 ft (0.30 to 0.61 m) away from your hands, and do a quick 3 second spray over each nail.
- Double check that the nozzle is angled toward your nail before spraying.
- This works best on mostly dried nails, as spraying too much compressed air on wet nails could dent your manicure.

4

Spritz your nails with hairspray or cooking spray.

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Cooking spray and hairspray add shine while drying your manicure It may seem odd, but this hack is foolproof! Simply paint your nails, wait 2 minutes for them to dry, and then spray them with hairspray or cooking spray (holding the canister about ¹⁄₂ to 1 ft (0.15 to 0.30 m) away from your nails). Wait 30 minutes, then continue your day as normal.^{[3]
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- Cooking spray helps moisturize your cuticles but may leave your fingers feeling greasy.
- Make sure to use air-compressed hairspray for this hack.
- Consider the smell of your cooking spray or hairspray. For instance, a butter cooking spray will make your fingers smell buttery.

5

Drip oil onto your nails.

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Baby oil and olive oil moisturize, shine, and dry nails. Believe it or not, adding wet oil to your nails can help your manicure set faster. All you have to do is drip a drop of your preferred oil on your painted nails. Let the oil soak into the paint as it dries. When the oil starts to bead on top of the paint, gently wipe it off with a cotton ball.^{[4]
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- Avoid pressing down on your nail when wiping off the oil, as this could cause the polish to smudge.

6

Put drying drops on your nails.

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Drying drops are specifically made to cut down drying time. After you apply your top coat, wait about 3 minutes and then plop 1 drop of drying drops onto each nail. Wait another 3 minutes before rinsing your hands with cold water.^{[5]
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7

Spray your nails with nail-drying spray.

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Nail-drying spray is designed to dry nails quickly and easily. Simply paint your nails as you normally would and then spray your nails following the directions on the canister. This product is designed to set the top layer of nail polish and add a shimmering shine.^{[6]
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8

Use a quick-drying polish.

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Quick-drying base and top coats can cut your drying time in half. It may seem like marketing mumbo-jumbo, but products labeled with “rapid speed,” “fast drying,” and “express dry” actually work. Stock up on fast-drying nail products so that all your manicures are quick and easy.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.}

9

Paint your nail using thin coats.

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The thinner your nail polish is, the faster it’ll dry. Painting on multiple layers of nail polish may seem counterintuitive, but it can actually help your manicure dry quickly. Wipe off a bit of polish from the applicator brush before painting each nail. Let the polish dry for about 3 minutes between each coat.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.}
- Nail polish won’t dry completely if applied in heavy layers.
- Always paint your nails one by one and repeat the painting order with each layer. This way, each nail gets the same amount of time to dry in between coats.

10

Wait 2 minutes before adding another coat.

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If you paint your nails too quickly, you’ll have a clumpy and moldable manicure. Try to wait at least 2 minutes between each coat (if you’re not in a hurry). This way, you can be sure each layer is dry and avoid unwanted knicks or smudges in your manicure.^{[9]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

My nail polish never seems to dry, no matter how long I wait. It can be 2 hours, and it's still tacky and can easily be scraped off, no polish remover needed. What do I do?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

There are 2 reasons this could be happening. It's possible that you're using old nail polish. If so, then you should switch to a new bottle. Throw away polish that seems too thick or streaky or that is hard to open. If your polish isn't old, then you're likely applying coats that are too heavy or not waiting for each coat to dry before applying more polish. Apply thinner layers of polish and give each layer more time to dry.

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Question

Can you put your nails in front of an air condition, instead of a freezer?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Yes, this will help dry your nails. Anything that cools them faster will help your nails harden more quickly.

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Question

Why is my nail polish not drying?

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist
Kristin Pulaski is a Professional Nail Artist and the Founder of Paintbucket, a self-owned and operated nail salon based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She has over five years of experience running Paintbucket and is licensed as a nail technician. Paintbucket offers nail art manicures, pedicures, and soft gel extensions along with customized packages for wedding and bridal parties. She holds a BA in Managerial Science from Manhattan College.

Kristin Pulaski

Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Answer

If your nail polish is not drying quickly, you've likely just painted on too thick of a layer. You should only be applying thin layers at a time and let each one dry before applying another.

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Tips

Newly purchased nail polish tends to dry faster than old polish.

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Helpful 9 Not Helpful 2
To check how dry your nails are, dab the outer corner of 1 nail with the top of your finger. If you see an impression in the polish, it’s still wet.

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