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How Often Should You Take A Break From Dip Nails?

How Often Should You Take A Break From Dip Nails?

Jemma Almond Nails
Written By: Jemma Wilson
Published Date:

If you have been tempted by the colorful world of dip powder nails and you’re already hooked, you may be wondering how often you should let your nails rest without a dip powder application? Perhaps you’ve had a few back-to-back; maybe you are planning to. Either way, here is what you should do.  

So, how often should you take a break from dip nails? It is generally recommended to take a break from dip nails every 2-3 months. However, if your nails seem healthy and strong, you may not need a break at all. It is if your nails look discolored, weakened, or brittle, then they likely need a little bit of a break from dip powder applications.

Ultimately, it’s going to come down to context and the health of your own nails. 

The truth is, there is no one set answer; this is something that should vary person by person.  

And while you’ll often read about letting your nails ‘breathe’ in the nail industry, this blanket recommendation should not always apply.

I know you may feel even more confused now.

So, keep reading to get the lowdown on when and how you should give your nails a break from dip powder.

Should You Let Your Nails Rest After Dip Powder?

It’s generally best to let your nails rest after dip powder, although the type of products used, how often you get dip nails, and the health of your nails will all impact how long to let them rest. 

It’s totally up to you. 

But if you’re asking me, I would say 100% you should let your nails rest after they’ve been covered by dip powder. 

Now, I will say the whole ‘nails need to breathe’ saying is just untrue.

Our nails are made up of dead keratin, just like our hair, and, quite frankly, they can’t breathe even if they wanted to. 

However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be damaged by excessive exposure to harsh chemicals, and that is effectively what dip powder nail products are. 

Just like you wouldn’t bleach your hair every Friday because eventually, the damage would be horrendous, your nails can have a similar reaction. 

I understand, though, that the urge to replace a decaying set of dip powder nails with a fresh set of glossy dip powder talons is a hard urge to resist, and lots of people don’t have any problems with back-to-back nail applications.

But I’m not that much of a risk-taker, so nail rests after dip powder is definitely something I do.

How Long Should You Wait Between Dip Nails?

A good rule of thumb is to leave at least two weeks between dip nail applications. 

This gives me plenty of time to care for my natural nail with lots of moisturizer for my cuticles and fingers and nourishing nail polish serums. 

Sometimes if I can really resist the dip powder urge, I’ll wait up to a month between my dip nail applications, especially if my nails are looking a little tired or weak.

But just because that’s what I do, doesn’t mean you have to. 

There are lots of dip powder nail fans out there who have been applying back-to-back dip power nails for years with barely an issue to speak of, and then you have others whose nails are cracking, breaking, and horrendously brittle after just one set of dip nails. 

You need to be an honest judge of the state of your nails and recognize the signs of weekend nails that are crying out for a break.

How Long Do Nails Take To Recover After Dip?

Nails can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months to recover after dip nails. 

It’s all entirely dependent on the level of damage your nails have experienced when you were wearing a set of dip powder nails. 

Dip nail beginners may experience far more damage to their nails than more experienced users as beginners tend to be a little more heavy-handed, using more product than necessary and not quite understanding the dip nail routine.

Don’t worry; the more practice you get with dip powder, the more caring and gentler your application process will become. 

Nails that are severely damaged from excessive dip nail applications may need a few months to fully recover or until the nail has fully grown out and been replaced with fresh nail growth. 

This is definitely an extreme circumstance and highly unlikely to happen if you care for your natural nails and your dip nails properly, but it’s not unheard of. 

In most cases, well-cared for nails will only need a few days to a couple of weeks to recover after dip nails have been removed.

If you notice any sign of weakening or discoloration, try to give your nails a deeper rest until they have been restored to their former natural glory. 

How To Restore Nails And Prepare For Next Dip

If you are looking for some simple tips and tricks to help restore your nails after a dip powder nail removal, you are in the right place. 

Luckily for us, even if our nails have experienced significant damage, they’re still pretty forgiving. 

Keep reading for my top 5 ways to restore your natural nails and prepare for your next dip powder nails application.

Use Vitamin Cuticle Oil

Once you have removed your old dip powder nails, it’s super important to keep your natural nails and cuticles moisturized. 

They will have lost a lot of their natural moisture after being kept undercover for a few weeks, so a vitamin-enriched cuticle oil is a perfect product.

This is the one I get and recommend to all of my clients.

I swear by it; it’s cost-effective too!

Use this oil all over your cuticles, nails, and the tips of your fingers. 

Be generous and soak those digits well once or twice a day in your good quality, vitamin-enriched oil. 

If you are a bit pinched when it comes to purchasing a new nail product or you’ve unexpectedly run out.

Coconut oil or olive oil will do the trick until you can pick up a more nail-specific product.

Nail Strengthener

Using a nail strengthener in between dip nail applications will give your nails a supersonic protection layer that they may desperately need. 

It’s similar to nail polish in that it is a clear base coat type product that protects your nail and also gives it an extra boost of hydration.

There are so many different nail strengtheners on the market right now that it can be difficult to choose which will be best. 

However, I definitely advise that you avoid nail strengtheners that contain formaldehyde or formalin. 

These two chemicals can give a very temporary feeling of extra strength to your nails, but very quickly, you’ll find that your nails become even more brittle than before.

Instead, look for nail strengtheners that have ingredients like glycerin, silicon, and hyaluronic acid. 

These ingredients provide proper protection and help to draw in moisture and maintain the hydration that your nails already have.

This is why you need to get this particular product from DipWell.

This will make grow more healthily, look shiny and definitely have more strength when applied.

Even better, you can use this nail strengthener underneath nail polish. 

So, if you’re really missing a bright and bold nail, you can use the nail strengthener underneath a nail polish in between your dip powder nail applications.

Trim Your Nails

Keeping your nails short and neat after you have removed your dip powder nails is incredibly important. 

This way, you are removing as much of your damaged nail as possible, leaving behind less of the unstable, weak, and brittle surface area that can break or snap, and keep your natural nails healthy.

If you leave your nails long after you have removed your dip nails, you are running the risk of your weakened nails cracking right down your natural nail bed. 

Not only would this be insanely sore, but it would take even longer to grow out until you have a new, fresh, and smooth nail to apply your dip powder too.

Use Rubber Gloves

To keep your nails from coming into contact with harsh chemicals when you are washing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, or even washing the dog, I highly recommend investing in a couple of pairs of rubber gloves. 

Our daily lives are never particularly kind to our nails, so you want to protect them as much as possible after you have removed a dip powder nail set, and rubber gloves can do this perfectly.

If your hands tend to get dry from using rubber gloves, you can always add an extra rich hand moisturizer to your hand care routine. 

Drink Water And Eat Well

Drinking water is highly underrated. 

They say humans are 70% water, so dehydration can filter through every part of your body – including your nails. 

Make sure you are chugging at least 2 liters of water a day to help keep your nails and the rest of your hydrated and healthy.

Focus on maintaining a healthy balanced diet as well. 

When our bodies have all of the necessary vitamins and minerals available, everything, including our nails, can grow correctly with the strength that they need. It seems so simple.

 Eat well and drink water, but it really is an important part of creating strong and beautiful nails. Plus, you’ll feel good too.

Final Word

Having a strong nail base for your dip powder nails is incredibly important, so you have to care for your natural nails and learn to recognize when they desperately need a break. 

If you care for your natural nails properly and give them necessary breaks between your dip powder nail applications, you shouldn’t have much issue with them at all.

FAQs

Does dip powder ruin your nails?

Dip powder does not generally ruin nails, although acetone (which is typically used to remove them) can if used too regularly. That being said you need to ensure you are using only high-quality products, using them properly and safely, and maintain proper nail care and hygiene.

Like this? Then you may want to read my other dip powder nail articles: