If you were to create a wishlist for your ideal yet simple manicure, we imagine it would look a little like this: vibrant color, long-lasting staying power, chip-resistant, and gentle on the nail beds and cuticles. Gel and acrylic nails, which are durable and provide a canvas for endless nail art and design options, can come up short in the gentle department. Regular nail polish, by comparison, will last about eight days at best. So does the perfect mani exist? Possibly. That’s where dip powder nails come in.
Celebrity manicurist and educator Julie Kandalec, who counts Jessica Chastain and Camila Cabello as regular clients, explains that dip powder manicures involve a layering process where colored powder is placed between resin before being sealed with a top coat. The result is a highly pigmented nail color that won’t chip off for weeks or harm your natural nail beds.
If that has piqued your interest, consider this your beginner’s guide to the manicure. From how they work to their pros and cons, see how the experts break down everything you need to know about dip powder nails.
How Dip Powder Nails Work
The process is fairly simple. Once nails are cleaned and prepped, your nail tech will apply a bonder for the powder to adhere to and a base coat before dipping the nail acrylic powder. Excess powder will be brushed off and you can dip your nails again (and again) to get your desired thickness and color. You’ll wait a couple of minutes, anywhere from two to five minutes, for the product to harden, before applying the activator to cure the nail. Then everything is then sealed with a top coat.
The Benefits
The main benefit of dip powder manicure is it durability: it can last a really long time and is chip-resistant. Kandalec says that you can expect your dip powder mani to last anywhere from two weeks to an entire month. Other benefits, Hadley King, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist, says, include its accessibility; you can either go into a nail salon for treatment or DIY with the many dip products available for purchase. You also don’t need UV light to cure the nails into place.
The Downsides
Durability can come at a price as both King and Kandalec say that dip powder nails are very difficult to remove. If not done properly, it can really damage your nail beds.
You’ll also want to be mindful about how your salon uses powder containers. Kandalec explains that if your technician is dipping your finger into the same container as other people, you risk infection—even if your hands and nails have been sanitized beforehand. Plus, bacteria can still be airborne and she says it can be difficult to disinfect your hands in a salon setting. For this, she recommends technicians sprinkle powder or take a small amount of product into a separate container to dip your finger into. Once you’re done, they should never put it back into the original container and instead should throw away the excess.
King says that an allergic reaction is possible, so you may want to do a patch test to make sure you won’t have any sensitivity towards the powder. Also, application and upkeep need to be precise, or else the end result could look too bulky or require you to get them filled in.
Dip Powder Nails vs. Gel Nail Polish
As mentioned previously, dip powder nails don’t need a UV lamp to cure. Instead, you simply set it with an activator and top coat. Dip powder nails are also much thicker than gel and can potentially last longer.
Dip Powder Nails vs. Acrylic Nails
While dip powder nails and acrylic nails have many similarities, Kandalec says that the main difference between the two is the application process.
With dip powders, she says it involves applying layers of colored powder to the nail between layers of resin before it is sealed and activated with a top coat. This process is repeated until you get your desired color, shape, and thickness. With acrylic nails, you mix liquid with a powder to form a semi-liquid product that can be patted and shaped onto the nails for your specific design and color. It hardens in about three minutes before it is filed into your final desired shape.
DIY Dip Powder Nails
While there are many dip powder products and starter kits available for purchase, Kandalec doesn’t recommend doing it yourself. She says that getting them done by a licensed nail professional who uses salon-grade products minimizes any health risks.
“If you are doing it at home, most likely the products you are getting [are] from online distributors like Amazon, Aliexpress, etc. have not been tested,” she says. “[They] can cause severe issues in a very short period of time.”
She adds that a trained professional will know to keep the product off the skin and know the proper curing time so that your new mani will last as long as possible. Plus, a professional will use tools that are sterile while working, which is a must.
How to Remove
Similar to gel polish removal, Kandalec says that removal of dip powder involves soaking the nails in acetone to dissolve it. Your nail technician will first use a nail file to file down the powder on your nails before you soak the rest of the product in acetone for about 15 minutes. Then they’ll use a tool or some sort of buffer to gently remove the excess.
Is it safe?
Yes, dip powder is totally safe for your natural nails—as long as the application and removal process is done correctly. “Damage comes from the person, not the product,” says Kandalec.