This Clever Nail Hack Will Conceal Your Grown-Out Manicure Between Appointments

Ever snagged your shirt on a flaking, grown-out nail? It’s enough to turn you off a shellac manicure forever. But when it comes to our hair, there are plenty of root touch-up options to see us through to our next appointment. There are even tan extenders that can prolong the life of our spray tan. When it comes to our manicures, there’s not much that can be done to stop the colour growing out.

And as hard as we may try to stay on top of regular shellac appointments (perhaps you’ve even attempted to remove your gel-polish at home), there are times when a fresh manicure just isn’t fitting into the schedule. But now, thanks to Instagram beauty expert, Olivia Thompson (@omgartistry), there’s finally a (very sparkly) solution to temporarily manage grown-out nails.

How long until a manicure will begin to look grown out?

This all depends on the health of your nails. It’s typically recommended to only leave two to three weeks between manicure appointments. The bittersweet thing about having strong and healthy nails is that they will grow quickly. Though in every other situation fast-growing, healthy nails are a positive. However, when you’re trying to prolong the life of your shellac manicure, this can often become a pain point.

How will I know when my manicure has grown out?

When a manicure is fresh, the painted portion of the nail will meet your cuticle bed. As the nail grows, so does the distance between the cuticle and the painted nail.

Hack for concealing grown-out nails between appointments…

To begin, grab any glitter nail polish, though Olivia notes, “the chunkier [the glitter] the better.” Olivia uses a polish from the essie Glitter range ($15.99, Adore Beauty). Lightly dabbing the polish along the grown-out section of her nail (AKA between the cuticle and painted nail) she continues until the space is sufficiently covered.

@omgartistry

And voila! Not only have you concealed your grown-out manicure, but you’ve also added some glittery nail art in the process. Cute, plus it’ll work to seal down any flaking at the base of your nail.

However, this trick should only be used to tie you over temporarily. A safe removal of your shellac is essential for the longer-term health of your nails.

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A post shared by Olivia Thompson Hair Hacks (@omgartistry)

Main image credit: @betina_goldstein

Have you ever tried this nail hack?