Everything You Need To Know About Dip Powder Nails

Have you tried this nail trend yet?

There is nothing worse than chipped nail polish. After spending all that time and effort achieving a perfect manicure, it is always such a bummer when simply opening a can of soda messes up your nails. As hard as I try to be cautious after a mani, it only takes a day or two before I start looking like I crawled my way out of a coffin.

Over the years, I have simply accepted the fact that I will never have the nails of my dreams. But there is a lesser-known nail polish product that is promising to help even klutzes like me keep our nails perfect. It’s called “dip powder,” and Glamour describes it as “somewhere between a regular mani and a fake nail.”

Glamour also notes that this process isn’t “new,” but it’s gaining some new attention thanks to social media.

How The Dip Powder Process Works

The process is pretty simple, which means this could be a great option for at-home manicures. Not having to hit up a nail salon to get an acrylic or gel polish done would certainly save some dough. You also don’t need to worry about dust inhalation, as you do with acrylics or with UV exposure, as you do with a gel manicure.

And, perhaps one of the biggest selling points is that the color is applied to your nail in powder form, so if you get it on your skin it won’t stick like a typical nail polish will.

Check out how simple the dip powder process is below:

After dipping your nails into the powder, you seal the color with a protective clear polish. It’s an easy process, and the nails dry instantly!

And it has impressive results—reviews say it can last up to two to four weeks. Nor do you have to go to your local nail salon and shell out big bucks for the procedure. Many companies sell kits that allow you to apply dip powder at home, such as Kiara Sky Professional Nails.

Is The Process Safe?

However, before you try out this trend for yourself, consider this: Although dip powder nails are marketed as safe and natural, they are bonded with the same ingredient used to make Krazy Glue—and this goes for acrylic and gel polishes alike. Nail polishes contain chemicals, so if you’re already on board with using traditional polish, you don’t have anything more to worry about when using the dip powder from a toxin perspective.

(If you’re interested in nontoxic nail polish, I recommend you check out some of these brands.)

Doug Schoon, president of Schoon Scientific + Regulatory Consulting and co-chair of Nail Manufacturer’s Council, told Self magazine that the removal process should be considered for any type of nail polish.

“One thing that people don’t understand is that if it says soak for 15 minutes to remove [as is the case for the dip powder products], that’s the minimum time,” explained Schoon. The longer you leave on the polish, he said, the more difficult it will be take off. “It may be 15 minutes if you take them off the same day, but if you wait two weeks or four weeks, it could take 30 minutes.”

Wow. And Schoon cautions that should never try to rush the process by scraping off the polish. This could do severe damage to your nails—not to mention, it will hurt!

If you’ve ever tried to take your gel manicure off at home without soaking your nails in nail polish remover for long enough, you know what he’s talking about.

That being said, it seems that dip powder doesn’t pose any more risk during removal than acrylics or gel manicures. Nor is there any risk of inhalation with the product, according to Schoon. And unlike gels and acrylics, no UV light means that this mani won’t come with a risk of skin cancer.

Still, due to the work involved when it comes to removal and the potential for damaging your nails if you do it wrong, it seems like dip powder nails are best reserved for special occasions.

“This may be great as a one time use when you want stronger nails,” celebrity nail stylist Elle told Self, as the removal process can cause wear and tear.

Here’s a tutorial that shows you how it’s done.