Toenail polish - how long to wear

[Carolyn Summers]

I've had the same polish on my toes for over a week and it still looks nice. If it aint broke don't fix it, right? So, is it bad to leave it on for long periods of time wihtout redoing it? How long do you leave your toenail polish on if it's still looking good? Do your nails need to breathe? Help me out. I don't want my toes to curl up and fall off. LOL

[Susan]

until it chips or grows out - a couple of weeks

[PhylissH]

One thing you want to do is put clear polish on before you color them.
At least that is what the girl that does my nails tells me. She says if you just put the color on by its self that after a few days it will cause the nail to yellow some. So to answer I wear ine until it chips or the nail sterts to grow out usually about two weeks.

[Davita]

First, let me post one of the links from my web site. Don't let the name fool you, they do good. See http://www.waningmoon.com/nails/faq.shtml

Now, to answer the question, the polish doesn't look good if it only covers the front half on the nail; this is true for fingers and toes. It doesn't matter if it's not chipped, it just isn't that good looking when your nails have grown out far enough. As for the breathing question, yep.... nails need some days to breath. How long between breaths? I don't know; I do tend to leave my polish on my toes too long but my fingers are usually a week or less.

Hope this helps.

[JoAnnDallas]

I have had my toes polished almost continuously for three years now. I always get mine redone every three weeks.

[April Rose]

I was doing a moon cycle thing for awhile. That is, I would remove my polish a few days before the full moon and on the full moon I would trim my toenails and reapply it. So I was leaving the polish on for almost a month with no ill effects. It would be showing growth by this time, of course.

[BrandyB]

I give myself a pedicure every 2 weeks...Before I met my wife I lived with a girlfriend who was going to nail school & used me for practice! Lucky me, she did not know that I loved it! But, I also paid attention as she explained every step, probably more for herself to remember for school, but I was listening...first, never use clippers on your toenails, use a good coarse grit file & file in one direction, see-sawing back and forth can damage your nails and give them an uneven shape. I always shape them in a "squoval" shape, that is a rounded square, especially the big toes. I buff the nail with a coarse buffer working down to a fine buffer to remove and smooth out any indentations. I then soak my feet to soften the cuticles and then gently push them back with a cuticle stick. I prefer OPI polishes, they are the best, they are super-durable and they also have a unique brush if any of you are familiar with it...it is flat and enables you to paint the entire nail in 2-3 swipes. I stick to reds, roses and burgundys. I apply one coat and wait about 10 minutes and then a second coat & then wait about an hour or so and then apply a good top coat, I prefer Revlon for that. Another thing the old girlfriend pointed out to me...you don't want your toenails too short, you obviously don't want them too long, but your big toenails should not be too short, you will have to play around with that and find what length you prefer. Then I am sandal ready! I just did mine friday morning in OPI "Mauving to Manitoba", a gorgeous rose polish & went to Dunkin" Donuts to get a coffee, in a pair of thong sandals and the woman standing in line behind me gave me a compliment! She said I love that color, what is it? I happily told her and went on my way. At times I get a few stares and weird looks, usually from men, but like I always say, "Would a woman think twice about going out with her toenails polished? No and neither should you!

[RickS]

I have a pedicure every 3 weeks, so i change color then.