At Home Manicure Tips to Dry Nail Polish Faster!

Now that we know cold air helps polish harden, employ the same cool principle with water: Dip wet nails into a bowl of cold H2O, says Liang. (Just be sure to wait at least a minute before doing so to allow your polish to set preliminary.) A two-minute dunk should dry nails to the point that you can go about your business as normal.

You can get nail-drying spray at the drugstore, and it really does help your polish set in a couple of minutes. But Pam (and other cooking oil aerosols) legendarily does the job as well. Just wait a few minutes after you spray it on and rinse your hands so you don't smell like canola oil.

Air duster or keyboard duster contains endothermic or heat absorbing ingredients and it also releases a cooling spray, perfect quick drying nails.

Using a quick-dry topcoat is always smart, because it helps keep everything in place and protects your polish. The only caveat is that the still-liquid polish underneath can move around, resulting in lumps or ripples, so don't treat it as a cure-all.

If you’re really in a rush and don’t mind your meat melting, just put your hands in the freezer. I’ve definitely done this and it definitely does help. It’s not the best solution but it will speed up the process if you can handle the cold.

The cool-shot button on your dryer can do more than seal your hair's cuticles—it can set nail polish, too. “It’s probably the most effective way to dry nails fast,” says Liang, who notes that hot air actually prevents polish from hardening. Blast that chilly air about six inches from your nail beds for about a minute. Then gently tap nails to gauge if they’re still tacky.