A couple of life hacks on how to open nail polish if it’s dried out and won’t open... at all. The problem in most cases is trivial and can be solved in a couple of minutes.
In most cases, it is not possible to open the bottle not because it is tightly or tightly closed, but because of the remnants of varnish that have dried under the lid. And here there are two solutions - heat or dissolve.
Usually, it’s enough to simply place a bottle of varnish under running hot water for about fifteen seconds, or even immerse the bottle in a bowl of water for a couple of minutes.
Another effective method is to use nail polish remover (acetone). Just turn the bottle upside down, moisten a cotton swab with remover, and blot it under the cap. The acetone that has penetrated under the cap will dissolve the dried varnish, and the bottle will “creak”, but open.
After each manicure, before closing the bottle, carefully wipe the threads and neck of the bottle from any remaining varnish - this way you will avoid hassle in the future.
Before unscrewing the lid, for a more comfortable and secure grip, wrap it with an elastic band several turns. In general, for this you can use any rubber fabric such as gloves or Chinese bottle openers, or an ordinary towel.
The methods described above have been repeatedly tested in practice and are effective when used both in combination and separately. I hope the article was useful to you, have a beautiful manicure and see you in the next publications!
It's time to update your manicure, but the plug won't come off? Don't worry about this. We offer many life hacks on how to open nail polish if it won't open.
The cap has dried on tightly, or it is an unused bottle, do not rush to throw away the bottle, because one of the above methods will definitely give a positive result.
Opening a new varnish
If the bottle has not been opened before, and attempts to unscrew the cap ended in failure, it is recommended to take the following steps:
- Make sure that all protective and decorative covers have been removed from the bottle. Hold the cap with two fingers and pull upward with force.
- If the top is difficult to grip and your fingers slip off the surface, you need to tighten your grip. Wrap the lid in a towel or wear rubber gloves. Turn the cap firmly counterclockwise and try to unscrew it.
Why does gel polish peel off?
The reasons for material detachment are quite varied, but much depends on the professionalism of the specialist. If the correct technology is not followed, the gel polish is removed as a film from the entire nail or may peel off at the edges. To avoid this, you must adhere to the following rules:
- apply all components of the gel system only to the nail plate (and remove anything that accidentally gets into these areas before polymerization), the gel polish moves away from the cuticle and side ridges when it gets on them;
- take into account the condition of the nails and the procedures performed on them (manicure and other care), use a degreaser and, if necessary, a dehydrator, do not apply shellac after steaming your hands or applying cosmetics containing fats and oils;
- follow the pre-grinding technology - if you do not remove the top shiny layer and the skin growing from the cuticle (pterygium) from the nail plate, this will not give the material reliable adhesion to the surface of the nail and is almost guaranteed to lead to its peeling; No less dangerous is excessive enthusiasm when filing - shellac will not stick to a thin and damaged nail, and recovery will take time;
- Do not ignore the “sealing” of the free edge of the nail plate on the sides and ends with a finishing agent.
How to deal with a dried-on lid
Due to the contact of varnish or gel on the neck, the cap is firmly glued to the bottle. There are several ways to solve this problem.
Soaking in water
If the options for opening the bottle do not produce results, soaking the nail polish in a high-temperature liquid will help open the nail polish:
- Pour hot water into a shallow container.
- Place the bottle cap down in the water.
- Leave for 5 minutes and remove the bottle from the water. Now the bottle will quickly unscrew.
Only the plastic part is placed in water, because upon contact with heat, the structure of the product changes, becomes sticky, and delaminates.
Hot water
Dried particles of a cosmetic product under the lid soften using a simple method:
- Place the top of the bottle under running hot water (the higher the temperature, the better).
- The bubble should be rotated slowly.
- The procedure takes from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the water temperature.
- Dry the lid from moisture so that it does not slip.
- Under the influence of water, the material of the cap expands, the dried particles soften, try to unscrew the jar.
Important! Part of the bottle with dye must be protected from the stream so as not to spoil the contents.
Available means
Increasing the grip force will help unscrew the bubble. To increase retention, an ordinary elastic band is used.
If you don’t have it on hand, use tape or a fabric bandage. Take adhesive materials with a minimum width of 1 cm.
A rubber band is placed on the cap of the bottle. It will take more than 3 coats to eliminate slippage. This will help grip the cap and make it easier to turn.
Let's find out how to open nail polish if the bottle is dry?
It's probably happened to you that as soon as you decided to do your own manicure, you discovered that the jar of your favorite polish had dried out and wouldn't open.
Don't rush to throw away the bottle. We suggest you get acquainted with several ways to open nail polish that has dried in a bottle. Even a very tightly closed jar can be opened if you know a few tricks.
Well, get to know them...
How to open varnish under hot water?
Your first step in dealing with a stuck lid is to give it a quick rinse under hot water. This simple and quick method almost always works. Here are your steps:
- Open the hot water tap. The hotter it is, the better.
- Hold the lid of the jar under hot pressure for about a minute. Then, there, under the stream, begin to carefully turn the lid so that moisture does not get into the bottle.
- Wipe the lid with a napkin and unscrew it. This is possible because the heat will cause the lid to expand and soften the dried varnish. You can easily unscrew the lid.
If this doesn't help, don't despair, leave the lid in hot water for about five minutes. All you have to do is fill a small container with hot water and place the bottle in it upside down. After the bottle has been in the water for 5 minutes, wipe it with a napkin and start unscrewing it. In most cases this helps.
Fix the problem with regular rubber bands
To make it more convenient to unscrew the varnish cap, you can use regular rubber bands. After all, the lids are often quite thin and difficult to wrap your fingers around.
How to open varnish using such a simple device? To solve this problem, put one or two rubber bands on the lid, wrap them quite tightly, this will help to fit the lid well.
The rubber texture will make it easier for you to turn the cap.
The best assistant is nail polish remover
To dissolve dried varnish, use acetone liquid. First, use nail polish remover to remove any traces of nail polish on and around the cap. The order of your actions should be as follows:
- Take a cotton swab and dip it in nail polish remover or acetone.
- Turn the jar upside down. Using a cotton swab, carefully apply nail polish remover into the gap between the cap and the bottle.
- Give time for the varnish to dissolve under the influence of the liquid, then carefully unscrew the lid. If necessary, repeat all steps.
To prevent the lid from drying out in the future, use the following trick:
- There is an open jar in front of you.
- Take a cloth and soak the tip generously in nail polish remover.
- After this, carefully wipe the neck of the bottle with this cloth.
- To prevent liquid from remaining on the bottle, wipe it again with the dry side of the napkin.
- The neck threads should remain clean and dry.
Chemical compounds effectively dissolve dried varnish on the bottle neck and cap.
Use special tools
If the two methods above did not help you deal with the problem, then try using special tools: tongs, pliers. There is no need to use too much force, because the massive tool can crush the bottle, which will lead to the varnish leaking out. Here are three methods with tools you can use if you don't know how to open polish:
- Take tongs, pinch the lid with them and turn it.
- Pliers and an adjustable wrench will help you. Use it as a lever to turn the lid.
- Turn the bottle upside down and secure the cap with a vice. Start turning the jar, but as soon as it opens slightly, turn it over immediately, otherwise the varnish will leak out.
Now you are armed and know how to open dried varnish with tools.
Basic mistakes to avoid
Very often, if they don’t know how to open the polish, they start banging the bottle on the table. We assure you, this will not work! The fact is that the lid of the bottle with varnish is made of plastic, and it does not deform upon impact like metal. Even a strong blow will not change the shape of the plastic cap. But there is a risk of breaking the bottle.
Long agony when opening a jar of varnish can make you lose patience. Many people often use incredible force, but this requires cunning. After all, it’s very easy to rip off the lid with pliers.
Some even try to use a screwdriver.
But the best method for removing the lid is to unscrew it, so use our above methods with hot water, rubber bands, liquid or tools.
Why does it happen that the bottle dries out to such an extent that it cannot be opened? This happens because you leave the unscrewed jar open for some time. Such actions lead to air getting inside the bottle. After this, the varnish begins to dry on the surface of the neck.
Try to store jars of varnish in cool places where there is no direct sunlight or high temperatures. Make sure that the bottles with varnish are always in a vertical position, then the product will not flow into the places where the cap is screwed on.
Source: //autogear.ru/article/395/353/kak-otkryit-lak-dlya-nogtey-esli-flakon-zasoh/
Using nail polish remover
If the bottle does not open again, an effective method is to soak it in a special liquid to remove the cosmetic substance. Due to the solvent, the dried elements dissolve, and the jar can be opened without effort.
Follow the plan:
- Take a cotton swab and soak it in the solution.
- Turn the bottle over and apply the product into the slot, pressing down to ensure maximum penetration.
- After a few minutes, turn the cap.
- The procedure should be repeated for further soaking and deeper penetration of the product under the lid.
If you cannot unscrew the cap the first time, it means that the dried nail polish has not dissolved enough. Take a pipette, fill it with solvent and inject a few drops into the gap.
What can I do to make the lid easy to open in the future?
To quickly open the jar at any time, you should follow simple recommendations for using and storing manicure products:
- Always seal the tube tightly after use. When applying gel polish, do not leave the bottle open for a long time.
- Dyes should be stored in a standing position - this will limit the penetration of liquid under the cap.
- When painting your nails, do not leave excess product on the neck.
- You can prevent drying by thoroughly wiping the threads on the bottle; to do this, use nail polish remover. Soak a piece of cloth in solvent, treat the outside of the bottle, and dry with a dry towel. Repeat the procedure until completely cleansed. Tighten the bottle only after the surface has completely dried.
- Store in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight. Heat and light help thicken the contents.
What do you mean it doesn't hold up?!
Many girls have high hopes for a gel polish manicure. Although it is characterized by increased durability, it can still “crack” after 7 days.
In many sources you can find information that such a design should please you for 2 weeks. However, this is the maximum value, but is by no means a prerequisite.
Chips and peeling of gel polish
If after a couple of days the manicure comes off in layers and forms chips like in the photo, it’s time to figure out the reasons for this annoying phenomenon!
Interesting : Shellac or gel polish: what to choose
Common Mistakes
What not to do:
- Do not knock the bottle on a table or wooden surface unless it opens. If you physically impact the plastic part, you can easily break the jar and spill the contents.
- Do not overdo it. Before using tools (pliers, tongs, etc.), try other methods first.
- Do not unscrew the bottle using a screwdriver, scissors, or knife, otherwise there will be gaps and the product will deteriorate under the influence of air that penetrates.
How to choose a master who will not let you down
If you suspect that the reason for the low durability of gel polish is the mistakes of the technician, then you need to urgently start looking for a real professional.
You shouldn’t blindly go to a person who receives you at home after seeing a tempting ad on social networks or at a bus stop.
Step number one is to study the work of the master and reviews of his clients. Ask your friends and acquaintances if they can recommend you a specialist whose quality of services they are 100% satisfied with.
If you don’t succeed in finding “your person” this way, continue your search in good beauty salons, which simply cannot risk their reputation and provide low-quality manicures.
Interesting : Learn how to apply gel polish at home
