Why do people leave nail polish on their nails when it is chipped and nasty?

United States
February 2, 2007 7:18pm CST
I love to polish my nails when they have reached a length worthy of color. I would touch them up when the color on the tips would wear off or if the polish chipped away. They always looked neat. When a touch up was not enough, the color was removed. Lately I have noticed many people not removing their polish. Yes, I tend to notice such things, especially on people who use their hands when the work. People like cashiers, baggers, or clerks. You can't help but notice their hands. Why do they let it chip away or wear off rather than remove it with polish remover? It is just so nasty.
18 people like this
77 responses
@loved1 (5328)
• United States
3 Feb 07
That is exactly why I don't wear nail polish on my fingernails. I have my hands in dishwater quite often and the polish tends to chip quickly. However, my toenails are always painted and look fabulous!
2 people like this
• Philippines
3 Feb 07
me, too! i hardly have time to put on nail polish because when i do it takes me about an hour to do it. and then it would easily chip off because of washing dishes all the time!
1 person likes this
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
3 Feb 07
This is why I don't waste my time painting my nails anymore. It only lasts a few days and then it looks like junk and I have to take it off and do it again. I cant stand the smell of acetone!
2 people like this
@patootie (3592)
3 Feb 07
I use acetone free removers !
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Feb 07
Raising my hand, I don't like chipped polish either. I will admit though that I'd rather not wear polish. Why you ask, because I am too lazy to removed in when they do start to chip. I have plenty of polish remover in the house, I can find 10 other things to do before grabbing a paper towel and wiping off the polish. I don't mind the smell of the acetone coming from the bottle, I just don't like it on my hands and I tend to like to remove polish first thing in the morning and it take 3 or 4 hand washings to remove the scent.
• United States
3 Feb 07
I think people get to a point where they are too lazy to do ut. I must admit I have done that with my toes, but they can never be seen when I am out. Just my son and I , so I don't think that is as bad. Hey no body is perfect.lol :)
2 people like this
@AskAlly (3625)
• Canada
3 Feb 07
It looks very nasty. It will probably remain a mystery. I find that if i buy the little pots of nail polish remover with the sponge inside, it is so simple to take off. And now with the quick drying polishes, there realy is no excuse.
• United States
3 Feb 07
I'm sooo guilty of this. As long as your hands are clean, though, I don't see how it's nasty. It's not like the nailpolish magically becomes dirty just because the whole nail isn't painted anymore. I work with my hands a lot on art projects and random crafty things, so my nailpolish always chips off pretty easily, and I just don't have the free time to repaint them every single time they get a little chipped. Plus, certain types of nail polish remover can damage your nails.
• United States
3 Feb 07
I actually have a habit of picking off nail polish. So, when it starts to chip, I'll just leave it there until it eventually washes all off. I don't like polish remover.
2 people like this
@Kscott (634)
• United States
3 Feb 07
At times I have allowed this to happen to either my fingers or toes, but mainly due to not having nail polish remover, or just plain being lazy. I get tired of all these nail polishes chipping off so quickly as expensive as they are. I never allowed this to happen when I was a cashier or a secretary, nor do I think people who are in public service jobs should either....your right...it looks very nasty, and says just as much as not wearing deordorant and stinking! LOL. Being a stay at home mom, when I find time to paint them, I usually just let it wear off, until I get around to fixing them again....Lately I'm a big fan of clear polish, they look french manicured naturally, and I use Miracle Grow nail, and it really helps my nails to grow quicker and stronger.
@greengal (4286)
• United States
3 Feb 07
Ewww I don't like chipped nailpolish on nails..it looks so ugly! Nowadays I wear a light coloured nail enamel so even when it wears off, it is hardly visible..lol Most of the time I don't wear enamel at all, that saves me the trouble of removing it when it just begins to wear off on the ends.
2 people like this
@sunshinecup (7871)
3 Feb 07
Well, to be honest my girls paint my nails, I am not one to do so myself. And many times I just forget about and let it wear it's self off. I reckon that is a site for others, but I am just a girl that doesn't care. They are lucky I don't have garden dirt caked under my nails or play dough, LOL.
2 people like this
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I dont polish my nails any more. When i did wear the nail polish it made my nails chip.I do wear the nail polish on my toes.The nail polish stays on the toes lots better than your nails.
2 people like this
• United States
3 Feb 07
maybe they get busy and forget but I think its better to take the polish off when its chips as its tacky looking!
@juliel (16)
• United States
3 Feb 07
Um, because mine are usually chipped to some extent within a day of having them done. I opt not to rush to remove all the polish as soon as I get any chip on one of my nails. And I won't just redo that nail because it's a rare occasion that I have the time to sit in one place long enough to let the polish dry. It's also hard for me to find time to dig up the nail polish remover and the cotton balls and sit down and do it. I usually end up removing it by picking at it until it's all gone. Yes really.
2 people like this
• United States
3 Feb 07
I have to do dishwashing as part of my job, and as such, my nails do chip very easily. They look terrible without polish, though, so I paint them before work every day. Sometimes the edges will still end up a little messy by the end of the day, but I really hope people don't care that much. There's really not a whole lot I can do about it.
2 people like this
@caramello (4377)
• Australia
3 Feb 07
I put my hand up to having had chipped nail polish in the past and it was all due to either laziness or annoyance that having just painted them they became chipped not long after. lol I very rarely wear it now but do put just the clear one on to keep them looking nice. In the past I found the darker the shade when I removed it my nails looked stained as in yellow. Must be "old age" as do not remember this happening before! lol
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Feb 07
I have found that to be true as well. Shhh....it is the air, yea the air, can't be that we are aging.
@sandie61 (2359)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I just polished my nails a few days ago and it is chipped already. I have to remove the polish and polish them again. why can`t they come out with a polish that does not chip so fast? it`s annoying.
@sandie61 (2359)
• United States
6 Feb 07
update: I recently found a new nail polish that is called sally hansen no chip 10 day nail color. that is what I have on now. so far it looks good.
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I am glad that I am not the only one that notices this!!! I feel the same way. But hands mean a lot to me in general. You can tell a lot from a person's hands. If they would a lot or work barely. If they write a lot because they have the bump on their finger from the writing utensil. If they are a nervous person, because they chew their nails off. Or if they really have issues that they need to learn to deal with because they chew off the cuticles too. If their nails are dirty, they are not very clean or work in a place that makes them dirty. If their hands are stained a black color, you know that person is probably a mechanic. :) I was raised around mechanics. But also...the nails. Who takes pride in their selves and who just doesn't care what their nails look like. It is not hard to touch up the nails or to take it off. Personally, I don't wear polish at all because something about my pH balance makes the polish peel off my hands within a couple of days. But I can paint my toes! LOL I know, doesn't make sense. LOL And I refuse to wear any sandals if I need to touch up the nails on my toes. So, I know what you mean and I completely agree.
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Feb 07
I used to wear dark colors when I wore my nails longer. Now that they are shorter, I wear pastels, clear or clear with glitter. I have tried expensive polish and cheap and get the same results with either. When the polish gets worn, I head for the remover. I can't stand my nails looking shabby.
• United States
3 Feb 07
Butterfly, You are almost right, it is not too attractive; bu the jobs you describe are pretty hard on polished nails and may be they are plumb tuckered out and don't really give a crap about what you and I think anyway! I have a Vendor Fair tomorrow and I really need to get some polish on mine but here I sit with my printer spitting out copies and I'm talking away to you. Sleep well, my pretty ~Donna
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Feb 07
Hope the fair went well for you.
• Canada
3 Feb 07
I'm always after my daughters about this. I can't stand it if they have chipped nail polish. To me, it conveys a lack of caring about one's appearance. I think people are under the impression that no one notices their nails but it's much more obvious than they might expect.
2 people like this
@rosie_123 (6113)
3 Feb 07
Well I am one of these people who thinks I am "naked" without my nail polish, but I agree that I don't like the look of it when it is chipped and nasty! In fact people always laugh at me, because I always have my polish with me, and if I see a chip, I always disappear off to the Ladies' Room to disguise it until I can get home and do it properly!
• United States
3 Feb 07
I would carry the same shade of polish in my purse for touch ups.