Whether it’s your left or your right, switching to your non-dominant hand to paint your nails often fills people with a sense of dread. The struggle to get it perfect with your good hand can feel like mission impossible with the other. 

But just because you’re not ambidextrous (give yourself a nice pat on the back if you are) there is still hope. Even the best of us need a few cheeky tactics now and then.

To avoid a big cleanup job, follow these simple steps to painting your nails with your non-dominant hand. 

Keep Your Non-Dominant Hand Stable When Applying Polish

The key here is to keep your non-dominant hand stable. Remember, “the shakes” are your enemy. Use a flat surface like a table or bench top to stabilise your non-dominant hand and forearm.

This will help ensure your hand shakes less and will give you a firmer footing (and hopefully a little more confidence) when applying. 

The same goes for the hand you’re painting. Give your dominant hand a nice pedestal or lay it flat along a solid surface. There’s no point having two hands going haywire here.

Lay your hand down and paint nice light even strokes of polish away from you. 

Paint Your Non-Dominant Hand First

Instead of putting off the hard bit, make your non-dom your number 1. By applying nail polish to your alternative hand first, you can avoid worrying about smudges or bumps to your good hand as well as avoid accidentally getting remover on them if you do need to do a tiny bit of cleaning up. 

With the hard part out of the way, you can enjoy the rest of your manicure without stressing! 

Take Your Time Between Coats 

One of the best ways to paint your nails perfectly is to take your time and don’t rush yourself. By applying multiple thin coats, there is less pressure to make each one perfect, and you’ll end up with a nice even application. 

When you rush painting your nails, you’re more likely to get polish on your fingertips and cuticles, so be patient and take the time your nails (and you) deserve. 

Keep Some Nail Polish Remover Handy For Just In Case

Nobody’s perfect, so why pretend to be. At the end of the day, everyone is likely to make a mistake so lean into it and keep some remover at the ready just in case. 

We recommend having the remover ready to apply throughout your manicure as spot fixes are easier when done early.

If your polish overflows the sidewalls or you accidentally paint your finger, a little remover can help you fake your way to a professional looking manicure.