Airbrush nail art is when a small airbrush painting used as an artistic design on fingernails. Nail art is a popular way to express oneself, and there are many products available that allow people to be creative with their fingernails. Airbrush nail art is relatively easy to do when the correct tools are used.

Salon manicurists do the majority of airbrush nail art, but with the increasing availability of airbrushes in beauty supply stores, anyone can do it. Retail and pharmaceutical stores carry hundreds of nail polish colors, and nail art pens fill the shelves alongside nail art decals and stickers. All of these artistic fingernail decorations can be used alone or in combination with airbrush nail art.

After an airbrush nail art design has been chosen, the manicurist will place a small stencil over the customer’s fingernail. The manicurist will spray paint over the stencil with the airbrush, wait a few seconds, and then spray again if needed. Only one color can be airbrushed at a time, so the manicurist might change colors during the process. More than one stencil also might be used to achieve the desired results. After the painting is finished, the manicurist will remove the stencil and apply a varnish top coat to protect the airbrush nail art.

An airbrush can be used to paint on real or acrylic nails. Most people tend to use stencils to create designs and shapes, and others prefer to decorate freehand. A nail art stencil is a small, cut-out shape that is placed over a fingernail to reproduce patterns and designs. Stencils also can be made using such things as tape, construction paper or thin cardboard. What makes airbrush nail art so easy is that the only other thing needed besides the airbrush and stencils is paint, which can be purchased at beauty supply stores.

Airbrush nail art should last the same amount of time as regular nail polish. It will wear off over time, especially around the edges of the nails. A good airbrush paint application should last about two weeks. It also depends on activity levels, because a person with nail art that has them in water often or who gardens a lot will notice the artwork wearing off quicker than a person who does not use his or her hands as much.