Which nail design for sports? 💪

February 8, 2021

“Beautiful nails and well-groomed hands and feet also look good when doing sports. However, the stress caused by various movements, equipment or frequent contact with water takes a toll on the nails,” explains our nail designer Stefanie. It may be that nail polish is not the right choice because its durability is limited or nail models have to be made a little thicker to ensure stability, says the expert. However, which length and shape is the right one depends on your style, your personal body image and the type of sport - in general, short nails are of course easier to handle, for example when boxing in gloves, pointed, long nails can otherwise hurt. But when riding or dancing, experienced nail designers can also create slightly longer versions.

Nail design while doing sports: 3 questions for our expert

Our expert gives you practical tips for attractive nail design during sports - from individual sports to team sports, for professionals and recreational athletes alike.

Shellac starter set with LED light device

ND24: Which nail design lasts with regular swimming training?
Nail designer Stefanie: If you swim often, you expose your fingers to water and chlorine. Showering very frequently due to sports training also dries out your skin and nails. In these cases, I would avoid using normal nail polish because it can hardly last under such conditions anyway. UV nail polishes and Shellac can be a solution, but they also need to be renewed at very short intervals. In my opinion, gel or acrylic nails are best for long-lasting beautiful hands.

ND24: Marathon, Nordic walking and jogging – what should you take into account when designing your nails?
Nail designer Stefanie: Running sports have the advantage that the nails on your hands are less affected. Here the athletes can decide more freely which length and which nail design they choose, because in general their fingers are not excessively stressed by the sport.

ND24: Which nail designs are suitable for tennis & squash?
Nail designer Stefanie: For sports that require holding a racket, I recommend shorter nails that are flush with the tip and have a straight or slightly rounded tip. Otherwise, when you wrap your hands around the racket, long nails can repeatedly press into the heel of your hand, causing an unpleasant, if not painful, feeling. The leverage effect must also be taken into account here, which can lead to the nail splintering or tearing.

Nail design from the expert: The right hand and foot care for athletes

Our nail designer recommends that athletes keep their hands and feet soft and smooth with rich creams and regular peelings >>> Also read our blog: SOS tips for brittle nails <<< . However, she doesn't believe in the rigorous removal of calluses on the feet or calluses on the hands: “Here you often do more harm than good! Injuries caused by removal can be an entry point for bacteria. The callus also has a protective function.” Our expert recommends that female athletes keep their toenails as short as possible so that they do not press against the shoe during abrupt stopping movements and this does not result in bruising on the nail or even its detachment . This is particularly true for sports with sudden braking movements such as tennis, squash, badminton, basketball and the like.