Allure magazine's April 2012 issue provided readers with a list of the top five most common manicure wreckers.

1. Alcohol - Constantly applying hand sanitizers will erode the topcoat and make nails appear duller.

2. Drying shortcuts - Submerging a fresh manicure in cold water. Icy temperatures cause the nail edges to flare, creating tiny cracks in the polish.

3. Texting - Every tap of those tiny buttons is a tiny trauma to the nails.

4. Folding a Fresh Load of Laundry - The heat softens the nail polish and fades its color. The same goes for cooking over a hot stove.

5. Body or Facial Scrubs - The scrubs slough off the outer layer of your nail polish.

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