The present generation knows how to level up their nail games, and the emergence of nail salons is the biggest revolution in this regard. The emergence not only met the needs and the demands of manicured nails, but it also increased the regular use and having a permanent solution at home with having UV gel lamp for nails.

When you buy it for home use, there is a lot to understand regarding its right use and how long you need to cure your nails. We will have a detailed understanding of how long it takes to cure your nails under the UV lamp, common mistakes to avoid, and diverse needs.

Understanding How Gel Nail Polish Works?

Before you use UV nail lamps to cure gel nail polish, let’s understand how the main product, which is gel nail polish, works. Traditional nail polish dries through evaporation, but when it comes to gel nail polish, it works on a chemical reaction, polymerization, and it is not easy to cure on its own.

It needs to be put under the UV nail lamp so the molecules present in the nail gel polish get harder, resulting into durable and long-lasting. When you don’t cure it properly, it can result in uneven texture and chipping.

Factors Influencing the Time of Drying Gel Nail Polish

As you rely mainly on led gel lamp to dry your gel nail polish, there are various factors influencing the process, which we will be discussing here:

Wattage of the Nail Lamp

The first thing that determines how fast your gel nail polish will dry is the wattage of your lamp. The higher the wattage is, the faster the process and curing time will be. However, don’t pick a lamp with way too high wattage as it can damage your skin to a great extent and may result into a burning sensation.

Distance Between the Nails and the Lamp

Another factor that does play an important role in curing the nail gel polish is the distance between the nails and the lamp. If you are placing the nail closer to the bead present in the lamp, it will result in faster drying, but again, putting it too close can lead to a burning sensation and over-curing. The ideal placement is putting your hand in the centre where it is supposed to be.

Thickness of Nail Polish

Not just the distance, but the type and thickness of the nail gel polish also matter. The time taken by different layers differs like 1mm of thickness may take about 30 seconds of the time, and the time will further increase with thickness like 2mm can take about 1 minutes, and thicker than these can take more than 2 minutes.

Different Nail Gel Polish Arts and Their Curing Times

Since the nail art involving nail gel polish differs, the time taken by each will also differ. To give you a fair idea, how time is consumed by each nail coat, we have discussed the most standard process and time taken:

Base Coat: Base coat is the most common nail gel polish art and often take 30 to 60 seconds to cure under a UV gel lamp.

Colour Coat: Colour coats are often applied in 2 to 3 coats, and each coat takes about 60 to 90 seconds, so you can calculate the time based on how many coats you are applying.

Top Coat: Top coat is the last touch and needs about 60 to 120 second to get fully cured.

How to Get a Perfectly Cured Nail Gel Polish

To get perfectly cured nail gel polish, follow the steps shared below:

• Start by preparing the nail and file, buff, and remove oils by using a cleanser or dehydrator.
• Apply a thin coat as a base and cure it perfectly by keeping it under the UV lamp for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Apply a colour layer of 2 to 3 coats, whatever you want, and cure each coat by keeping it under the UV lamp for 30 to 60 seconds. Once cured, do not wait for minutes, and apply another coat.
• Apply the final and top coat and leave it under the lamp for about 60 to 120 seconds.
• Remove the extra nail polish from cuticles and other areas using oil.

Common Mistakes that Lead to the Improper Drying of Nail Gel Polish

You might think you are doing everything right, yet not getting the perfect nail gel polish finish. This is only because there must be some mistakes in the process, and we will be discussing the most common mistakes for the improper drying of the nail gel polish.

Using the Low-Quality UV Nail Lamp

The most common factor that results into the improper curing of the nails is the low-quality UV nail lamp. The entire process of drying the nail polish depends largely on the nail lamp, and picking the low-quality, local brand and even low-wattage lamps will mess up the process as they fail to generate enough energy that can trigger the polymerization process that hardens the process. At least pick 36 watts or more for better results.

Mixing Different Products and Brands

While it is common to use different nail art products in traditional nail polish, the same can’t be applied for gel nail polish, as it can go wrong during the curing time. Using different products or brands for base coat, colour coat, and top coat can result into improper curing as they all have different chemicals used. Always stick to the single products or brands.

Applying Too Many Thick Layers

Applying 2-3 layers and even 4 is common when applying nail gel polish, but making it too thick is not ideal to get cured properly and in the decided time. Always apply a thin coating and apply minimal coats for the proper drying of the gel polish. It makes penetration of the UV light through the coat difficult.

Having a UV nail lamp to cure the nail gel polish is a wise investment, as it saves you from visiting the nail salon regularly and experimenting with more diverse arts. However, understanding the right way and the time it takes to cure the nail is better to eliminate any chance of risks and long exposure of your nails.