Recently, gel polish has become quite in demand in the field of manicure. In most cases, this substance began to be used instead of classic and acrylic nail coatings. The main reason for this phenomenon is a longer service life. A coating of this varnish can last for 2-3 weeks even if a girl does household chores and risks ruining her nails.
In addition, gel polish significantly expands the design range of possibilities for nail manicure. Thus, each master can create his own unique works, making each work as individual as possible. However, it is worth noting that such a coating requires additional devices, namely a lamp for polymerization. Many people are increasingly interested in how to choose a lamp for drying gel polish. We propose to examine this issue in more detail in our article.
How much power does a gel polish lamp need?
Every year the quantity and range of materials, tools, and equipment for nail services increases. A few years ago, most home users tried to save money, so they purchased inexpensive 9 W lamps for drying gel polish. This is a small power that allows you to dry translucent gel polishes, or not very pigmented products.
Now the situation has changed dramatically, no one wants to apply gel polish in 3-4 layers, so they prefer highly pigmented materials. However, the thicker the gel polish and the more pigment it contains, the more difficult it is to dry in the lamp. Recently, there have been situations in which a good, pigmented gel polish, which is applied in one layer, does not dry in a 36 W lamp.
This is possible for several reasons:
- Insufficient drying time
- Low power
- Too thick layer
Powerful lamp
The average home user does not know how much power a gel polish lamp needs. Thus, the girl is forced to redo her manicure several times, removing the wet gel polish. It can form bubbles and peel off during wear. That is why many craftsmen and home users have decided to simplify their lives, so they purchase the most powerful lamps.
The well-known company Sun has released many new products, these are hybrid lamps for drying gel polish, which contain ultraviolet and LED bulbs rated at 72-80, and even 90 W. This power, compared to the standard 36 watt, seems simply enormous. Many craftsmen, in order to reduce work time, seek to purchase similar products. But is it worth buying high-power lamps for home users and craftsmen?
Lamp
Fluorescent UV lamps
A classic UV device consists of a plastic box containing:
- Several fluorescent light sources;
- control Panel;
- timer (optional);
- fan (optional).
UV lamp 9 Watt. Lightweight and compact option for home or travel use.
Well-known brands are UV9W and ruNail. Due to its low power, the unit consumes a small amount of electricity. This is the most budget option.
36 Watt. Type for faster drying of varnish, used by professionals, significantly accelerates the drying process of varnish.
It is larger in size than the previous one, optionally equipped with airflow. Brand RUNAIL, UV LAMP 36 W is a bright representative of this class.
Powers such as
18 and 54 W . The Planet Nails 54W brand has maximum power and built-in fans that protect the device from overheating.
Advantages and disadvantages of UV lamps
The advantage of such devices is a wide spectrum of UV radiation, thanks to which they dry any coating: regular varnish, gel polish, hard gels, biogels, etc.
Fluorescent UV lamps are many times cheaper than their LED competitors.
The disadvantage of fluorescent UV lamps is that at high power it burns the nail plate. If the power is low, the drying time will increase significantly. Here it is necessary to find a middle ground.
UV devices are inferior to ice lamps in the speed of polymerization of the varnish coating (2-3 minutes versus 30-60 seconds for LED).
High power overheats the device and requires forced cooling by fans.
The ultraviolet lamp has a short service life (about 3000 hours), and over time it loses its radiation power. Manufacturers recommend changing UV every 3-5 months.
UV lamps are unsafe for health and the environment. When broken, it releases toxic mercury vapor. These devices require special disposal.
Optimal lamp power for drying gel polish
In most cases, a 36-48 W lamp is quite acceptable for home users. Even pigmented gel polishes dry quite well at this power, drying within 1 minute.
Optimal lamp power for drying gel polish:
- Masters, in turn, want to save their time, so they often purchase powerful paws that allow them to listen to artificial material for 10-30 seconds. If with ordinary gel polish, which is applied in 2-3 layers, a power of 36-48 W is sufficient when drying for 30 seconds, then varnishes that are applied in one thick layer may not dry out in a 36 or 48 W lamp.
- It is for this purpose that highly powerful lamps have been created that allow you to dry even dense artificial turf within 10-30 seconds. It has been noticed that in such lamps the top and base dry out in just 10 seconds. This is a very short time, which allows you to reduce the period of manicure for masters and, accordingly, take on more clients.
- In fact, a saving of 20-30 seconds seems insignificant, but if you consider that the coating is performed on 10 nails in several layers, then you get quite a significant saving of 10-15 minutes. This time is enough to relax, have a snack and drink tea. Accordingly, masters are ready to purchase high-power lamps for drying gel polish.
Powerful lamp
Instructions for use
- Plug the power cord into a power outlet
- Place fingers with applied gel polish in a special compartment
- Depending on the type of gel polish, select the appropriate button with the indicated time, from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and press it. The light will turn on and the countdown will begin.
- When the light goes out, you can remove your hand from the lamp
- Repeat the procedure with the other hand
- After finishing work, turn off the device using the power button and unplug the cord from the outlet.
What power should I choose for a gel polish lamp?
36 W power is not enough to quickly polymerize the entire thickness of the material. Therefore, in such cases, masters resort to tricks and perform extensions not in one layer, but in several.
What power to choose a lamp for gel polish:
- A transparent gel base is immediately applied, then a thin layer of camouflage is applied, which is dried in a lamp, and with the next leveling drop the final layer of camouflage gel is applied.
- But such implementation also requires a decent amount of time, which a manicurist sometimes doesn’t have enough of. It is for this purpose that powerful lamps were created; their main task is to dry camouflage, thick or white gel, which is laid out in a thick layer, in 30 seconds. With powerful lamps there will not be situations that were sometimes observed with 36 W lamps.
- When, after polymerization for 1 minute, the top layer polymerized, but the lower part of the material remained wet. This could worsen the wearability, the nail became soft over time.
- Even if a person walked before removal, then during the removal of the material with a cutter, it became clogged, due to the fact that the gel polish was washed away not by thin shavings and dust, but by wet flaps that heavily clogged the edges of the cutter. Thus, this led to damage to the cutters, cleaning them with iron brushes, or in ultrasound. As you know, such cleaning greatly dulls the cutter, reducing its service life.
Powerful lamp
How to choose the right one
The choice of a nail lamp depends on the purpose for which and how often it is intended to be used. When choosing a hybrid lamp, you should pay attention to some details:
- Power. The rate of polymerization directly depends on this indicator. At low power, the bottom layer of gel may not harden enough, and the varnish will adhere less well. Therefore, for professional use, it is better to buy a more powerful hybrid nail lamp, 12 or 18 W. A lamp that is too powerful can cause burning of nails, so it is better to give preference to medium power.
- Location of light bulbs. It is better if they are located on different sides, this promotes uniform polymerization
- The presence of a reflective coating around the luminous elements. It scatters light and helps ensure a uniform polymerization process.
- Timer buttons. They make it much easier to control the time that should be allowed for complete polymerization of materials. There may be two or three timer buttons on the case
- Size. Compact models are suitable for home use; for a nail salon it is better to buy comfortable lamps for nails of a larger size.
- Removable bottom cover. It makes it possible to easily change the luminous elements, and also increases functionality and allows you to use a pedicure lamp
- Pull-out shelf. Helps you quickly and accurately insert your hand inside without touching the body with your nails.
Is it worth buying a powerful 72.96 W nail lamp?
High power is an ideal option for those who do nail extensions using dense camouflage gel, polygel. Very often, white gel, as well as acrygel and dense camouflages, do not dry well in a 36 W lamp.
Should you buy a powerful nail lamp:
- If you are a home user who makes regular gel polish for yourself, then you can save money and purchase one of the available options. Now these are 24-48 W lamps. This power is quite enough to dry standard gel polish at home.
- If you are a master who models nails using solid materials such as polygel and gel, then it makes sense to purchase a powerful lamp.
- It has been proven that such lamps dry dense camouflage, white gels better, without leaving undried areas on the plate. This minimizes the appearance of detachments, as well as premature nail breakage.
San
How to work with a powerful 72-96 W gel polish lamp?
There are features of working with such lamps. The fact is that any polymerization reaction of gel polish is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat. That is, an exothermic reaction occurs, as a result of which the nail can become very hot. This is especially felt on very thin and weak nails.
How to work with a powerful gel polish lamp:
- Many women who have a thin, weak nail plate, which is very paper-like in thickness, have encountered the fact that the thick leveling layer of base in the lamp burns very strongly. This is despite the fact that a standard 36 W lamp can be used. In a powerful 96 or 80 W lamp, the reaction occurs several times faster. Accordingly, the burning sensation will be more intense.
- This can subsequently lead to onycholysis, chemical burns of the nails, and the formation of voids. Now podiatrists are really alarmed that there are several times more patients than a few years ago. This has something to do with the widespread use of manicure machines, as well as powerful ultraviolet lamps for drying gel polish. When drying in a powerful lamp, the nail becomes very hot, resulting in a burn to the nail bed.
- The nail simply lags behind the flesh, leaving a void. Very often, in these voids, if hygiene standards are not observed, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungi grow. Which subsequently leads to damage to the nail plate. To prevent this from happening, be sure to use the power boost mode on thin and brittle nails. That is why you should not purchase the cheapest powerful options.
Buy devices that have the ability to set the mode. Some of them already provide for a gradual increase in power. For the first 10-15 seconds, the power is low, at 24-36 W, but towards the end of the drying period, the power increases. This allows you to dry gel polish as efficiently and quickly as possible, as well as artificial material such as gel.
Powerful lamp
What are they needed for
Today, to perform fashionable nail designs, varnishes made on the basis of photopolymers are usually used. They have the ability to harden under the influence of light radiation of a certain spectrum. Therefore, special nail lamps are now widely used in nail salons. They are devices with plastic cases of various shapes with lamps located inside and an open compartment for the hand located under them. Fingers with nail polish applied are placed inside and left for 0.5-2 minutes. The varnish fixed in this way stays securely on the nails for more than 3 weeks.
If you are in doubt whether you need a hybrid nail lamp, reviews left on the websites of specialized stores will help you make your choice. Professional master designers have long appreciated all the advantages of hybrids. Therefore, in almost all nail salons you can see such devices. Many women are passionate about nail art and prefer to do their own manicure at home using a nail lamp at home. Reviews from regular users indicate that hybrids are more practical because they significantly save time on doing work; most popular gel polishes under them harden in 30 seconds. The craftsmen also appreciated the long-term operation of such lamps without replacing the luminous elements.
List of Best High Power Gel Polish Lamps
The power of the lamp is strongly felt not only on transparent bases, but also on gels with a camouflage effect. This is due to the high pigmentation of the gels and translucency. This way the nail remains very sensitive.
If you use camouflage gel in your work, before applying it to the nail plate, try to apply a layer of base gel, which is slightly thicker in thickness than with a standard coating under artificial material.
To feel less burning, try to apply a thicker layer of transparent base. Alignment is not necessary if you are not going to do your nails using the filing-free technique.
List of the best high wattage gel polish lamps:
- STAR 5 at 72 W
- lamp SUNUV X Plus, 72 W
- lamp TNL Professional Sun, 72 W
- Manicure lamp SUN Elpaza S-2T 72 W for
2 hands
Powerful lamp
Cold cathode coil lamps
CCFL devices are not much different from ultraviolet devices. The principle of operation is almost the same - the difference is in technology. Fluorescent light bulbs operate using an inert gas containing mercury inside. Some craftsmen choose just such lamps, taking into account their following advantages:
- no filament - they do not heat up during operation and consume very little energy. In this way they are similar to LED devices;
- with their help you can dry all types of polymer coatings.
Cons include:
- the artificial material hardens for quite a long time - 60–120 seconds;
- they are almost impossible to find on store shelves due to low demand.
Powerful lamp for gel polish: reviews
Below you can find customer reviews.
Powerful lamp for gel polish, reviews:
Alina. I professionally do nail extensions and gel polish. I do my work at home and buy mostly inexpensive materials, mainly on AliExpress. Last time I ordered a powerful lamp rated at 76 W. In my old 36 W tunnel lamp, camouflage gels did not dry well. There are no such problems with this lamp. The main problem is that the nail gets very hot, clients complain of a burning sensation. I usually tell them to pull the nails out for a couple of seconds, then put them back into the lamp.
Svetlana. I recently became the owner of a powerful Sun lamp designed for 2 hands. A very convenient purchase, especially if you use a thick base and pigmented gel polish that does not flow. This way you can coat all your nails without wasting time drying one at a time. Before this I worked using the conveyor method, but now I cover all my nails at once. Of course, it will not be possible to level the nail plate by immersing both hands in the lamp at once, since usually bases that are well leveled can flow. Therefore, I do the leveling using the conveyor method. I apply a base for extensions to all nails and strengthen them with polygel on both hands at once. It is convenient to dry pedicures in such a lamp, since there is no need for a leveling layer of material, it does not sag.
Oksana. Before that, I had a 48 W lamp, it completely suited me. Recently there has been a fashion for powerful lamps, I couldn’t resist and purchased a SAN. I’m very pleased, but in this lamp almost all the bases bake very strongly. I associate this with high power. Now I try to pull my nails out as soon as the burning starts. Sometimes I set the mode with a gradual increase in power. Fortunately, the lamp allows you to do this.
Lamp
Interesting articles for manicurists and home users can be found here:
How to choose the color of nail polish for a perfect manicure?
Nails peel under gel polish, after gel polish: reasons, what to do? What base is suitable for peeling nails, how to apply the coating?
Primer and degreaser, dehydrator - are they the same thing, which is better? What to use first: primer or degreaser, dehydrator for nail extensions, eyelashes?
For home users who are not experienced craftsmen, it is not recommended to purchase powerful lamps. This can cause onycholysis and burns of the nail bed due to rapid drying of the base.
What else to pay attention to
The interface is certainly important, but the design of the device also plays an important role. Even the most modern and sophisticated device can prove inconvenient in practice. Let's look at the main points.
- Removable bottom. More functional are lamps with a retractable bottom or a magnetic mount, or without it at all. They are suitable for both manicure and pedicure.
- Back wall. It blocks ultraviolet rays and prevents them from reaching objects on the desktop. For example, open gel polishes that the master uses. A few seconds of random exposure are enough for their polymerization. As a result, they may partially harden and lumps will appear in the bottle.
- Inner surface. It can be black, colored or mirrored. The last option is the most successful. The mirror reflects UV rays and promotes their uniform distribution.
- Blind area. This is the name given to the area inside the lamp where there are no light bulbs. They are often located at the edges. In this case, the little finger and thumb will take longer to dry, since less light will reach them. If there are blind spots, place your hand a little deeper.
Finally, when purchasing, always pay attention to the warranty period. Regardless of the quality and manufacturer, any electrical equipment can fail. The reasons may be different - if they are not caused by you, the product will be repaired free of charge or exchanged for a new one under warranty conditions.
