Curing nails is a process done to dry the base coat or nail polish completely with the use of UV RAYS. They are dried in such a way that it doesn’t come off that easily just like any regular nail polish.
To cure the nails, you can’t just air dry the nails, that is not enough for a nail manicure to get fixed. What you can do is use a fixed method. Thinking about that let us talk about –
Can I use a LED flashlight to cure a gel nail?
Yes, LED flashlights can be used to cure gel nails but they won’t be as effective as UV light as the UV rays are much stronger than the UV rays from LED flashlights. However, not all gel nail polishes can be cured by LED flashlights as some are made especially to be cured by a UV lamp.
These two methods are the only methods to cure the gel nails, if we will find something different we will definitely talk about it someday. Till then let us discuss a few points like what gel nails are and how it is applied and how to use LED flashlights to cure gel nails.
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What are gel nails?
Gel nails are really classy and a statement for your hand. They are durable than many manicures and are. It is safe and adds a protective layer to your natural nails.
Gel nails are a three-step manicure that consists of gel nail polish and are fixed or dried with the help of UV rays or LED lamps. Several coatings of gel polishes are applied to desired results.
How does a gel nail is applied?
It is quite simple to apply gel nails.
Your nails are prepared before the application of your nails. they are filed according to your desired shape. Round, square, oval, etc. after that cuticle oil is applied to your fingers, and cuticles are pushed back
Next, the first layer of the base coat is applied. This layer is purposely kept thin and then dried with the use of UV rays and a Led Lamp.
When the basecoat is dried perfectly, the color gel is applied. This layer is also as thin as the first one. Each layer is cured with UV rays.
Now the last layer of color gel is applied very smoothly and with perfection and is dried the same way
After that, all the excess is removed and your hands are cleaned from all the sides. And voila! You’re done!
If you want to try applying gel nails at your home you can check out this video by Jessica Angelique Matini.
What is the Difference Between an LED Lamp and UV Nail Lamp?
The work for LED lamps and UV rays is the same which you must have understood after reading how LED lamps and UV nail lamps are used in the process of application of nails. But now let us discuss the main differences between these two lights to know better.
Both the lamps are pretty much the same, their jobs are the same but what makes them different is their effect on what they do. They both emit different amounts of radiation.
Gel nail polishes contain a chemical called photoinitiators. This chemical requires UV rays to cure or to harden itself, and that is why you need UV lamps to complete the process.
Now that you know that both UV lamps and LED lamps emit UV rays let’s discuss what is the difference. The rays which come out of UV lamps are much broader and stronger, and what LED nails emit is narrower and not that strong.
For this reason, LED lamps may take less time than UV lamps but the effectiveness can be lower than UV lamps.
Some other points of difference that they both hold are that LED lamps cost you more than UV lamps. However, LED lamps are more durable in this case they tend to be useful for a longer period. One main point here is that not all gel nails can be cured by LED lamps.
How Long to Cure Gel Nails with an LED Light and UV Lamp?
The only reason why people are buying and are interested in buying LED light is that it takes less time to cure the gel nails than UV rays. Curing nails with UV rays is a lengthy process as compared to curing gel nails with LEDs. A led lamp cures one layer of gel nails in 30 seconds whereas a 36w UV lamp will take up to 2 minutes to complete this entire process.
How to cure gel nails without UV lamps?
When we talk about curing Gel nail polish without UV lamps, we definitely exclude those Gel nails that are built only to be cured with UV lamps. This procedure can be used for regular nail polishes or normal gel polishes. Let’s Begin,
Quick-Dry Nail Polish Spray
Okay so you might be unaware of this product but it exists, just like a makeup fixer you can use a nail polish spray on your nails to cure them. Usually, it is used to cure non-gel polish but you can try it for gel polish too.
Just keep in mind that before spraying the nail polish spray cover your hand with a newspaper or cloth.
Cooking Spray
it must sound a little off but the cooking spray can actually be used to cure gel nails. This hack is only for emergencies and not for all time use. It is used exactly like the Quick-dry spray, keeping your hand 12 inches apart from the sprays and then spraying it over the nails.
The gel nails must be cured within an hour after usage. Yes! The process is very lengthy but this works in case of emergency so why not.
Dip Your Fingers in Ice Water
This is the safest hack you will ever find. Dipping your fingers in ICE water will cure your nails as fast as you can’t imagine. This hack is tried and tested by many people out there. You can try it out for yourself too even if you are not in an emergency as this is inexpensive and safe.