Nails - Curing Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
shine a light
With active and busy lifestyles to contend with, the client demand for both pretty and practical nails has seen the popularity of gel polishes soar over recent years. Not only do gel polishes offer two to three weeks of chip and peel-free wear, they also set within seconds thanks to the assistance of nail curing lamps, allowing nail technicians to provide a rapid and precise treatment to their clients.
Most traditionally associated with nail curing, UV (Ultra Violet) lamps are widely used throughout the industry. Yet, as with ever-evolving nature of the beauty sector, the recent introduction of LED lamps now offers an alternative style for salon use. “Although these nail lamps use different types of bulbs, both types
emit UV and can quickly harden UV curable artificial nail coatings,” explains the Professional Beauty Association (PBA). “The bulbs used in traditional UV Nail lamps are ‘fluorescent tubes,’ while the bulbs used in newer LED style UV nail lamps are called ‘Light Emitting Diodes’ or LED for short.”
UV or LED?
With a steady increase in popularity, LED lamps benefit technicians by providing a shorter curing time which ranges between 10-30 seconds, whilst UV lamps typically take from 60-120 seconds.
LED lamps are inclined to be more compact in terms of size, allowing for greater ease of movement for both technician and client within the working space.
Although currently more expensive than their UV counterparts, the actual LED bulb should last for many years and theoretically will never need to be replaced mainly due to the limited bursts of time in which the lamp will actually be operational. UV bulbs, on the other hand, will need to be monitored closely and replaced when necessary throughout the lifetime of the lamp.
When considering your UV and LED options it’s important to remember that gel polishes are manufactured to react to
a specific light source. “It’s [LED technology] raising a lot of questions with nail technicians, mainly ‘Can the gels I currently use be cured in an LED lamp?’ explains NSI.
The PBA responds: “There is no such thing as a ‘universal nail lamp’ that will properly cure all types of UV curable nail products nor is there a UV curable product that properly cures with [just] any nail lamp. UV nail products are designed to cure best with a specific UV nail lamp – one that was designed to emit the correct wavelengths and deliver the appropriate intensities for the proper time duration. To help ensure proper curing, it is important to use the correct UV nail lamp – one designed for the UV nail coating product of your choice.”
They continue: “A UV curable nail product formulation determines which UVA wavelengths are most important for proper curing and this can vary widely between various products. If a UV nail lamp does not match the curing requirements of a particular UV nail product, then either over or under curing becomes more likely. Proper curing requires exposing the UV curable coating to the correct wavelengths at the right intensities and for the proper length of time.”
Take a look at our round-up of the latest UV and LED curing lamps available . . .
With the demand for gel polishes
increasing, curing lamps are proving a great investment for both clients and technicians.
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