The best lamps for drying nails for manicure, shellac: tabletop, ultraviolet, Led, how to use

The main condition for high-quality and fast drying of gel coatings on nails is the use of a special device for manicure - a lamp. There are several types of professional devices: UV lamps, CCFL, LED or CCFL + LED.

Most of the negative results of a manicure using lamps are associated with a low-quality or unsuitable device for a particular type of manicure, as well as its incorrect use.

Classification of lamps for manicure

The device for drying gel coatings is a fairly simple device, consisting of a body, inside which special lamps are built, and on top there are control buttons. There are both professional devices designed for salons and options for home use.

There are lamps in which you can dry two hands at once. They are more bulky, but manicure can be done in such a lamp much faster.

The manicure lamp can be equipped with a fan, a retractable panel, have a mirror surface, and also have other elements. Lamps can vary in size, shape and design.

The internal components of the device are important, on which the power and durability of work depends. The lamps built inside the housing are of two types - LED and fluorescent. It depends on the type of lamp whether it will be LED or ultraviolet.

UV lamps

The absolute leader is the table UV lamp for drying manicure, the power of which is 36 watts. It is lamps of this power that are optimal in terms of price-quality ratio. They are not only suitable for home use; many professionals find them ideal for salon work.

Various gel coatings cure in such a lamp in two to three minutes. Many models have a built-in timer. A 35 W lamp will perfectly dry gel polish, shellac, and other gel coatings.

But models with a power of 54 W are more suitable for use in salons where there is a large traffic of customers, because in such a lamp the coating cures even faster. Thanks to the built-in fan, the lamp does not overheat and the client feels more comfortable and safe.

LED lamp

LED lamps are considered innovative today and constitute an alternative to UV rays. The peculiarity of this innovative equipment is that it works thanks to special LEDs. This makes it possible to shorten the drying time of some coatings.

Drying gel coatings in the LED lamp is reduced to 10-30 seconds, which significantly saves time spent on manicure.

CCFL lamps

These new generation manicure table lamps have a built-in cold cathode. The device is a closed glass tube filled with an inert gas and a small amount of mercury.

Such lamps are also used in televisions, monitors and other equipment. Therefore, if you need the coating to cure very quickly, then the CCFL lamp is what you need.

The faster curing of the gel coat is due to the more intense light emission. The lamp contains only gas and no filaments, therefore, it gives more light, but less heat.

Both gel and gel varnishes can be dried with the CCFL lamp. But we must remember that translucent coatings harden faster than highly pigmented ones. Today there are two types of such devices: with one bulb and with three.

When using a device with three bulbs, the radiation is distributed more evenlytherefore, they are considered more convenient. However, one lamp does an excellent job of curing the coating.

Hybrid lamps

Mixed or hybrid manicure lamps are a combination of UV, CCFL and LED lamps. Such devices are suitable for drying gels, bio-gels, gel polishes, permanent gels and other manicure materials.

Such a lamp will be an excellent solution for a craftsman who works with different types of coatings, which is considered economical because there is no need to purchase two different devices for drying hard gels and shellacs.

The new generation of hybrid devices are very powerful. And the combined technologies allow reducing the hardening time to 10-60 seconds due to the increased radiation intensity. In addition, these devices are very compact and can be easily placed on any table.

What is the difference between UV and LED lamps?

Advantages and disadvantages of a UV lamp

UV lamps have both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of UV lamps include:

• low cost of the device;
• a large selection of models of different power;
• use of UV lamps, both at home and in salons;

The disadvantages of UV lamps include:

• short service life of fluorescent lamps, which do not burn out over time, but lose their power, i.e. become weaker, as a result of which the drying of gels will become ineffective and may affect the quality of the manicure. In this regard, experts recommend changing the bulbs in the UV device every six months, which leads to additional costs;
• fluorescent lamps, when broken, can evaporate mercury vapor;
• when drying the gel in a UV lamp applied to the nails, some clients complain of a slight burning sensation in the nail area.

Advantages and disadvantages of LED lamps

Modern LED lamps have their own positive traits:

• due to the high power of the device, the gel hardens faster;
• safety of LED radiation for skin;
• if the lamp is damaged or broken, it will not cause harm to health, since such devices do not contain chemical compounds that are dangerous to humans;
• LED lamps do not have a pulsation of the light beam, and therefore do not harm the vision of the master and the client;
• LED bulbs do not lose their power over time, and if some LED elements burn out, there is no urgent need to replace them, because drying will also cope well with polymerization.

Negative qualities of LED lamps:

• the high cost of the device, in connection with which they are purchased most often in salons and less often used at home;
• not all coatings can be dried in an LED lamp, which is also a minus, because the choice of high-quality gel formulations in our country is limited, which is why you have to choose materials with the "LED" mark on the packaging.

How to dry your nails in a lamp correctly?

The power and type of device affect the curing time of the coating. But increasing the polymerization time cannot always compensate for the low power of the device. If UV radiation is weak, then the polymerization process not only slows down, but also occurs unevenly, and sometimes does not occur at all. Shellac may not solidify, but curl or bubble.

The quality of a manicure can be negatively affected by both a reduction in the fixing time and an increase in it.

An incompletely dried and not hardened gel polish does not adhere sufficiently to the nail platinum, and therefore it then chips or peels off.A colored layer that has not fully adhered can stain the nail. Gel-coated nails overexposed under the lamp can also subsequently affect or crack, even with a slight load.

When working with translucent and transparent compounds, it must be remembered that UV rays affect all layers of the coating, and not just the top layer. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the total exposure time to the nail plate does not exceed 10 minutes. When applying the gel in several layers, it is better to use materials that dry quickly, and use an LED or a hybrid device to polymerize them.

A manicure is performed in several stages on uncovered nails. It should be remembered that the nails on the thumbs are covered and dried separately from the others, because the nail must be located in the lamp strictly horizontally and parallel to the surface of the lamp. You can dry two thumbs of both hands at the same time.

What depends on the lamp power?

The very process of gel hardening on the nails is influenced by the power of the lamp. Polymerization will proceed faster under a higher wattage lamp.

It should also be remembered that the bottom layer of the gel may not completely harden if the LED lamp is not powerful enough.

This can lead to a deterioration in the quality of work and rapid chipping of the gel polish. For professional salons, a 12 W or more lamp may be the best option. When purchasing a lamp for manicure, pay attention to the power supply, where the voltage is indicated, but the power of the device is not indicated.

How to choose a reliable lamp for home use?

For a manicure at home, an ultraviolet table lamp is best suited. Among its positive qualities, one can note the fact that not all materials harden under the LED lamp, and some polymerize for a very long time. Therefore, some gel manufacturers mark their products as "led", which means they are compatible with LED lamps.

For example, a shellac company recommends using its own brand of UV lamp for drying gel. Many manufacturers equip their appliances with a timer as well as a carrying handle. The mirror surface of the lamp promotes deeper curing.

When purchasing a lamp for personal use, choose models with a retractable bottom. This will make it easier for you to replace the light bulb when it fails. Therefore, a 36 W UV lamp is ideal for self-manicure.

ultraviolet light has an antibacterial effect, which has a positive effect on nails.

Review of popular models

Jessnail 36W

This is a fairly powerful UV gel curing lamp which is ideal for salons. Such models are chosen by top-class masters. Jessnail 36W is suitable to work with all nail coatings.

They have a wide range of applications, which makes it possible to use such lamps for working with dense gel material, as well as for combined nail extension, for example, aquarium design.

Thanks to its high power, this device will dry gel-coated nails evenly and quickly. The operation of this appliance is not affected by voltage fluctuations, however, bulbs should be replaced every six months on average. Many lamps are equipped with a timer, a fan, a removable tray. These models are produced in China.

OPILED Light GC 900

This LED UV device is recommended for working with various gel polishes, OPI gel polish and others, and is also suitable for working with LED gels. This lamp does not need to replace bulbs and does not have a negative effect on the skin.

Gel polishes and LED gels harden under this lamp in a few seconds.

The energy-saving OPILEDLightGC900 device is designed for 50 thousand hours of operation.This lamp is equipped with 32 LED bulbs, the power of each is 1 W.

The inner case is mirrored metal, the outer one is made of plastic. There is a touchscreen display and a timer. The device is equipped with a sensor that turns on the lamp when you put your fingers in it, and turns it off when they are removed. More suitable for professionals.

Jiadi 36WJD 818

This UV device is equipped with four white light bulbs, each 9 W, which can be replaced if necessary. Works in 2 modes - constant light and timer for two minutes. The lamp has been in operation for 6000 hours. Jiadi 36WJD 818 lamp has a pull-out tray, which is covered with corrugated foil. If you remove this tray, you can dry the pedicure under the lamp.

The device is suitable for working with shellac, gel polish, acrylic and other coatings. Easy to operate, suitable for home use and salon work. The outer dimensions of the lamp are 10x23x25 cm, the inner dimensions are 15x14x6 cm.

RuNail 12w

RuNail 12w is considered a versatile professional model because it uses two types of lamps - LED and UV. Suitable for high-quality drying of gels, varnishes, two-phase and three-phase gels, as well as for the polymerization of biogel. The lamp has two modes: UV mode and UV-LED.

UV mode is suitable for more aggressive chemical materials that cure better under ultraviolet light, are resistant to mechanical damage and have more saturated shades of colors.

When working with the UV-LED mode, the client does not experience a slight burning sensation, which is often found in the first mode, therefore, it is suitable for clients with sensitive skin. Power in UV mode is 18 W, and power in UV-LED mode is 12 W. The device has a built-in timer.

RuNail 36w

This lamp has ultraviolet radiation, produced by the manufacturer in two shades - red and silver.

Used for drying various gels and acrylic varnishes. The lamp can dry one arm or one leg. There is a pull-out panel, which is convenient for replacing damaged lamps. Has two modes of operation: manual on / off and timer.

DFS 6WLED Lamp

The small size of this model makes it possible to use it for home use.

These LED lamps do not need to protect the skin before drying the gel and do not harm the health of the eyes like ultraviolet ones. The service life of the DFS 6WLEDLamp is 50 thousand hours, the power is 6 W. Thanks to the open design of the lamp, it can also be used for pedicure.

CNDUV Lamp 36W

This device was designed to work with Brisa formulations and Shellac materials, therefore, it is recommended for use in salons.

The lamp is equipped with a special timer, which is set from 10 to 180 seconds for deeper polymerization of multilayer gels. This compact model is convenient for both manicure and pedicure. Duration of work is more than 100 hours.

9W Mini Nail Dryer LED UV Lamp

This mini LED lamp with LEDs in a short time copes with the polymerization of multi-colored gels, shellac, LED biogels. There is a timer, and the small size makes it possible to use the device not only for professional craftsmen, but also for those who work at home.

In addition to its compact size and weight of only 100 g, the lamp is very economical and consumes very little electricity.

Its working capacity is up to 20 thousand hours, modern design, compact size allows you to take it with you on any trip. Lamp power 9 W, has a removable bottom, country of origin - USA.

LED + CCFL "Diamond"

This hybrid device is in the form of a crystal and is suitable for all gels.It combines Led and CCFL technologies, thanks to which it has its own advantages over other devices.

The device polymerizes any hard coatings, gel polishes, bio-gels, and the curing rate in a hybrid lamp is much higher than in a simple UV lamp. The surface of the device does not heat up, the lamp is economical and is designed for five years of continuous operation.

LED + CCFL "Diamond" has three control buttons, a timer (10, 30 60 s), LEDs and a spiral, a pull-out bottom. The power of the Diamond table lamp is 36W, 12W is CCFL and 24W is LED. It is convenient to use it both in salons and at home.

The choice of a lamp for drying gel materials should be approached responsibly, because an incorrectly selected device can disappoint with a negative result. There are so many manicure lamps on the modern market that it will not be difficult to choose the device that the consumer needs.

Useful videos about table lamps for manicure:

How to choose the right table lamp for drying manicure: