Girls pay a lot of attention to manicure when taking care of themselves. Previously, to maintain the beauty of nails, they used regular polish, which lasts one to three days, or extensions that are harmful to the natural nail plates. Today, more and more ladies give their preference to gel polish, but since it does not dry in air, the question arises of how to choose a lamp for shellac.
Gel polish has become so popular due to its simplicity and quality of coating. Outwardly, it is no different from simple nail polish, but at the same time it has the properties of a gel. After application, the fashionista receives a glossy manicure for at least two weeks, which will not chip or fade. At the same time, the harm is minimal, the polymer is safe, and removal occurs using a special liquid.
The disadvantage of this coating is the need for special drying. Like other polymers, shellac contains a photoinitiator. This is a substance that absorbs ultraviolet radiation, reacting with it and rearranging the molecular composition from a liquid to a solid state. This process releases free radicals, which can cause a burning sensation. This is the polymerization process, which requires a shellac lamp.
Types and features
There are 3 types of such devices on the market:
- ultraviolet lamps, which were the first to appear on the market, and for this reason are overwhelmingly popular;
- LED, which are characterized by greater power and longer service life;
- gas light with cold cathode.
OPI LED
Ultraviolet
Each lamp is different in design and color, but you first need to pay attention to its technical characteristics. The first and most important characteristic is the power of work.
Ultraviolet lamps are available with power starting from 9W. It is better to choose a technique that will have a power of 35W or more, since it ensures the fastest drying of nails and allows you to treat all 10 fingers at once.
Professionals use products with a power of 45W. Their main advantage is their large size, which allows you not only to dry your fingernails, but also to use the device for a pedicure.
Among the disadvantages of ultraviolet products, one can note their rather short service life. Buyers often complain about the short-term nature of their work, but are delighted with the price. Ultraviolet models are now considered the most budget-friendly on the market.
Irisk 54W
LED and gas light
Now LED models are gaining popularity, that is, LEDs, which have much more power and practicality than ultraviolet variations. What advantages of such a product are usually noticed by users:
- The lamp provides much faster drying than the ultraviolet model (on average, it takes 5-10 seconds to properly fix the shellac).
- A wide variety of sizes: for home use you can purchase a model with a power of 6W, and for professionals, more powerful and larger options are suitable.
- Since LED lamps are considered more modern, they have a variety of nice little things, for example, touch activation.
- When used, shellac or gel polish does not heat up, so there is no unpleasant sensation.
The main disadvantage of LED lamps is the high price. It costs more than ultraviolet, but it usually works better.
LED 48W
And finally, there are cold cathode lamps, which are designated CCFL. Their main advantage is high power. This model can dry any varnish, including gel or shellac. Another advantage is its speed of operation, because on average it takes three seconds to process one finger.
On the market you can find combined LED and CCFL models that do not dry out the skin, and at the same time contradict all varnishes, providing the girl with a high-quality and beautiful manicure in a short time.
Polaris PNL-4018UV
Why do you need a manicure lamp?
For almost a decade now, women have been able to boast of long-lasting manicures, thanks to the invention of shellac. It is based on the same resin components, but now supplemented with a large list of excipients.
Any polish will eventually dry out on your nails. If a simple composition only needs a few minutes for this, then a complex composition will harden under natural conditions for a very long time. To accelerate the polymerization process, appropriate conditions are required.
The work is also complicated by the fact that gel polish is applied to the nail in several layers. Each one must be completely dry before the next one can be applied.
Note! Inexperienced fashionistas believe that drying can be accelerated with heat and blow the nails with a hairdryer. But this “know-how” will give the opposite result.
Directed streams of light of a certain frequency will facilitate the manicure procedure. Therefore, a lamp for shellac was invented, which no master can do without now.
The device is a durable plastic block. Model cases can be collapsible or cast. Lamps are available in various sizes and shapes. In some you can dry from 1 to 4 fingers according to a certain pattern, in others a full palm can be placed.
Polymerization process
Comparison and selection
Before discussing the best options for shellac, it is necessary to highlight the selection options. By what criteria should such a model be selected:
- Power.
- Dimensions of the lamp itself.
- Presence or absence of a timer.
- Internal mirror surface and its location.
- Price.
Masters are confident that the optimal choice for creating shellac at home and in the salon is the UV model. Such a lamp is cheaper than an LED lamp, and moreover, it provides quick drying of absolutely any coating.
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The only drawback of this device is the speed of its operation. Where an LED lamp will take 20 seconds to dry the varnish, a model with ultraviolet study will spend about 40 seconds on a similar procedure.
You also need to pay attention to such important details as the power and size of the lamp. Typically, ultraviolet models are not compact, and it is better to choose a power from 35W. LED options are good precisely because they provide optimal drying and at the same time are small in size. Thus, a 12W lamp looks compact, but at the same time works efficiently and effectively.
Cold cathode gas lamps are the choice exclusively of professionals and for several reasons. Firstly, such a model costs a lot, and secondly, it is suitable only for those craftsmen who already know how to work with similar equipment. For beginners, the gas light model will be too difficult to operate.
It is better to choose ultraviolet models that have a timer for 60 or 120 seconds, since they are more economical to use and provide high-quality treatment for all nails.
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general information
Lamp operation
When shellac appeared on the shelves, craftswomen were immediately delighted with such a novelty, and in addition to the varnish, they bought lamps without understanding the technical details, nuances of work and manufacturers. In the process of gaining experience, I came to the understanding that the lamps are different and the varnish does not polymerize under each of them. Ultraviolet light, used when working with gel technologies, like natural light, is not visible to the human eye.
There is a classification of ultraviolet radiation. Radiation in the range suitable for tanning is also suitable for polymerization. The wavelength of this radiation varies between 350-400 nm. This indicator significantly affects the speed at which the shellac will harden. The polymerization device itself is called a tunnel, and the elements are called lamps, which can be replaceable or stationary.
There is no definite opinion as to which drying lamp is better for shellac. All users choose the option that is optimal for themselves. They are based on the size of the device, its cost and much more.
Prices and product reviews
| Name | Power | Variety | price, rub. |
| JessNail JNTY-100 | 9W | LED lamp | 960 |
| GELISH | 36W | Ultraviolet lamp | 1150 |
| JessNail JN602 | 63W | LED lamp | 5010 |
| Polaris PNL 4018UV | 18W | Ultraviolet lamp | 2990 |
| Trosani | 5W | LED lamp | 4999 |
| Irisk P121-01 | 110 W | Ultraviolet lamp | 2150 |
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The cost of a model may depend not only on its characteristics, but also on the popularity of the brand and its pricing policy. Lamps from Irisk are considered one of the most affordable.
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When choosing a lamp for shellac, you need to focus on a lot of indicators, including reviews from customers. What types of lamps are preferred by professionals and amateurs, and what reviews exist about such products:
- Marina, 32 years old, Moscow: “I professionally do nail extensions, gel and shellac coating. I have always used UV lamps, and only recently tried the LED option. To be honest, I was delighted, because the coating dries faster, and the quality of the lamp is completely different.”
- Ekaterina, 27 years old, Kazan: “I bought my UV lamp 3 years ago for home use, and so far I have no complaints. I chose the manufacturer Irisk, since it is a well-known brand among professionals, and the quality of work of such equipment is usually not poor. My lamp is only 18W, but it’s perfect for home use.”
- Maria, 31 years old, Saransk: “For me, as a professional, choosing a lamp for manicure was a very important task. I settled on the LED model from Trosani. Of course, it cost a lot, but I’ve been using it for a couple of years now without any complaints. The presence of a timer and quick drying of any coating makes use not only practical, but also convenient.”
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Video
An interesting video with recommendations for choosing a lamp for gel polish
When choosing a lamp for shellac, craftsmen focus not only on cost, but also on the quality of the model itself. The duration of drying of the coating, the presence of a timer, all the nuances of operation - only by taking each of these indicators into account can you choose the appropriate model.
The better a girl studies the peculiarities of the functioning of certain lamps, the more likely it is that she will buy the ideal device for creating the most beautiful manicure.
Secrets of high-quality drying of Shellac
- The timer in the lamp is not considered a necessary element, but it will greatly facilitate the procedure of applying Shellac, otherwise you will have to constantly time the drying of each layer. Today, many manufacturers supplement their lamps with a timer, already preset for 10 seconds (drying the base coat) and 2 minutes when the color and top coat dries. Our advice is to choose a lamp with a timer.
- Many modern dryers are equipped with a convenient touch sensor . It turns on when you lower your hand and turns off when you move your hand away.
- The quality and speed of drying in a lamp also depends on the location of the light bulbs : avoid options where the light bulbs are installed only in the “ceiling” of the lamp and are absent on the side walls.
- A useful addition to the lamp would be a fan : this way the polymerization time of the varnish is reduced to a minimum.
- The retractable bottom is also one of the advantages; such a lamp is easier to clean and, if necessary, easier to replace worn out parts.
Lamp with retractable bottom
