Gel manicures look gorgeous and can last for weeks. Their quality and longevity depend on the proper application of a gel base coat. But how long to cure base coat gel? Let’s find out.
Gel base coats are applied directly to the nail, cured under a UV light, and then topped with a color gel nail polish. They improve the adherence of the color polish to the nail and protect the natural nail plate.
How long to cure gel base coat
How long it takes you to cure your gel base coat mainly depends on these things: the type, quality, color, transparency, and brand of base coat you’re using and the lamp you’re working with.
Gel nail polish needs to be cured under a UV light to harden it. How long do you have to wait?
This depends on the brand of top coat the lamp you use.
Most brands recommend waiting between 30 and 120 seconds.
Gel base coat curing time
Gel base coat is the fastest-curing gel nail product.
Base coats are thin, soft, and typically clear gels that are designed to help the color gel polish adhere better to the nail and to prevent peeling and chipping.
Because the base coat is usually clear and is less pigmented than regular color polish it dries much faster.
You only need to apply it in one thin layer.
UV rays penetrate the clear material much easier than they get through the pigmented color polish. So the polymerization reaction is super-quick.
Gel base coat typically dries in only 30 seconds under an LED lamp or 2 minutes under a pure UV lamp.
The curing time is important for the longevity of your manicure.
If you don’t cure this product for long enough, your gel nails are more likely to chip and peel.
What does the curing time depend on?
The curing time of gel polish is dependent on a few factors:
1. The quality and brand of the base coat
Gel base coats may have varying curing times along with different product quality.
Most products have a curing time of 30-60 seconds, depending on the brand and the formula.
To accurately determine the curing time of your base coat, always read the manufacturer’s instructions, which will let you know for how long it needs to be exposed to UV rays to harden.
2. Base coat color and consistency
I’ve already mentioned that most gel top coats are clear.
However, there are colored base coats on the market too.
These base coats are usually milky and have a nude color like peach, cream, or pink. So they can be used alone without any polish painted over them.
Since this kind of product comes in natural/nude colors it’s called the camouflage base coat.
Camouflage base gels are also usually thicker than ordinary base coats because they are used for building nail overlays and covering the defects of the nail plate.
A camouflage base coat may take more time to get cured because of its thick consistency and pigmentation.
Plus it needs to be applied in a slightly thicker layer than an ordinary gel base.
Nude camouflage colors are usually highly pigmented and it’s harder for the UV rays to penetrate this kind of substance.
That’s why it’s a slower-curing kind of base coat.
It may take anywhere from 60 to 120 seconds to dry.
3. Base coat layer thickness
Another factor that will affect the curing time of your base gel is the thickness of the layer of it that you are applying.
The thicker the layer, the longer it will take to cure.
If you apply too much base coat, you’ll get a chunky, uneven, and uncurable pile of gel, which UV rays may not be able to penetrate.
So a thick layer of gel base coat or polish can take much longer to cure even under a very powerful lamp, plus it can cause heat spikes.
When it comes to the gel base coat layer of your manicure, you need to keep it thin and easy to dry.
4. Lamp type
There are two types of nail lamps that you can use for curing gel nail polishes.
UV nail lamps use ultraviolet light to cure gel nails.
LED nail lamps use UV light-emitting diodes to cure gel nails.
LED nail lamps cure gel polishes and nail extensions faster and UV lamps take longer to dry your nails.
A gel base coat can take only 30 seconds to cure under an LED lamp, while you’ll need no less than 120 seconds for it to dry under a UV lamp.
5. Type or base coat
Another factor is the type of gel base coat you are using.
There are two types of gel polish, one that is UV cured and one that is LED cured.
UV-only gel polish will take a little longer to cure than LED-curable gel polish.
The good news is that most modern gel nail polishes are both UV and LED-curable.
CND Shellac used to be a UV-only gel nail polish that you could dry exclusively with a UV lamp. It didn’t work with LED lamps.
However, the manufacturer has since changed its formula and Shellac is now LED-compatible as well.
6. Lamp wattage
Stronger LED lamps speed up the drying process of gel nails, they cure polish a lot faster.
For example, portable popular LED lamps that come with many gel nail polish kits and only have about 12W of power will cure a gel base coat pretty slow, in about 120 seconds.
So you may want to get a lamp with over 48W of power that will be able to dry your base gel completely in just 30 seconds.
Higher wattage drawbacks
Unfortunately, a higher wattage has a serious downside for curing base coats.
A very strong lamp can cause heat spikes and an unpleasant burning sensation when you use it for drying your base coat.
This is because a clear gel product acts as a lens for the UV light and at the same time base coat is the only gel polish layer that comes in direct contact with the natural nail plate.
This often happens with lamps that offer more than 48 W of power and the burning sensation is felt stronger by people who have thin nail plates.
To prevent heat spikes, you can either use a lower-power LED lamp or turn on a special “low power” setting.
All powerful LED lamps usually have this setting that you can switch on with a press of a button.
This successfully prevents heat spikes.
Plus, again, make the base coat layer thin, this also reduces the probability of heat spikes.
Also, if you keep getting this problem with your base coat under LED units, switch to a pure UV lamp.
These lamps work slower and don’t usually cause heat spikes.
How to speed up the curing time of a gel base coat
- Use an LED lamp instead of a pure UV lamp.
- Get a lamp with over 36W of power but don’t forget to use a low-power setting on stronger units.
- Apply the base coat in one thin layer.
- Select a thin clear base coat product instead of a thick camouflage rubber base gel.
- Buy a high-quality, well-formulated product from a leading brand.
I recommend using Gelish base coat that comes as part of a great Fantastic Four set that includes all necessary nail prep products.
Gelish is probably the oldest and the most famous gel nail polish brand.
Their base coat is clear, thin, easy to apply, and quick-drying.
How to know if the base coat is cured
You always have to make sure that your base coat has fully set before moving on to the next step.
Here are a few things to look for:
- The polish should be completely dry to the touch.
- The color should be even and consistent.
If any of these things look off, your base coat is probably not fully cured.
But don’t worry, simply put it back under the lamp for a few more minutes and check again.
With a little patience, you’ll have a perfect gel manicure in no time!
Please note that unlike color polish or top coat, your base coat layer should still be a bit sticky after curing.
Don’t worry. It’s normal and is necessary for the color layer to adhere better.
Is gel base coat supposed to be sticky after curing?
If you’ve ever done a gel manicure at home, you know that the base coat always remains sticky after you cure it under the UV lamp.
This is intentional, and it’s a good thing.
The sticky base coat helps the color coat to adhere to the nail better and last longer.
So if your gel polish base coat is sticky, don’t worry, it’s supposed to be that way.
In conclusion, when it comes to curing gel base coat with a lamp, most brands recommend waiting between 30 and 120 seconds.
However, there are a few factors to keep in mind that can impact the curing time.
For example, the thickness and pigmentation of the gel base coat can affect how long it takes to cure.
If you’re unsure about how long to wait, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and go for the longer curing time.
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