Sophia Delgado
Gel nail polishes are increasingly popular for their quick-drying time and long-lasting wear. While gel polish can keep your nails looking great for weeks, curing the polish with a UV light emits ultraviolet radiation, which can be dangerous for your health. Thankfully, there are alternative ways to cure gel polish with less UV exposure. If you don't have a UV light, you can use a non-UV gel nail polish, which can be dried using quick-drying nail polish spray or by submerging your nails in ice water.
Characteristics and Values Table
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Lamp | UV or LED lamp |
| Lamp Usage | Essential for curing gel nail polish |
| Non-Lamp Curing | Use non-UV gel nail polish |
| Non-UV Gel Polish Brands | Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel, Essie's Gel Couture, Dazzle Dry |
| Application Technique | Thin, even coats |
| Drying Methods | Quick-drying nail polish spray, ice water |
| Curing Time | 2-3 minutes per coat |
| Top Coat Curing Time | Maximum of 90 seconds |
| Gel Base Coat Curing Time | 45 seconds |
| Gelous Nail Gel | Clear gel polish with Keratin |
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What You'll Learn
Use non-UV gel nail polish
If you don't have access to a UV lamp, you can use a non-UV gel nail polish. These polishes are formulated to air-dry without the need for a nail lamp. While they won't be technically "cured" in the traditional sense, they will deliver a similar look and durability to a cured gel manicure.
There are several nail polish brands that offer non-UV gel polishes, such as Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel line and Essie's Gel Couture line. These polishes are applied just like regular nail polish and will dry on their own. When purchasing a non-UV gel polish, ensure that the label specifies that no UV light or LED lamp is required for curing. If the polish does not specify that it's a non-UV formula, it likely won't cure without a lamp.
To speed up the drying process, apply thin, even coats of the non-UV gel polish. After painting your nails, you can also try using a quick-drying nail polish spray. Lay one hand on a flat surface covered with newspaper or paper towels. Hold the spray can about 7 inches (18 cm) away from your hand and apply a light coat. Repeat the process for your other hand. Allow your nails to dry for the time recommended on the bottle, typically 5 to 10 minutes. After the polish has hardened, wash your hands with soap and water to remove any residual spray.
Another method to dry non-UV gel polish is to submerge your nails in ice water. First, let your nails air-dry for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then, fill a shallow bowl with cold water and ice cubes, making sure that all your nails are completely submerged. Hold them under the water for about 3 minutes and then remove them from the bowl. Allow your fingers and nails to air-dry for at least an hour. While your nails will feel hardened right out of the ice water, they may not be completely dry for several hours, so be careful with your nails during this time.
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Try a quick-drying nail polish spray
If you don't have a UV light, you can use a non-UV gel nail polish. These polishes are formulated to air-dry without being cured under a nail lamp. They are applied in the same way as regular, non-gel polish and deliver a similar look and durability to gel manicures. Examples of non-UV gel polishes include Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel line and Essie's Gel Couture line.
To use a non-UV gel nail polish, start by applying thin, even coats to speed up the drying process. After painting, you can spray on a quick-drying nail polish spray. Place one of your hands on a flat surface covered with newspaper or paper towels. Hold the can of quick-drying nail polish spray about 7 inches (18 cm) away from your hand and spray a light coat over your nails while the polish is still wet. Repeat this process for your other hand.
Leave your nails to dry for the time listed on the bottle, which is usually around five to ten minutes. Once the non-UV gel polish is dry and hardened, wash your hands with soap and water to remove any residual spray. While quick-drying polish sprays are typically formulated for non-gel nail polishes, they might also help dry non-UV gel polish faster. However, it's important to note that they won't cure gel polishes—only UV light can do that.
If you're looking for an alternative to quick-drying nail polish spray, you can try submerging your nails in ice water for about three minutes. Additionally, Gelous Nail Gel is a clear gel polish that can be used as a base coat to strengthen, harden, and reinforce weak nails. It bonds directly to your nail and creates a smooth surface for the polish to glide on smoothly.
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Submerge nails in ice water
If you don't have a UV light, you can use a non-UV gel nail polish. After painting your nails, submerging them in ice water for about 3 minutes can help speed up the drying process.
To do this, fill a bowl with ice water. Once you've applied your non-UV gel nail polish, wait for it to dry to a point where it won't smudge when you dip your nails into the water. Then, submerge your nails in the ice water for 3 minutes.
While this method can help dry your non-UV gel nail polish faster, it's important to note that only UV light can cure gel polishes. The ice water method is simply a way to speed up the drying process of non-UV gel nail polishes.
If you're looking for a more comprehensive solution, consider investing in a UV or LED lamp. These lamps emit specific UV wavelengths and intensities that are calibrated to cure gel polish. LED lamps cure faster than UV lamps, generally within 30 seconds, and they don't produce as much heat, which can be beneficial for people with sensitive skin or nails. On the other hand, UV lamps offer more power and often provide a wider working area.
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Avoid over-curing
While curing your gel nails, it is important to avoid over-curing. Over-curing can cause the gel base coat to become brittle and decrease its stickiness. The hard surface will also not be affected by acetone, making it difficult to remove the product from your nails.
To avoid over-curing your gel base coat, only expose it to the LED lamp for 45 seconds. Even if this seems too brief, additional UV light will be emitted as the gel polish's top and colour coats have their own specific curing processes. The entire curing process can extend to three minutes or more, so over-curing is a real risk. The flexibility of gel polish must be preserved with adequate curing.
The curing time for a gel top coat should also be limited to a maximum of 90 seconds. Excessive curing of the gel top coat can cause it to become hard and solid, and it won't be able to interact with acetone. If your topcoat is over-cured, you will need to manually file it off.
To prevent over-curing, it is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for curing times and use the correct type of lamp. LED lamps cure faster than UV lamps, so it is important to be mindful of the curing time to avoid over-curing.
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Use a UV LED lamp
Using a UV LED lamp is the most effective way to cure gel nails. While some gel polishes do not require a UV or LED light to cure, most professional technicians agree that using a lamp is the best option for a long-lasting, chip-resistant manicure.
UV and LED lamps emit UV wavelengths that cure and dry gel polish. LED lamps cure faster than UV lamps, generally within 30 seconds, and they don't produce as much heat, which can be beneficial for people with sensitive skin or nails. On the other hand, some technicians prefer UV lamps because they offer more power and often provide a wider working area.
When using a UV LED lamp, it is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for curing times. For example, the Sun9C model has timer settings of 30 and 60 seconds, while the base coat should only be exposed to the LED lamp for 45 seconds to avoid over-curing. The gel top coat should be cured for a maximum of 90 seconds, and the entire curing process can extend to three minutes or more.
In addition to the lamp, you will need a gel base coat, nail colour, and gel top coat. Start by applying a thin gel base coat to your nails, painting a thin layer up the middle of your nail and then painting a strip on both the left and right sides. Lightly run the brush along the tip of your nail to make it less likely that your base coat will chip. Cure your base coat under the UV LED lamp according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Next, apply thin layers of colour and cure between each layer until you reach the desired opacity. Finish with a gel top coat, cure one last time, and you're done!
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Frequently asked questions
You can't cure gel nails without a UV light or LED lamp. However, you can use a non-UV gel nail polish that is gel-like in terms of shine and durability but is formulated to air-dry without being cured under a nail lamp. You can also try applying a quick-drying nail polish spray or submerging your nails in ice water for about 3 minutes.
UV and LED lamps emit UV wavelengths that cure and dry gel polish. LED lamps cure faster than UV lamps and don't produce as much heat, which can benefit people with sensitive skin or nails. On the other hand, UV lamps offer more power and often provide a wider working area.
It usually takes 2-3 minutes to cure gel nails with a UV light or LED lamp. LED lamps generally cure within 30 seconds.
