Curing time of hybrid and gel nail polish

On the one hand, an endless range of hybrid nail polishes, fantastic colorful gels as well as many builders and finishing products give you an ocean of opportunities and, on the other hand, bring about the risk whether a precisely made design will cure completely. We’ll tell you how long it takes for Indigo products to maintain maximum durability in a particular type of lamp and explain what can affect the estimated curing time.

Type of lamp and hybrid nail polish curing time

Any stylist who has experience with different types of lamps for hybrid nails knows that the curing time of individual products can vary significantly depending on the power and type of light emitted by the lamp. For example, the most popular UV devices cure a classic hybrid nail polish in 2 minutes, while Dual Led or Multi Led lamps will handle this task in 10-30 seconds (of course, the difference is related to the level of pigmentation – more intense colors require longer curing). It takes on average 2 minutes to cure the base in a UV lamp and only 30 seconds in Multi Led, and in the case of selected products for nail art up to 3 minutes in a UV lamp and 30 seconds in Multi Led. You can see that the difference is radical – compared to a popular UV lamp, modern Multi and Dual Led lamps cure most nail design products up to six times faster.

This principle applies to devices intended for professional use in beauty salons. However, we know that there are also smaller lamps available on the market, designed for mobile nail stylists. While such a compact lamp usually copes with a hybrid manicure, it’ll not ensure the required effect in the case of gels. In addition, the power of such a device is much lower, so the curing time of individual stages of the design process will be longer than in the case of its standard counterpart.

If you don’t know which lamp to choose, please read our article entitled: Hybrid nail curing lamp - which one to choose? LED or UV?

What can prolong the curing time of hybrid or gel nail polish?

In addition to the type of light emitted and its power, an equally important factor affecting the curing time of a hybrid or gel nail polish is the service life of the nail lamp. Each manufacturer indicates the guaranteed service life of its device. It’s necessary to check this because after the specified period the lamp may start to break down, e.g. it will stop curing evenly, which will make the nail polish remain semi-fluid in the most sensitive places – for example on the sides or tip of the nail. This can result in problems at different stages of the styling process; the nail design may deteriorate quickly or even an allergic reaction may happen.

An equally important factor influencing the curing time of a gel and hybrid nail polish is the technical condition of the lamp. Every device needs air circulation. That’s why it’s so important not to cover it with a sheet or towel because in a short time it can lead to damage, which is not covered by a warranty.

Hybrid and gel nail polish curing - what else should you pay attention to?

As long as nail polishes or hybrid bases can be cured virtually in every lamp, the situation looks completely different in the case of gels, especially the ones dedicated to nail art. Therefore, it’s worth making sure that the selected product cures in the lamp you have before purchase. Some Indigo products, e.g. Take Your Time or Builder Clear won’t achieve 100% durability in a standard LED lamp; the only way to guarantee perfect curing is to use the Dual Led or Multi Led lamp. If you are serious about your career as a stylist, investing in a professional lamp seems to be the best solution.

The versatility and reliability of the latest generation of equipment is demonstrated not only by the power and type of light emitted, but also by the distribution of light points. Our Multi Led lamps are lined with a mirror layer inside, so the light is evenly distributed, without the risk of providing insufficient amounts of light to critical areas. This way, each Indigo product will cure 100%.

Curing time for Indigo products

The curing time of hybrid nail polishes, bases, top coats and gels varies. This information can be found on the product packaging as well as on our website at www.indigo-nails.com. However, in order to make your work easier, the table below presents the necessary data for UV/Dual Led/ Multi Led lamps – with the reservation that there are certain exceptions, as we have described above.

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