I've read tons in these forums about UV lamps and LED lamps and it needs to be stated loud and clear that LED lamps are also delivering 'ultra-violet' UV light. So, any LED lamp that cures gels or shellacs is also 'UV'.. They are all UV-LED's. So, IMO, people who are banging on about using specific manufacture's lamps in order to cure their gels aren't making much sense to me. It's purely 'science'. A 36W UV lamp is about as intense as a 12W LED UV lamp. The difference is an LED will cure faster due to the wavelength of the LED UV light it produces. End of story, but, here is the science:
UV stands for ultraviolet, which is a wavelength beyond what human eyes can see. On the electro-magnetic spectrum, its roughly between 100 nm. and 400 nm. (The violet light you see inside your gel light is the farthest color on the light spectrum human eyes can see; human eyes cant see the ultraviolet wavelength thats actually curing the gel.) UV gel lamps use bulbs that are compact fluorescents (known as CFLs or compact fluorescent lamps).
The wavelength on LED gel lights is much narrower than that of the UV/compact fluorescent lights. This *narrow wavelength emits the right amount of the specific UV-A wavelength thats needed to cure LED-curable gels, which is why LED-curable gels cure faster in LED lights than in UV/CFL gel lights.
As most UV gels require the use of 350 nm. to cure, most UV lamps emit a wavelength ranging from roughly 320 to 400 nm. But an LED manufacturer that uses an LED gel that is rated for 375 nm. will use bulbs that emit from only 370 to 380 nm. LED stands for light emitting diode, which refers to the type of bulb an LED gel lamp uses.
Most of the ultraviolet light emitted by gel lamps (whether theyre marketed as UV lamps or UV-LED lamps) is Ultraviolet-A (UV-A), which is safer for humans than Ultraviolet-B (UV-B). The bulbs used in UV nail lights contain special internal filters that remove almost all UV-B.
UV stands for ultraviolet, which is a wavelength beyond what human eyes can see. On the electro-magnetic spectrum, its roughly between 100 nm. and 400 nm. (The violet light you see inside your gel light is the farthest color on the light spectrum human eyes can see; human eyes cant see the ultraviolet wavelength thats actually curing the gel.) UV gel lamps use bulbs that are compact fluorescents (known as CFLs or compact fluorescent lamps).
The wavelength on LED gel lights is much narrower than that of the UV/compact fluorescent lights. This *narrow wavelength emits the right amount of the specific UV-A wavelength thats needed to cure LED-curable gels, which is why LED-curable gels cure faster in LED lights than in UV/CFL gel lights.
As most UV gels require the use of 350 nm. to cure, most UV lamps emit a wavelength ranging from roughly 320 to 400 nm. But an LED manufacturer that uses an LED gel that is rated for 375 nm. will use bulbs that emit from only 370 to 380 nm. LED stands for light emitting diode, which refers to the type of bulb an LED gel lamp uses.
Most of the ultraviolet light emitted by gel lamps (whether theyre marketed as UV lamps or UV-LED lamps) is Ultraviolet-A (UV-A), which is safer for humans than Ultraviolet-B (UV-B). The bulbs used in UV nail lights contain special internal filters that remove almost all UV-B.