Okay so my nail lamp pretty much sucks. It takes 7-10 minutes just to cure one coat of Gelaze white gel polish...and it seems like it needs a good 7 to cure shellac top coat. Where am I going wrong? I just bought the Salon Edge 36 Watt UV lamp and this was my first time using it. Although this is just my first time, I still get the feeling that the gel curing is taking WAY TO LONG! So what's the deal here?? Anybody else experienced this with this lamp brand?
Why does my UV nail lamp take so long to cure my gel products?
- Thread starter JessB222
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Wooshka
Well-Known Member
This problem is (usually) a simple fix.......
What gel system are you using?
Are you using the UV lamp that comes with that system?
What training have you had (who did you train with)?
Your post pretty much answers these questions because you say you purchased a Salon Edge UV lamp and it is taking ages to cure your Shellac top coat.
Here's the problem just with your Shellac taking so long to cure, you are not using the correct lamp but I am only saying this if you are using legit CND Shellac and the reason why is, Shellac can (and should) only be cured in the CND UV lamp if you wish to get a full correct cure, you will not achieve a full correct cure in any other UV lamp.
So the bottom line, the simple problem is, you should always use the UV lamp that either comes with the system you are using or a UV lam that your gel system recommends you use, you should not mix and match your gel brands to just any old UV lamp otherwise you can never guarantee a full correct cure and this will only lead to problems down the track, especially for your clients nails/surrounding skin.
Now, if you are using a knock off (from FleaBay for example) Shellac for example and then you are using this UV lamp you bought, then you are never going to get things right and could really do some serious damage to yourself and any clients you may get/have and I'm sorry to say this but you can also not promote yourself or your services as a professional service, as none of the combination I have just mentioned, comes under being a professional.
What I suggest you do is, if you have had not training with a reputable brand/company, then go get some training with such companies and if you have had training already, then I suggest you go for some more and again with a good reputable company and then get yourself a good quality branded product and all the correct lamps etc that come with that good reputable brand and then I will guarantee you that you will be on your way to a great professional career as a nail tech.
What gel system are you using?
Are you using the UV lamp that comes with that system?
What training have you had (who did you train with)?
Your post pretty much answers these questions because you say you purchased a Salon Edge UV lamp and it is taking ages to cure your Shellac top coat.
Here's the problem just with your Shellac taking so long to cure, you are not using the correct lamp but I am only saying this if you are using legit CND Shellac and the reason why is, Shellac can (and should) only be cured in the CND UV lamp if you wish to get a full correct cure, you will not achieve a full correct cure in any other UV lamp.
So the bottom line, the simple problem is, you should always use the UV lamp that either comes with the system you are using or a UV lam that your gel system recommends you use, you should not mix and match your gel brands to just any old UV lamp otherwise you can never guarantee a full correct cure and this will only lead to problems down the track, especially for your clients nails/surrounding skin.
Now, if you are using a knock off (from FleaBay for example) Shellac for example and then you are using this UV lamp you bought, then you are never going to get things right and could really do some serious damage to yourself and any clients you may get/have and I'm sorry to say this but you can also not promote yourself or your services as a professional service, as none of the combination I have just mentioned, comes under being a professional.
What I suggest you do is, if you have had not training with a reputable brand/company, then go get some training with such companies and if you have had training already, then I suggest you go for some more and again with a good reputable company and then get yourself a good quality branded product and all the correct lamps etc that come with that good reputable brand and then I will guarantee you that you will be on your way to a great professional career as a nail tech.
@Wooshka,
Thanks for the advice. At this point in time I have been using the UV lamp for 3 days now and I can say FOR SURE that it is the lamp. I used my Gelaze Gel nail Polish and even after 7 full minutes in the lamp, the gel polish will still not fully cure, and will transfer onto to my finger if I try to touch it. Completely ridiculous. Mind you I was even experimenting with very thin layers here. Same exact thing happened with those applications.
I am not currently doing nails for clients and do not plan to do nails in the future. I wanted to learn nails to do my own at home. No, my Shellac top gel or Gelaze were not purchased from 3rd party sellers. They are not fakes. Because this is happening with multiple gel brands and products it is safe to say that this is an issue with the UV lamp that I purchased and not the gel products themselves. I've seen many people use lamp brands that are not the same brand as product systems that they are using and have success most of the time. I do know that the lasting power is debated to be significantly better when using the correct lamp that was recommended by the product manufacturer, but this isn't even about lasting power or early chipping, this is just ridiculous. It takes 10 freakin minutes just for Gelaze to fully cure, that is definitely not right. And 7 for shellac. The Salon edge lamp that I bought WAS bought from a person on Poshmark and HAS been used. She stated that she only used the lamp about 7 times so it isn't brand new, but I didn't think it would affect that curing THAT much, jesus..maybe I need to replace the bulbs? But when the lamp is turned on the lights seems pretty strong, so I wasn't suspecting that the bulbs have gotten to rusty from use by the previous owner, maybe I was wrong. Needless to say I will be looking for a different lamp soon. Or will try and see what new bulbs do.
Thanks for the advice. At this point in time I have been using the UV lamp for 3 days now and I can say FOR SURE that it is the lamp. I used my Gelaze Gel nail Polish and even after 7 full minutes in the lamp, the gel polish will still not fully cure, and will transfer onto to my finger if I try to touch it. Completely ridiculous. Mind you I was even experimenting with very thin layers here. Same exact thing happened with those applications.
I am not currently doing nails for clients and do not plan to do nails in the future. I wanted to learn nails to do my own at home. No, my Shellac top gel or Gelaze were not purchased from 3rd party sellers. They are not fakes. Because this is happening with multiple gel brands and products it is safe to say that this is an issue with the UV lamp that I purchased and not the gel products themselves. I've seen many people use lamp brands that are not the same brand as product systems that they are using and have success most of the time. I do know that the lasting power is debated to be significantly better when using the correct lamp that was recommended by the product manufacturer, but this isn't even about lasting power or early chipping, this is just ridiculous. It takes 10 freakin minutes just for Gelaze to fully cure, that is definitely not right. And 7 for shellac. The Salon edge lamp that I bought WAS bought from a person on Poshmark and HAS been used. She stated that she only used the lamp about 7 times so it isn't brand new, but I didn't think it would affect that curing THAT much, jesus..maybe I need to replace the bulbs? But when the lamp is turned on the lights seems pretty strong, so I wasn't suspecting that the bulbs have gotten to rusty from use by the previous owner, maybe I was wrong. Needless to say I will be looking for a different lamp soon. Or will try and see what new bulbs do.
You cannot tell if bulbs are bad by looking at them. In this industry, buy cheap, buy twice. Get the proper lamp, or at the very least a good quality lamp. Also there is no way to tell if gel is cured by look or touch. You simply must follow manufacturers instructions, and the lamp is the most important part.
Baggybear
Well-Known Member
You are asking what is wrong with your lamp. I will tell you now that there is probably nothing wrong with your lamp.
This may sound harsh BUT you want to know what is wrong.
You don't know what you are doing, that is what is wrong.
You need to learn how to use these products and that means training, even if you only want to do your own nails.
This may sound harsh BUT you want to know what is wrong.
You don't know what you are doing, that is what is wrong.
You need to learn how to use these products and that means training, even if you only want to do your own nails.
Titterbug
Well-Known Member
I have to say that if you are in the uk...you have to be trained and have to show your certificates to be able to buy shellac gel polish?!?!? If you use cheap gel polish you can really damage your nails and even become allergic to gel polish [emoji20] x
blossom
Well-Known Member
This question doesn't belong in Salon Geek's Nail forum surely, which is for Nail Techs, would be nail techs and techs in training to discuss and ask questions.
The OP is not a nail tech nor has any intention of becoming one.
I've paid out £££ to train, like most other geeks. Why do people think it's so easy they can just buy random mismatched products with zero training and then come on here asking advice when it all goes belly up?
Is it me?
The OP is not a nail tech nor has any intention of becoming one.
I've paid out £££ to train, like most other geeks. Why do people think it's so easy they can just buy random mismatched products with zero training and then come on here asking advice when it all goes belly up?
Is it me?
Baggybear
Well-Known Member
No it is not just you BUT this is a public forum and you ALWAYS have to check if the person asking any question is qualified. It was obvious that this person wasn't trained and we do have a section of the forum for the untrained to ask questions (ASK A PRO) but they are usually questions about how to get into the area they are interested (hair, tanning, waxing, nails etc..) about where to train and things like that.
