So, you have been considering a nail lamp for your salon. Maybe, you are just looking to reduce the time it takes to dry your nails at home. Well, the best way to go about it is to look for an LED or a UV nail lamp online.
But before you hop online and start shopping, you should know a few things. For instance, is a UV lamp genuinely safe? What kind of wattage should you be looking for? As such, most people tend to overlook those things, but you should not be one of them. And this article is going to make sure of that.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Splurging on a Lamp
Your nails do need pampering from time to time. However, what exactly should you look for when buying a lamp? So, these are just a few things to factor into the decision-making process:
1. Do You Use a Range of Different Brands of Polish?
The types of gel polish you use matter. LED lamps, for example, can only work on specific kinds of polishes. UV lamps, meanwhile, work on all types of gel polish. Thus, if you use a mix of different brands, a UV lamp will make things more flexible for you.
That is not to say an LED lamp is a bad idea. In fact, there are lamps now that combine the two and let you switch between UV and LED lights. And if you are buying one for a salon, that’s probably the best option.
2. Where Are You Going to Use It?
Nail lamps are often light and easily transportable. However, LED lamps tend to be typically lighter and smaller than the UV variants. So considering where you are going to use such a device is essential. If, for instance, you are a mobile nail technician, an LED lamp might be a better investment. However, that will also limit the brands of polish that you can use. But if the place of usage is not a concern, feel free to splurge and get one that you like best.
3. Does the Power Rating on a Lamp Matter?
When shopping for a UV nail lamp online, you will probably come across its power rating, as it may be mentioned in the product description or written next to the name itself. So usually, the higher the rating, the better the curing efficiency. As such, polishes will dry significantly faster with a higher wattage.
However, as the wattage increases, so does the price. So if remaining on a budget is a concern, settle for somewhere around 50W. Also, do not go for anything lower than 10W since lamps with that kind of wattage never work well.
4. Is a Nail Lamp Safe to Use?
The short answer is that it’s complicated. Though there is some uncertainty around these kinds of lamps, there hasn’t been any conclusive study on the subject. But that doesn’t immediately mean that these devices are unsafe. In Australia, for example, there has been significant discussion on the matter.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology published an article on this, and the main takeaway point was that people need to be a little careful while using such devices. For instance, slapping on some sunscreen before getting your nails cured is always a good idea. Additionally, you should avoid prolonged exposure, but that’s not much of a problem considering these lamps take 2-3 minutes, at most, to cure your nails.
Now that you have a basic idea of what to look for, it’s time to start shopping, and there are plenty of options out there. Some are coloured brightly, while others lean toward being monochrome. And the right choice, though, is the one that you like the best.
