How to tell if Gel Polish is Cured & 5 Tips to Dry it Fast

Tips to Help Correctly Dry & Cure Gel Nail Polish Faster

Curing gel polish can be tricky especially if it’s your first time using gel polish. And if cured incorrectly your gel polish can become wrinkly and won’t last very long.

This is why it’s very important that you know how to cure your gel polish correctly.

So in this article, we are going to share with you some professional tips you can do to help you correctly cure your gel polish completely and faster.

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How to Know if Your Gel Polish Is Cured

It’s hard to know exactly if your gel polish is completely cured. This is because even when your gel polish is cured it will leave a natural sticky layer on top, which is called the inhibition layer.

This sticky layer is normal and helps the other layer of polish to adhere to it. Only the sticky layer of a gel top coat needs to be wiped away.

Now to tell if your gel polish is cured you need to look:

If the color of the gel polish smudges when you apply the top coat – the top coat should be able to apply smoothly.
If any wrinkles, bubbles, or smudges occur on the polish – click here to learn why gel polish wrinkles.

If any of this happens I recommend removing the gel polish and then follow the tips below when reapplying to ensure the polish is cured properly.

Tips to Correctly Cure Gel Polish Faster

1- Apply Your Gel Polish in Very Thin Layers

The best thing you can do to correctly and quickly cure your gel polish is to apply them in thin layers.

You need to apply your gel polish in a thin layer and then cure it. Apply and cure each layer until you reach a solid color.

Thick layers of gel polish mean that the UV light might not fully penetrate and cure all of the polish or at least will take longer to penetrate and cure.

Important Note

When it comes to curing time it is always better to over cure than under cure. So if you are struggling with your gel polish feel free to let it cure for a bit longer. But not too long since strong UV light is bad for your skin.

You can click here to learn How long You Need to Cure Gel Polish.

2- Use the Correct Nail Lamp to Cure Your Gel Polish

Read the instructions for your gel polish to see what type of nail lamp they work with. There are 2 two types of nail lamps LED and UV Nail Lamps.

Now, most brands of gel polish work with LED Nail lamps but I still recommend checking your gel polish to be on the safe side.

It’s also recommended that you use the same brand of nail lamp as the gel polish to ensure that they work together. This is because every brand of gel polish will test their polish with their own lamps.

3- Cure Your Thumbnails Separately

The gel polish on your thumbnails can potentially give you an issue when curing.

This is because if you cure all your nails at once your thumbnails will point slightly downward meaning it might not cure properly.

So you should apply your gel polish on your thumbnails and cure them separately from the rest of your nails. Also, ensure your thumbnail is pointed upward when under the UV lamp.

4- Use a High Wattage Nail Lamp

The higher the wattage of the nail lamp the more quicker and effective it is at curing your gel polish. Higher wattage means more intense UV light.

This is why it is recommended that you have a nail lamp of 36 watts or higher.

You can click here to read how the wattage of your nail lamp can affect curing time.

Recommended High-Wattage LED Lamp

Anself 64-watt LED Lamp is a professional nail lamp that will quickly and effectively cure most brands of gel polish.

Now it’s a bit pricey but if you are serious about gel nail polish I think it’s worth it, you can click here to see the price of it on Amazon.

5- Invest in a Good Brand of Gel Polish

Low-quality brands of gel polish are harder to cure and they take much longer. Especially when compared to a premium brand like Gelish which cures quickly and easily.

I have an entire article where I feature the best brands of gel polish, you can click here to read it.