When choosing a UV Gel lamp for your nail gel, do you go for one with 36 watts or 9 watts? The answer is neither. You choose a lamp that is suited and recommended for your particular nail gel.

The wattage refers to the amount of energy consumed when the lamp is being used. The wattage doesn't actually have much to do with the curing power of the UV lamp; it's the UV Output of the bulbs that cure the gel. You can get different amounts of UV light from bulbs with the same wattage! The shape of the bulb and the placement of the bulb in the lamp also make a difference to its effectiveness.

If you use a lamp that isn't recommended for your gel then the chances are that you won't get an optimum cure, therefore you're risking potential over exposure from under cured product, excessive exothermic reaction, service breakdown, brittleness of product from over curing, weaker enhancements and/or yellowing of gel. Just because the gel looks cured doesn't necessarily mean that it is cured. You won't ever be 100% sure that you're going to get the best out of your chosen gel system without the correct lamp.

It makes sense to use a UV lamp dryer that has been designed specifically to give you optimum cure for your gel, this gives you peace of mind in the knowledge that you're not risking overexposure to your clients by allowing them to have gel which might not be fully cured (even if it looks cured), knowing that service breakdown will be minimal and not down to using products and equipment that haven't been scientifically tested to work together.

Purchasing a UV lamp is an investment, ensure you research thoroughly and make the right choice, not only for yourself but for your clients and the longevity of the enhancements you produce. Make it your business to find out as much information as possible about the UV gel lamp that you use!