Why does gel polish wrinkle in the lamp?

Some novice nail masters are faced with such a problem that gel polish wrinkles in the lamp. As a result, the beautiful design of the marigold is disrupted and you have to start working again.

It's good if you faced a similar negative situation when you applied a gel coat to yourself. It will be much worse if the gel polish wrinkled when you applied it to a client. Indeed, in this case, she will have questions and doubts about your competence.

To prevent this from happening, let's look at the main reasons that provoke the wrinkling of the coating in the lamp during drying.

The gel coat dryer can cause the varnish to shrink.

The main problems with a lamp are as follows.

• Insufficient device power. The best option is to purchase an LED lamp with a power of 20 watts, or a UV lamp with an increased power of 36 watts. A device with a low power threshold may cause the gel coat to not dry sufficiently and wrinkle. Even if you increase the residence time of the marigolds under the lamp, this will not guarantee that highly pigmented varnishes (such as a black shade) will dry out completely.
• Luminaire elements are worn out. Even if your lamp has excellent wattage, you may notice over time that the coating shrinks as it dries.This may be due to the wear and tear of the light elements, which need to be replaced on a regular basis if you serve a large number of customers and the device operates almost continuously.

At the end of the life of the lighting elements, even if the marigolds are under the lamp for a long time, this will not be able to correct the situation. After all, only the top layer will be subject to the polymerization process. In the middle, the gel polish will remain liquid or stringy, as a result of which the decorative coating will quickly wrinkle.

• Insufficient time to dry the coating. Certain gel polishes must be dried over an extended period of time. These types of gel coatings include highly pigmented varnishes. If the nails, on which a black or other dark shade was applied, are removed from the lamp ahead of schedule, then you can see how the decorative layer gradually shrinks under the influence of air.

Even if everything is in order with the lamp, and you maintain the gel polish residence time specified by the manufacturer in the drying device, problems can be directly related to the varnish itself.

• Application of a very thick layer is one of the most common problems why gel polish wrinkles in the lamp. The drying process starts from the top layer, gradually moving downward. If you have applied a very thick layer of gel polish, then even a very powerful lamp is not able to cope with the abundance of material and dry it thoroughly. As a result, you will be able to observe how the top layer wrinkles, while the bottom remains undried. This is easy to check if you try to remove the wrinkled layer: you will notice that the cotton pad gets dirty in the paint.

• The highly pigmented shade of gel polish is the second most common cause of wrinkling. The pigment present in large quantities helps to slow down the absorption of ultraviolet radiation, as a result of which the coating wrinkles when it dries. The pigment is present in large quantities in black and white colors, as well as in shades that are characterized by increased brightness or, conversely, are very dark.

• Application of gel polish with an expired shelf life. When the shelf life of such a product expires, its consistency becomes denser and thicker, so it is very difficult to apply it in a thin layer.

• Gel polish was not applied for a long time. If the tool for decorating marigolds stands for a long time without use, it begins to gradually exfoliate. The pigment substance settles at the bottom, and on top there is a liquid layer that is transparent.

• Purchase of low-quality gel polish. The production of such a product could take place in violation of the technology, or it contains components of poor quality. This gel coat will constantly wrinkle no matter what action you take.

In addition, the reason that leads to the fact that the gel polish wrinkles in the lamp may be the refusal to use the base. Unfortunately, the evenness and smoothness of the nail plate of most of the fair sex leaves much to be desired. Therefore, in order to ensure better adhesion of the decorative layer, experts recommend applying a base. Characterized by a sticky layer, it will protect the gel polish from wrinkling during the drying process. In addition, the base protects the nail plate from pigment particles that are part of the decorative agent.

Here are some simple guidelines, adherence to which will allow you to avoid the fact that the gel polish wrinkles in the lamp.

• Apply 2 thin coats of decorative gel instead of one thick coat. Thus, you can dry the gel polish gradually, and even a not very powerful drying device can cope with this task.
• Using a black shade or other highly pigmented tones of gel polish, it is necessary to apply it in a very thin layer, lightly brushing the nail plate with a brush.

• Keep track of the expiration date of lighting elements, as well as cosmetic preparations that are used to decorate marigolds.

• When using a gel polish that has not been applied for a long time, it should be well shaken and mixed so that such a product is well applied and does not wrinkle when drying.

• Before you start applying one of the manicure products, carefully read the instructions and recommendations from the manufacturer. This will allow you to create a high quality finish.
• Buy cosmetic products for decorating your nails from well-known brands. Despite their higher cost, such products are of high quality.

• Allow the gel polish to cool to room temperature to ensure a glossy shine on the finish. In this way, you will avoid the fact that it will wrinkle at the base.
• The brush used to distribute the decorate over the nail may not be suitable for application close to the cuticle. It is recommended to use a thin brush with a high degree of elasticity.

• When drawing a clear pattern, do not try to apply it on top of the dispersion layer of the base. In this case, you will observe not only the displacement of the pattern, but also the fact that the entire coating is wrinkled. To get a subtle image, peel off the base layer. In order not to worsen the color and shade, it is worth distributing the top over the base and thoroughly drying each layer separately.

• Apply the base in two layers, thanks to this you will be able to align the nail plate. To prevent the gel coating from wrinkling during drying, you need to apply the first layer very thinly and dry thoroughly in a lamp. The next layer can be applied a little thicker, trying to distribute it evenly.

• If, nevertheless, small wrinkles appear on the marigold, you need to cover it with a glossy top. The top should be applied very quickly and immediately fixed under the lamp for a few seconds, after which it is necessary to wait until the surface is completely polymerized.

One of the reasons that the gel polish wrinkles in the lamp may be insufficiently polished marigolds.

To avoid the most common mistakes when applying gel polish, we recommend watching the following video.