Methods for quickly drying varnish
Manicurists use a number of products and devices to quickly dry varnish coatings.
Manicure fan
Drying nails with a manicure fan
The most convenient way to dry varnish is to use a special drying fan . It is a small device that runs on batteries or an outlet. Fan sizes come in different sizes: small, for one hand, larger, for two hands at once.
After covering the nails with decor, the hand is placed in the fan hole, the device is turned on, after which it begins to supply air to the nails and quickly dries the polish.
The huge advantage of a fan is its low cost combined with efficiency and long service life, so if you frequently use varnishes at home, you should think about such a useful purchase.
People have their own “answer” to professionals - several simple ways to speed up the drying of the coating on the nail plate at home. Let's take a closer look at these methods.
Hair dryer
Drying varnish with a hairdryer
A regular hairdryer is a great way to quickly dry the coating at home. To prevent it from being damaged, you need to set the device to the lowest temperature , and then place your hand with a freshly applied coating on it.
Under no circumstances should you use hot air: it can make the polish soft and ruin your manicure. For the same reason, do not dry varnish under a table lamp. Instead of a hairdryer, an air stream from a household fan or air conditioner is also suitable.
Cold water
Cold water is an excellent home remedy for drying nail polish.
Since varnish hardens most quickly when cooled, you can speed up the process by dipping your hands in cold water. To do this, you can let cold water drain from the tap until it becomes icy, or add a few ice cubes (this method is especially good for the summer season).
Hands are carefully immersed in a bath of cold water. no more than 4 minutes for the decor to completely harden in water . You should not hold your hands under the tap: the varnish that has not yet hardened can “move off” under the running water.
Hair fixation spray
Hairspray will dry out your manicure.
Another old and completely reliable method is to spray hairspray on tinted nails . This method will not only help reduce the drying time of the varnish, but will also extend the life of the manicure. Choose a strong hold varnish, then the result will be much more effective.
Vegetable oil
A useful and effective drying method is to apply olive or sunflower oil to the coating. To do this, you need to take the oil into a pipette , then drip the product onto each nail . You need to carefully wash off the oil after 5 minutes . In parallel with fixing the manicure, you can perfectly nourish the cuticle (you need to use cold-pressed oil).
The video will show you how to dry your manicure with oil:
Freezer
In order for the varnish to dry quickly, the bottle with it needs to be placed in the freezer literally 5 minutes . After application, it will dry much faster, and when you combine this method with cooling under a stream of air from a fan, you can enjoy your manicure in just 2-3 minutes.
Vinegar
To dry and fix the nail coating, a minute after applying it, you can rinse your hands in cold water with the addition of vinegar (for 0.5 liters of water - a spoonful of 9% table vinegar). This will also speed up the drying of the decor.
Professional products
Products for quick drying of varnish coatings used by professionals that are quite suitable for home use include:
Drying manicure with a professional product
- Drying sprays
- Varnish drying
- Oil coatings
You can buy these products in professional stores or online stores. The most reliable method is to dry the varnish by applying a special coating on top - varnish drying . In appearance, it is an ordinary transparent varnish that secures the decorative coating. The drying varnish is applied a minute after the main decor in one layer. The top coat will not only dry the polish without problems in a couple of minutes, but will also extend its wear life.
Drying sprays are a convenient way to quickly dry the coating. Among the sprays there are oil-based and oil-free ones. After applying the polish, you can almost immediately spray your nails with a spray that will dry the coating in 4-5 minutes. Such drying does not make the decor more durable, but it perfectly nourishes the cuticle and skin of the hands.
Oil drying in the form of drops is also very popular. Their principle and procedure of action is the same as that of ordinary edible oil. The product is dripped onto each nail after applying the decorative coating, which makes it dry faster.
If you use oil dryers regularly, they will significantly improve the condition of your nails and the skin around them.
Is it possible to dry gel polish without a lamp?
a girl applies oil to speed up the drying process of nail polish
The answer to this question depends on the type of gel polish. Today the following varieties are presented:
- photosensitive
- not sensitive to light
- biogel
- the alternative is a regular varnish with a glass coating effect
You can’t do without a lamp if you use gel polish of the first and third types. However, even light-sensitive gel polish can harden when exposed to direct sunlight or a blue lamp. The only disadvantages of this method:
- long drying
- high probability of poor hardening or formation of cracks and bulbs
Useful tips when applying varnish
To make the coating dry faster, you need to follow a number of useful recommendations:
Manicure done in thin layers
- Apply varnish only in a thin layer . The fact is that a two- or three-layer thick coating will take a very long time to dry, and even all the methods described above will help little. It is better to let the first layer dry completely and then apply the second - the total time will be less.
- Before covering the nail, you should carefully remove the old decor with a special liquid, and also thoroughly degrease and sand the nail surface with a soft buff. Only on a smooth surface will the coating dry quickly.
- Use only high-quality varnishes , if necessary, quick-drying ones. Now many manufacturers produce products that dry much faster. Since the varnish dries almost instantly, you need to get used to it and paint your nails very carefully, quickly and thoroughly, avoiding mistakes.
- In an emergency, when you urgently need to paint your nails, use a coating with low color intensity . A small amount of pigment and translucency of the shade are a sure sign that the coating will dry faster.
- The situation is similar with thickness: the thicker the product, the longer it will dry . It is better to throw away any expired varnishes that have become too thick.
- Before applying the decorative coating, it is strictly forbidden to use hand cream , any oils, or apply varnish to wet nails. This will not only increase the drying time, but will also make the manicure unstable.
- After varnish, always use professional varnish drying products . This will increase the drying speed and service life of the manicure.
Manicure in light colors
Is it possible to dry regular varnish under a lamp?
drying nail polish under a special lamp
As we found out above, only low temperature, or in other words cold, can speed up the drying process of ordinary varnish.
Heat or hot air flow is the opposite:
- thins regular varnish
- prevents it from drying out
- provokes the formation of bubbles on the painted surface of the nail and other irregularities
The lamp dries gel polish perfectly because it acts on it like a stove. And ordinary varnish is more likely to set under the influence of the UV rays of such a lamp.
Professional coatings for quick drying
Almost all well-known brands that produce nail accessories and cosmetics produce special drying coatings. Among them the most popular are:
Drying varnish “Smart enamel”
- Top dryer Secn dry (Orly) – suitable for manicure, pedicure, available in the form of varnish with a brush
- Super-drying from “Smart Enamel” – dries the coating in 2-3 minutes
- Drying Complete from Sally Hansen - costs more than Smart Enamel, but works great
- Quick dry spray (Avon) gives an elegant shine, the varnish dries with it in about 5 minutes
- Top dryer Instant Dry (Chatte Noire) – one of the best dryers, makes manicure comfortable and fast
- Drip drying Flash Dry (Orly) dries the varnish and gives a flawless shine to the coating
To make a manicure faster, which is important for most women, simple home remedies will help - oil, cold, fan. But it is safer to purchase a good cosmetic product - drying agent - and use it for a long time and with greater convenience.
More interesting articles:
How to dry gel polish at home?
beautiful girl with fresh manicure
Above, we defined the types of gel polish and partially considered the possibility of speeding up its drying. Let's continue our review.
The subspecies, not sensitive to light, dries well when exposed to cold water. To do this, after topcoating, you just need to dip your fingers in a container with it for 5-7 minutes. Then take them out and leave to dry naturally.
Other types of light-insensitive gel polish can dry well only after applying a catalyst. It is the monomer cyanoacrylate.
It comes in the form of a cream or liquid. Distribute it on the nail plate and in a minute you will have a beautiful and completely dry colored manicure on your fingers.
Is it possible to dry gel polish with an LED flashlight?
Since there are many types of gel polishes, they also have different drying devices.
On the Internet you will find different opinions regarding the ability of an LED flashlight to dry gel polish.
Some advertise specific flashlight models that cope with this task. Most likely it’s just the same drying lamp, made in this form.
Others argue that the flashlight simply does not have enough power. The third is that it should have a similar UV spectrum as the lamp for drying gel polish.
You can find the truth experimentally by trying to dry one nail painted with gel polish with an LED flashlight.
