Manicure is far from the easiest task, which is why many women turn to specialists to do it. When using gel polishes in salons, special lamps are used that provide fast and efficient drying of the varnish. However, you do not have to go to the salon to use such a lamp - you can purchase it yourself.
The hybrid nail lamp is available in many stores and will allow you to significantly increase the effectiveness of gel polish manicure, as well as give you the opportunity to grow nails at home. However, what is this device? In this article, you'll learn what a hybrid nail lamp is, why it's better to buy one over conventional lamps, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
What is this device?
The hybrid nail lamp is a special device that allows you to dry gel polish in minutes and even seconds. Such devices are always available in beauty salons where they do manicures and nail extensions, but they can also be found in stores.
This means that you can freely purchase such a lamp and no longer go to the salon. However, in this case there isproblem of choice - which hybrid nail lamp is better? Or will it be better to choose a single lamp, and not a hybrid? This is what will be discussed further.
Types of lamps
So, if you want to make such a purchase, then you should understand what lamps for drying nails are, what is the difference between them and what are the advantages of each type of lamp.
The most basic is a UV lamp for nails, hybrids are often based on it. The UV light will allow you to dry your gel polish quickly and effectively. However, this is not the only lamp you can find on the market.
There are more powerful and effective options. Firstly, it is a fluorescent lamp, which has been competing with the UV analogue for quite a long time. Well, and secondly, this is an LED lamp, which appeared on the market relatively recently and offers the highest drying speed, but it also has its drawbacks. And at the head of everything is a hybrid lamp for nails, reviews of which are almost always positive.
What is this? This is a device that combines two or even three types of lamps, making it much more efficient. Well, since we are talking about reviews, it is worth taking a closer look at them. To choose the perfect device, you need to be aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of each type of lamp, and the reviews of users who already own one or another type of nail dryer are great to understand.
Advantages of UV lamps
Of course, first of all, it is worth talking about ultraviolet lamps, since they are the most common of all. What is the reason? Users report that it most often lies in the low cost of the device. Almost everyone can purchase such lamps and hybrid lamps for nail extension, in which the main element is a UV element, but at the same time they are quite effective.
People report that it is UV lamps that affect the largest number of materials used due to the widest spectrum. Moreover, there is absolutely no discomfort when using them, so a hybrid nail lamp with a UV base is the right choice.
But do not rush, because everything has its drawbacks. It is enough to think about why exactly there are no unpleasant sensations. You will find the answer to this question below.
Disadvantages of UV lamps
So, if you want to have a UV lamp for drying nails, then you should understand that the absence of discomfort is due to the fact that the speed of the device is not too high. Gel polish in this device dries from one to three minutes, which is not very fast compared to other types of lamps - you will see this later.
Users also report that these bulbs get very hot and therefore have a short lifespan of only 3,000 hours. This may seem like an impressive amount of time, but when compared with other species, then according to this indicatorthese lamps are far inferior to competitors.
If the number of hours does not mean anything to you, then you can contact those users who reported the approximate time of the device. Depending on how often you use it, you may need to change the lamp every six months if you use it infrequently. If you use it constantly, then you will have to change the lamps much more often - about every two months.
For this reason, users are starting to ask questions about how to make a hybrid nail lamp if they have both UV and LED lamps, but it is not recommended to do such things if you are not an expert in this field – the result may be sad.
The advantages of fluorescent lamps
What does a hybrid nail lamp look like? Photos on the net are often only superficial, but you can also find an inside look. And then you can see that there are two types of lamps inside (or three if it is a hybrid UV-CCFL-LED).
What is the second species after ultraviolet? These are fluorescent lamps that are smaller and more efficient. How is it shown? The fact is that, according to user reviews, they practically do not heat up, unlike their ultraviolet counterparts, and at the same time they last much longer. It is extremely rare to change them, because the service life is from 30 to 50 thousand hours, that is, 10-20 times longer than that of ultraviolet lamps.
Disadvantages of fluorescent lamps
Of course, this lamp also has disadvantages, but they are not as pronounced as those of the ultraviolet counterpart. Firstly, they still dry their nails for a long time - from one to three minutes. Secondly, they have a slightly narrower spectrum, so they may not affect some of the materials that a UV lamp can dry. Therefore, if you want to combine them, then a hybrid of UV and CCFL will be extremely effective - it will be able to dry your nails qualitatively, although not as quickly as you would like.
Advantages of LED lamps
As you can already understand, compared with the previous two types, this lamp is the fastest. It can dry your nails in 10-30 seconds, which is much faster than the 1-3 minutes in both previous cases.
However, this is not the only thing that can be distinguished from LED lamps. They also have an impressive lifespan that rivals fluorescent lamps. Well, another important difference that many users notice in the reviews is the compact size while maintaining efficiency. Devices with LED lamps can be 2-3 times smaller than those with UV lamps, but they can still fit an entire palm in them.
However, why do we need other lamps and even hybrids if this species is so magnificent? The reason is simple - range.
Disadvantages of LED lamps
As it quickly becomes clear, LED lights have an extremely short range, which means they don't affect many materials, which makestheir efficiency is much lower. Moreover, many users report that due to the speed of exposure, an unpleasant sensation is created in the fingers, which is not present in the previous two types.
And, of course, it is worth noting the cost of the device, which is quite high. As you can see, there is no perfection in the world, but you can try to achieve it if you like any hybrid nail lamp. 36 watts is a great power-saving figure, so you can go with it. If the energy consumption is noticeably higher, then you will not be able to save on the purchase of such a product.
Hybrid bulbs
What are hybrid lamps for drying nails? In fact, lamps can be combined in a variety of ways, and if you want to navigate, then you need to understand the name of one or another type of lamp.
So, ultraviolet lamps are designated as UV, fluorescent - as CCFL, and LED lamps, in fact, are designated as such - LED. Thus, if you see a UV-CCFL device, you can be sure that this is a gel polish dryer that works with UV and fluorescent lamps.
Which combination is best to choose? It depends a lot on your budget, as well as what kind of functionality you want to achieve. Naturally, the most functional devices will be the most expensive. For example, a high-powered LED lamp from leading brands can cost upwards of $300, to say nothing of hybrids that combine this lamp with another look.
However, the most effectivethe device is one that combines all three types - it dries very quickly and at the same time affects the entire spectrum, covering every substance used in gel polishes. But the cost is reasonable, so if you don't do manicures too often, then you are unlikely to need such a device.
If you don't need professional nail care on a permanent basis, you can choose a more budget hybrid, such as CCFL-LED. Recently, such devices have the highest popularity in the budget segment. But at the same time, you should understand that neither single lamps nor hybrids are suitable for drying ordinary nail polish, they are intended for gel polishes and nail extensions.
