Nail polish can take a while to dry if you have multiple coats. Waiting for nail polish to dry on your nails can be such a pain, especially if you have a busy day ahead.
One of the tricks to get nail polish to dry faster is by going outdoors and letting it dry in the sun.
Here is How the Sun Works to Dry the Nail Polish Faster:
Nail polish dries faster in the sun because the UV rays and the heat that they create can aid in the drying of nail polish. If you do not have a UV lamp at home, you can let your nail polish dry naturally in the sun. The sun is effective in reducing the drying time of your nail polish.
Why Does The Sun Dry Nail Polish Faster?
If you are sick of waiting too long for your nail polish to dry, one of the simplest tricks you can do is to let them dry in the sun.
It is easy and does not require any additional tool or product. You use nature and the outdoors to your advantage.
Nail polish dries faster in the sun because the UV rays and the heat that they create can aid in the drying of nail polish.
If you do not have a UV lamp at home, you can let your nail polish dry naturally in the sun. It is effective in reducing the drying time of your nail polish.
Can UV Rays Cure Nail Polish Faster?
Salons and nail professionals often use a UV lamp to cure nail polish. If you frequent salons, then you have seen them do it.
UV rays can cure nail polish faster. This is why salons and nail professionals use UV lamps after applying nail polish.
When a UV lamp emits UV light, there is a chemical reaction that occurs, which causes the nail polish to cure or dry faster. UV lamps are specifically designed for gel nail polish but can also work on regular nail polish.
UV rays cause a polymerization reaction, which cures and solidifies the gel nail polish. A UV lamp can cure gel nail polish in just a few minutes.
Here is how you cure gel nail polish using UV rays:
- Apply the base coat and let it dry. Make sure the base coat covers your entire nails so the gel nail polish does not get onto your nails. Allow it to dry completely before applying the polish.
- Apply two thin layers of gel nail polish. The first layer will look streaky, but this is normal. After applying the first layer, cure it under the UV lamp for 2 to 3 minutes. Then apply the second layer thinly and cure it under the UV lamp for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Apply the top gel. This is to finish off your gel manicure. Apply only one layer of the top gel, and then cure it under the UV lamp for 2 to 3 minutes.
For regular nail polish, the drying time is around 15 minutes. UV rays can make it dry faster but not as fast as it normally can for gel nail polish.
While the UV rays cannot cure regular nail polish, the heat that comes with the UV rays can help make the solvents in regular nails evaporate faster. This will cut the drying time of regular nail polish.
Does Gel Nail Polish Dry Quicker In The Sun?
Gel nail polish needs to be cured using a UV lamp so that it dries fast. But what can you do if you do not have a UV lamp? Drying it in the sun is a good alternative.
Gel nail polish can dry quicker in the sun if you do not have a UV lamp.
Since gel nail polish needs UV rays to cure, using natural UV rays coming from the sun can also work. However, it will not dry as fast compared to curing gel nail polish directly under a UV lamp.
Gel nail polishes do not dry like regular nail polish. So if you prefer using gel nail polish over regular nail polish, the best thing to do is to invest in a good UV lamp.
Does Regular Nail Polish Dry Quicker In The Sun?
Regular nail polish takes roughly 15 minutes to dry to the touch, but it would take 2 hours at most for it to fully dry, including all the layers.
Regular nail polish can dry quicker in the sun. The heat emitted by the sun aids in decreasing the drying time of regular nail polish.
So if you just finished applying nail polish, you can let it sit for 5 minutes and then go out on a hot day. You can let the sun work its magic to dry your nail polish quicker, so you can go about your day as normal.
However, while letting your nails dry in the sun, you still have to be careful with your nails. No one wants to mess up their freshly painted nails. You do not want to smudge it after getting your nails done.
Here are some tips to follow, so your nail polish dries quicker in the sun:
- Apply thin coats of nail polish. Thin coats of nail polish evaporate and dry faster than thick ones.
- Let each coat dry before applying the next one. When applying multiple coats of nail polish, wait at least 2 minutes before applying the next coat. This allows each coat to be properly set for a faster drying time.
- Apply a quick dry top coat. A quick-dry top coat can speed up the drying time of your nail polish.
Are Nail Lamps Faster At Drying Nail Polish Than The Sun?
Nail lamps are tools that are specially made for drying nail polish faster. They can either be UV nail lamps or LED nail lamps, which are effective for drying and curing nail polish.
Nail lamps can dry nail polish faster than the sun.
This is because the heat coming from nail lamps is being emitted directly onto the nails, and it aids in significantly reducing the drying time of nail polish.
There are two nail lamps: the UV nail lamp and the LED nail lamp. Both emit UV rays and work the same way to help nail polish dry faster.
The difference between the two is that UV lamps release a broader spectrum of UV rays, while LED lamps emit a narrower and more targeted spectrum of UV rays. Because of this, LED nail lamps to dry nails faster than UV lamps.
LED nail lamps are said to be safer than UV lamps. This is because the faster curing time means less exposure to UV rays and radiation that can harm the skin. LED nail lamps also tend to last longer because UV nail lamps have bulbs that need replacing.
The cons of LED nail lamps are that they are more expensive and that they do not work for all types of gel nail polish.
Sources:
How To Make Your Nails Dry Faster
How To Dry Nails Fast When You’re In A Crunch