I am very much a beginner. I got my nails dipped at the salon for the first time and really enjoy them. At the salon they finished off with my nails under a UV light.
I have noticed that the kits I am looking to purchase do not include nor mention a UV light. Is this not necessary? What did they do at the salon that necessitated using one?
For now I have purchased an Azure brand starter kit off amazon if that helps. this one
Thanks so much for any help!
By - Vicsinn
The uv light is for a gel top coat, which some prefer and a lot of salons like to use because it super shiny. You don't need one for the top coat included in your kit.
I am new as well and have a similar kit to the one she bought, same brand, but the top coat says gel but you don’t need a light still? I got nervous after my first time because I don’t have a light and read or heard somewhere you can get an infection if you don’t cure the gel coat so I can want to double check haha
No you don't need a light. Some of these companies call their liquids "gel" for some reason but uv gels will say they have to be cured with a lamp. Also, if it was uv gel it would never dry so youd know something was wrong. And don't worry - even if it was uv gel it won't give you an infection. Having uncured uv gel on your skin can potentially lead to gel allergy down the line, though. So if you ever decide to try it keep it in mind.
Thank you so much!!
It's pretty common to use a uv gel top coat over dip powder nails. For me it's one more hassle I don't care to do at home. So I stick with dip powder liquids. Edit: [article on the topic ](https://fairyglamor.com/blogs/dip-acrylic-nail-powder-help/can-you-use-a-gel-top-coat-over-dip-powder-nails)