One of the best things about a gel base coat for nail polishes is that it has a long-lasting shine that doesn’t chip easily. When applying gel nail polish at home, you need to remove the sheen or gloss from your natural nails with a buffer before applying the base coat because it allows for better polish adhesion, which gives them a longer wear time. However, as you might have wondered, is gel base coat sticky? Let’s find out!
Is Base Coat Supposed to Be Sticky?
Yes, the gel base coat should be somehow sticky to adhere correctly. However, several factors affect the adhesiveness of gel base coats. If you wish for them to work as intended, you must know the dos and don’ts of using a gel base coat. This allows for the gels’ full cure time and gives you more durability for your manicure.
Does Gel Base Coat Stay Sticky?
Yes, gel base coats remain sticky after curing. This tacky layer is intentional, designed to help the next coat (usually the color coat) adhere better to the nail, ensuring a longer-lasting manicure.
Why Is My Base Coat Sticky After Curing?
There are a few reasons why your gel base coat may not be drying, including:
1. Oily nail surface
The surface is too oily. Applying the gel base coat directly to freshly cleaned nails may take longer for the oil from the nail plate to evaporate completely. It’s better to let your nails dry completely before applying a base coat.
2. Humidity and temperature
It will affect how quickly your gel base coat will dry if it’s too humid in the air or in your home. High humidity can cause gels and UV polishes not to cure correctly and leave residue on your nails that look like white spots after they chip off.
Some brands recommend using their products in temperatures under 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) or above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). Still, every brand has slightly different specifications, so check out each bottle if you want exact details on how long it takes for them all to cure fully.
3. UV lamp bulb not working at optimum capacity.
The gel may not be cured if your UV lamp is old and needs to be replaced. It also could be that the bulb on your lamp has lost some of its capacity, which causes its UV light output to decline over time. UV lamps start to fall in irradiance after about six months of use, so if you’re using them daily or weekly, it’s essential to change them regularly.
4. Applying the gel polish too thick
If you are applying too thick of a coat of gel polish, it can cause the polish to be sticky. When this happens, air does not get through to aid in curing, and UV rays do not get through either. This can cause the gel polish to take longer than usual or never cure properly. When applying your base coat, use thin layers and apply them with a thin brush or with a thin layer of gel polish.
5. Applying the top coat quickly
The top coat is a significant step in applying nail polish. If you don’t use it correctly, your nail polish will peel off more quickly than you want. For this reason, you don’t want to rush into applying a new layer over your gel base coat.
The best way to ensure that your nails are well-protected is to apply the shellac carefully and slowly, making sure not to let any bubbles form underneath the surface of your nail, which could cause peeling.
How Long Does It Take for Gel Base Coat to Dry?
Gel base coats need to cure for at least one minute. The amount of time you fix will depend on the brand and formula of your base coat, so be sure to read the instructions that come with it. If you’re using a UV lamp with a lower wattage, for instance, 15 watts, it may take longer for your gel base coat to dry entirely than if you’re using a 60-watt lamp.
What Happens If My Gel Base Coat Doesn’t Cure Properly?
A common problem with gel base coats is the curing process. This can lead to several complications in the process of finishing your nails. Below is a list of possible outcomes when your gel base coat doesn’t cure properly:
1. Bubbling or peeling of the gel
If you notice bubbles on your nails, it’s usually because the gel was not allowed to cure correctly. If it’s peeling off in sheets, it means that your nail polish wasn’t cured enough, or you didn’t let it dry long enough before applying another layer.
To avoid these problems in the future, go for a thinner layer of gel and give each coat plenty of time to dry before applying another one.
2. Loss of clarity
Several factors can cause loss of clarity. The most common reasons are the base coat not curing correctly or the top coat not curing properly.
If you’re using acrylic or gel polish, it’s also possible that your base coat is not meant to be used with gel polish. This can happen if you accidentally use an acetone-based product instead of non-acetone or vice versa.
3. Cloudy finish
If you have a cloudy finish, the first thing to determine is whether or not your gel base coat is supposed to be sticky. But if the directions say that it’s normal for the base coat to feel a bit tacky, then that may be what you’re experiencing.
If your nail polish bottle says “no tacky feeling” on it and yet when you apply it feels like super glue, then there are two things happening:
- You didn’t shake your base coat before applying;
- Your top coat is too thick (remember: 2 drops per nail).
Another possible culprit could be air bubbles trapped under their surface during application, preventing them from bonding well with each other due to a lack of contact points between layers.
4. Thicker than normal sticky dispersion layer
If your gel base coat is thicker than usual, it could mean you have applied too much of the product. If this is the case, use a nail art brush to remove the excess gel base coat from around the edges of your nails so that there is only enough product left on each nail to cover its surface.
Applying a gel base coat should be just thick enough to cover all of your nails while still being able to see your natural nail underneath it.
5. Dulling
When a gel base coat does not cure correctly, it will dull. This can happen if you don’t cure the product long enough or if you didn’t cure it under a UV lamp. It might be due to improper curing if your nails aren’t getting their typical shine back after using the gel base coat.
Conclusion
Gel polish can be tricky to work with on its own, so you must have all the right tools before starting your project. The most important thing is to ensure that your nails are healthy and well-prepared before applying any polish. For this, don’t forget that cuticle oil, nail buffing, and filing can help strengthen fragile nails too.
