Why Is Your Gel Tacky After Curing? + How To Properly Cure Dark Gel!

I was going to do a q&a for today’s post but I got a few of the same questions asking about curing dark colored gel or having issues with this type of gel so I wanted to dedicate today to this topic since it’s the season of dark nails after all! I’m also going to touch on the tacky inhibition layer of gel that I also get so many questions about because these go hand in hand!

The problem with dark colored gel:

• (and this can also go for any really opaque gels too, like white or powdery pinks!), is that there is a LOT of pigment in it to make it opaque and saturated, and the waves of light might have trouble getting all of the way through that to cure it all the way.

You’ll know if your gel is uncured if:

• It wrinkles or crinkles or shrivels up

• You can press on your nail surface and easily leave a dent

• When you remove your gel, the layers underneath are gooey or still seem wet to the touch

Here are some of my tips for using dark colored gels:

• Thin layers only!!!

  • Wipe off most of the paint on the brush and just use a little bit for your first layer to do a thin, even coat. You can always add more if you need to, but you want to make your layers thin thin thin!

    • This is one reason why I love using pure gel because the colors are very pigmented even when you do thin coats! This helps you safely cure the colors, but you also are left with a thinner, less bulky application of polish too!

• Make sure you’re using a strong lamp!

  • If you are having curing issues, test another similar color to see if it’s a repeated issue with the lamp. Lamps don’t last forever so if you have under cured gel and it just wont cure, an upgrade should help! 

  • Make sure that you’re properly holding your hand in the lamp too. You want to leave a nice space between all of your fingers and keep them relaxed and not stiff or flexed

  • I highly recommend investing in a quality lamp. I love the lamps from kokoist and they work perfectly with the polishes I love using too! They have the Le Blanc which is cordless and the Infinity which is corded and slightly less. These lamps are amazing quality and will last much longer than one from amazon. I do have a similar lamp recommended from amazon which works great with these polishes too, however, just to caveat, it won’t last as long and might need to be replaced more often.

• If your lamp is curing other colors just fine, maybe there’s an issue with the specific gel that you’re using! As we know, not all gels are created equally and some formulas just don’t work with certain lamps as frustrating as it is :(

• If you wipe the inhibition layer and notice that there is some color coming off, your nails might be cured correctly still! Let’s talk more about this layer…

Why Your Gel Is Tacky Even After Curing:

Most gel formulas won’t cure 100% when they are exposed to oxygen, the tacky/sticky layer that you might notice after you cure your gel is a very small percent of uncured gel leftover on your nail. If your gel is not labeled “non wipe”, you will have this tacky layer!

I typically don’t wipe off the tacky layer unless I’m doing some sort of filing or nail art or if you accidentally touch something or get fuzz on it, then you definitely want to clean it off before proceeding.

You also might want to wipe it off if your gels are not working well together (such as shrinking). This can happen when you use different brands or hybrid and pure gel together. BUT for the most part, I never wipe it off.

Ok a few things to note:

• This is *uncured gel* so we don’t want to touch it with our bare hands (to prevent allergies and sensitivities)

• This is *uncured gel*, so lets say you’re using black color gel, you have a small amount of uncured black color gel on your nails, and if you wipe it off, you will be wiping off uncured black gel, but the layers underneath should be properly cured if you did all of the things I listed above. You see how these are related?

• The tacky layer WILL fully cure when you apply your next layer because you’re covering it, removing it from oxygen exposure, and you’re applying your gel properly, and using a strong lamp that is curing your next layer and therefore curing the inhibition layer underneath with it!

• You will then apply your next color layer (if you are), and have another inhibition layer. Then let’s say you apply your non-wipe top coat. This will cure and also cure your 2nd inhibition layer. But since this is non-wipe, it cures fully so there is no tacky layer leftover.

• I’ve heard this process explained as a sandwich which really helped me understand it. Basically each layer helps the previous layer fully cure, and your top coat will complete the sandwich.

• Ok so long story short & bringing this full circle, if you are using thin layers + a strong lamp, your gel should be cured! Of course be sure to look out for any of those uncured gel signs from earlier, but the inhibition layer is *not* a sign of an issue with uncured gel!

My favorite dark gels for fall!

Movie Night - a deep cherry red with a slightly sheer consistency

Thai Tea - If pumpkin spice were a color, it would be this one!!!

Dulce de Leche - Mustard yellow but wearable and so cool.

Coffee Run - I’m extremely picky about what color I like my coffee, and this color is pretty close. Creamy, warm slightly rosy brown!

Midnight Peace - Deep moody purple that *almost* looks black!

Boba Date - A classic opaque black!

Mood Ring - A jelly bright navy!