Choosing a Quality Nail Dryer
Nail dryers fit every price range, from cute plastic cool air dryers, to portable manicure sets, to professional size warm air dryers.
You are sitting through yet another tedious nail-drying session. The phone rings, you run to pick it up, and oops! You’ve smudged your nail polish again. Wet nail polish is vulnerable to your every movement, yet it seems to take so long to dry. Can you afford the wait time? Are you looking for a faster, more convenient way to dry your nails? Why wait for slow drying, when you can purchase a nail dryer to fit your price range. There is a wide selection of nail dryers from less than $10 to professional models for $50 or $60. From small plastic dryers to large professional warm air or UV dryers, the choice depends on your manicure needs.
Make drying time fun with a monkey dryer. Cool air comes out of the plastic monkey while you rest your nails on a banana platform. This dryer is basic, inexpensive, battery operated and portable. The cost is $8, and the monkey dryer is a delightful birthday present for a teenager.
Middle range nail dryers are around $13 to $20 and contain added features for a complete manicure. Jolivete’s Three in One model has a nail bath, dryer and holder to rest your hands. The same company has a multi-feature cosmetic and manicure set equipped with a nail dryer, and allows you to make all of your beauty preparations in one place. The set comes with a buffer, sponges and massage heads. The dryer blows cool air onto the nails to complete your manicure. For $20, the Euro Pro manicure and drying system has a portable case and filing disks with rough grain and fine grain cones. The Revlon manicure set has similar features but includes a multi-speed drying system. These models are excellent for makeovers and weekly nail maintenance.
Professional models using air or UV rays are the choice for salon use and have many features. Unlike cheaper models, these have the option for hot air as well as cold, and have soft key pads for easy temperature adjustment. The clear airflow prevents smudges, and the edges are curved for maximum comfort. The three settings provide options for extra-fast drying. Unlike cheaper models, there is sufficient room for both hands or both feet to be dried simultaneously. A plastic window allows you to observe the drying process and indicator lights flash at the beginning and the end of each drying session. Although these models are often placed in a salon, they are light and portable for easy transport, and are durable for countless sessions.
In addition to air drying, UV rays also provide quick and easy drying, and these dryers, starting at $60, are slightly more expensive than the professional air dryers. The rays and air dryers take the same amount of time to complete the process, but many customers find the rays slightly more comfortable than hot or cold air. UV dryers come with replacement bulbs and AAA batteries. As with air dryers, they include other manicure supplies, such as buffers, and filing disks.
Written by Miriam Metzinger – 2002 Pagewise
