Top with or without a sticky layer: how to choose?

Galina Tischenko

KODI PROFESSIONAL International Instructor Trainer

Nail designers use topcoats of various brands, but the main difference between them is the absence or presence of a sticky layer. Which variant is preferable? How to use coatings with and without a dispersion layer?

The dispersion layer is a thin sticky film that appears on the nail surface after polymerization in the lamp. The main mission of this layer is to provide a strong adhesion between the layers of coating. In a top coat that does not involve the application of a subsequent layer, it is carefully removed, giving your nails a beautiful glow.

Advantages of using topcoat:

• protection of the color coating from damage and scratches;
• gel-lacquer under the top coat retains its brightness, does not yellow or darken;
• durability of the coating.

Thanks to the topcoat, you can wear the coating for up to two weeks.

Top with sticky layer

A top coat with a sticky layer is more flexible. If your nails are thin, this top coat will protect them from brittleness, giving them proper elasticity. It will also protect and decorative coating, not letting it crack at the slightest contact of the nail with a hard surface.

If the top is applied to the nail, not on the colored gel-lacquer, the surface of the nail must be degreased. The consistency of such a coating is liquid. It is easily and evenly applied without spreading. The curing time is up to three minutes. Top with a sticky layer is suitable for creating a complex design with different decorations, for example, painting or transfer foil.

This finish better fixes the details of the design and after drying, as well as a few days of wear on the nails will not appear small cracks. The coating is glossy and matte, as well as pearlescent and shiny (with small glitter). Finish gel with a sticky layer produce many manufacturers of materials for nail design. One of them is Kodi Professional.

Features of Kodi Professional topcoat

Kodi Professional top with a sticky layer is available in a bottle with a convenient brush, which facilitates the process of its application on the nails. It has a dense texture, so it does not drip off the brush and does not spread during work. This allows you to apply it on the nail evenly and neatly. Due to its texture, the product is long consumed. To ensure that the product in the bottle does not dry out, it is recommended to close it carefully. For the convenience of masters of nail design, it is sold in different volumes: 8, 12, 14 and 35 ml.

Topcoat without adhesive layer

This type of finish has a more fluid texture. It is easy to apply and dries in 2-3 minutes. After polymerization it forms a durable hard coating. Before applying to the nail plate does not require degreasing its surface.

This finish coating is ideal for owners of strong nails. Girls with brittle, thin nails it will not suit. It is convenient to use the finish without a sticky layer to create designs with small details. It is also perfect for designs with the use of powder for mirror rubbing, for the use of rhinestones and other voluminous decorations.

How to apply topcoat with and without adhesive layer

Put a little bit of finishing product on the brush:

Dot the brush on the nail, approximately in the middle but slightly closer to the cuticle. Gently spread the product from the middle to the free edge of the nail, and then from the right and left side.

Dry the coating in an ultraviolet lamp. Make sure the coating has dried well. Wait another 2-3 minutes after drying in the lamp.

For a top with a sticky layer, you will need a clincer - a special product to degrease the nails and gently remove the sticky layer from the finish. Apply some clincer to a lint-free cloth and gently wipe your nails. If the finish has dried well, your nails will take on a glossy shine.

The tops without a sticky layer acquire a glossy shine immediately after drying in the lamp. This coating can be glossy and matte, pearlescent and shiny.

Difference between a top with and without a sticky layer

The main difference is the presence of a dispersion layer, which is responsible for the plasticity of the coating. On the one hand, it is convenient to use a product that does not have this layer. It saves time and money, there is no need to use a cleaner. On the other hand, a coating without a dispersion layer is not as plastic, which means that there are limitations to its use:

• thin brittle nails;
• complex, multi-layered design on the nails;
• the presence of small voluminous details in the design.

It is simply not possible to remove the dispersion coat without making mistakes, so that no muddy spot is left somewhere. A professional master should have both types of finishing coat, which he uses in accordance with the tasks that need to be solved. For example, for nail art on brittle natural nails, he will prefer a top with a sticky layer. For the design on long nails with mirror rubbing, the master will take a top without dispersion.

Which top to choose?

When choosing a top coat to use at home, focus on the type of your natural nails as well as your nail design preferences. If you like short nails with a monochromatic finish, a disperse topcoat is perfect for you.

A novice master is better to try their hand working with a coating without dispersion. At first design and so will take a lot of time, and the use of a top without a sticky layer will help speed up the process and reduce costs.

Filled nails are durable, so you can safely use a dispersion-free finish to speed up the procedure of their modeling and design. As for the choice of the brand of top, you should proceed from the base coat and colored gel varnishes you use. Ideally, they should be the same brand to get a strong and durable coating. The consistency of materials from different manufacturers may vary, so the coating will spread or quickly break off.

Conclusion

There is no single opinion about which type of top coat is better: with or without a dispersion layer. Masters of nail art equally use both, and another coating, each time getting a flawless result. When choosing a top, pay attention to its texture, the volume of the bottle (depends on how often you use it), belonging to the brand of professional means, so as not to spoil the design at the very last step.