Mistakes Causing Gel Nail Lifting At The Free Edge

Gel nail lifting is a very common issue with gel nails.

Now over time as you get better, your application will improve to a point where the nails no longer lift.

But even the most experienced of gel nail pros will experience lifting here and there. As my fellow YouTuber Katie Dutra said, we are not robots, lifting happens.

And while lifting can happen in different areas of the nail, i.e. the sidewalls, the center, the cuticle area, once you master your cuticle prep with efile technique the most prominent area you will experience lifting in is the free edge.

And things can get really frustrating when that happens and especially when you can’t figure it out.

So in today’s video I’m here to help you with that by identifying three of the top mistakes that you may be making, that are causing your gel nails to lift at the free edge.

Mistake #1 Damaging the nails to the point where they are too thin

A damaged nail wil always give you trouble with adhesion. So if you decide to put gel on those nails you are just going to have to baby them and not abuse them, which is what you would do anyways when you’re wearing gel nails, but even more now.

The biggest thing you can do here if you’re working with nails that are too thin because of damage (or even if you naturally have paper flimsy nails) is to not obsess about fully removing all gel from the nail plate each time you do a new set. Leaving a bit of gel behind will thicken “your” nails, and reduce the gel splitting away from the natural nail. And then just make sure to not structure too much, when there is product left behind on the nail, as things may start to get a bit bulky.

Mistake #2 Gel shrinking

All gel shrinks even a tiny bit as it comes together to harden, and some may unfortunately shrink more than others. The slightest of shrinkage MAY be what’s causing your gels to peel at the free edge. So to off-set “scrub” a little bit of gel on your free-edges and cure. Then apply your gel base as you would.

Mistake #3 Improper cure

If you’re noticing lifting often or on a lot of nails, this is an indication of improper cure. As always the best thing to do is to use the curing unit calibrated with your nail system. If you’re using too many brands, well that may also be the issue. I would love for you, for the simplicity of troubleshooting to use a max of up to two brands, especially as a newbie.

One thing that I want you to trust is that if you’re buying from reputable long-standing nail brands, they’ve done all the research and development for you already. You don’t have to sit through all the YouTube videos, the tik toks, the reels to try to piece the products that work best together for yourself. Trusted brands have already spent hours doing that for you all you have to do is take their training whether free or paid and practice, practice, practice. Good practice makes better.

If you’ve been watching this channel long enough, you know that I enjoy working with brands that manufacture their own gel from scratch for the ultimate piece of mind.

And I created the Master Gel Nails course to help you apply monthly wearing gel nails using premium soft gels. I’m hosting a free LIVE class this week to intro you to the importance of getting selective on what products and services you offer, especially if you want to go pro.

You can find all the details to this free class HERE, and if you miss it LIVE, there will be a replay, so it doesn’t matter when you’re watching this video,: you can access the replay by signing up HERE.

Alright so another thing that I want to finish off with in regards to the mistake of improperly curing your gels and this leading to nail lifting is that hand position matters in the curing unit.

When the hand is inside curing, remember these instructions: palm flat, fingers slightly spread. 

You or your client may have a “relaxed” hand in the curing unit, with fingers tipping downward that are not being optimally exposed to the curing light and this may be the cause of your gel nail lifting at the free edge.

Hope today’s video guides you in the right direction, and I’ll see you next week.

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Content written by Paola Ponce 

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