Why Are Your Gel Nails Lifting? Causes & Solutions

Question
Hi.  I have been doing my own gel nails now for a couple of years, but recently I have been experiencing lifting, of up to half the nail in some cases.  I have had a surf around the web and I keep hearing I should be using a primer, which I have never heard of before and the very experience beauty therapist who used to do my nails never used.  Should I be using one?  I have had to change supplier recently and have been using a different gel; could that also be the reason?  I do take time and care when doing my nails (up to 2.5 hours sometimes!), so I am not being slack.  The other thing I was wondering is if I am going too near the edge of the nail with the gel?  Would appreciate any help you can give me.  Sarah  :-)

Answer
It's possible that the new gel system you've switched to does require a primer, so go ahead and use the one that is made for that system and see if that stops the lifting.

Is your lifting coming from the cuticle area, or the free edge?  If your product is touching skin at the cuticle and/or sidewalls, that will guarantee lifting.  If the lifting is from the free edge, you want to encase the edge with the gel (you can use a form to extend the gel slightly over the natural free edge.).

Another thing to consider is if you have changed jobs, or are doing heavier work with your hands, or if you've started a new medication/changed medications recently.  These things can all cause lifting.  So can wearing your enhancements too long.  

So, try your new gel system's primer first (it's important to not break up your system, since all the products are chemically designed to work together), and then go from there. :)

I hope this helps!  Feel free to follow up if you have more questions!