Gel Nail Tip Lifting: Causes, Prevention & Solutions

Question
After over 20 years of acrylic nails, I've recently switched to gels.  I love the look -- we do them naturally.  However, I'm having a major problem with lifting at the tip along the edge.  The natural nail underneath is separating from the gel on top.  I rarely have lifting around the cuticle or the sides.  I've been with my manicurist for almost 20 years (obviously I think she's wonderful) and she just recently switched to the gels.  In fact, I was her first switch-over from acrylics to gels. Any suggestions?  Thanks so much!  Elizabeth

Answer
Dear Elizabeth,

Yes, gels are perfectly lovely!   

With uv gels, and sometimes acrylics; if the nail is not properly "capped", separation can occur at the free edge between the product and the natural nail of a Natural Nail Overlay.

This occurs because when natural nails are exposed to water, they expand as they absorb it.  When they dry out, they contract back to their size.  Repetitive expansions and contractions will weaken the adhesion of the product (no matter what the system is) to the natural nail, and cause separation to occur at the free edge.

To avoid this:
- the technician needs to be sure to 'wrap' or 'cap' the free edge with product. Similar to how a fitted bed sheet wraps around the corners of a boxspring mattress.  She needs to sweep a bit of gel along the edge of the nail, from side to side and NOT file it all away when finish filing before glossing.A bit needs to be left there.
- The client needs to wear gloves for household chores such as washing dishes and other similar 'wet' duties.

While gels themselves are not porous as acrylics are or wraps, the natural nails themselves ARE.  And therein lies the problem with Natural Overlays.

Another option, if the usual method of capping does not suffice, she can use 'forms'.
Forms are used for sculpting extensions in place of tips.  They provide stronger enhancements that are better fitted to the client's own natural nail curvature, instead of tips forcing them into a curve that is not natural.

By placing a form under your free edge, your technician can then add a very minute bit of extension past your free edge with that gel that will cap/wrap it VERY well.  This also works with acrylics.  I use this method with my 'challenge' clients for whom lifting can be an issue due to their types of nails or their health or their lifestyle (frequent exposure to water, more so than the average person)
The extension needs only to be about a millimeter or so.  Just enough to say that it's there and doing it's job.

I hope I explained this well enough for you to share with your technician.

Best regards and feel free to contact me again
Victoria