Isn’t it annoying when you complete a lovely gel manicure only to have the polish start to flake off hours later? Read on if you’re wondering why your gel nail paint is chipping. The 11 frequent causes of gel nail paint peeling will be discussed, along with quick fixes for each issue. Sounds fantastic. Why won’t my gel nail paint stay on? Let’s get started and find out. The swift reaction to “Why won’t my gel nail polish stay on?” is as follows:
The most commonly cited reason for gel paint peeling is excessive moisture or oil on your nails. Gel nail polish can peel if the cuticles and nails aren’t adequately prepared or if the polish is applied too thickly. You may have skipped the base coat or topcoat or needed to cap the loose edges correctly. To ensure a long-lasting gel manicure, properly prep your nails before application and use the correct amount of gel polish, capping the free edges for a strong seal. Use a basecoat and topcoat to protect the polish and help it last longer. Alright. Let’s go through each of the 11 issues with gel polish in depth and how to remedy them now that you better understand what may be wrong. Why does my gel nail polish keep coming off?
Your Cuticles Needed to be Prepped Better.
Failure to correctly press the cuticle back might be the primary cause of your nail paint peeling. Your cuticles were not sufficiently prepared before application if your gel polish is peeling and lifting close to the cuticle area. Making a mistake like this is simple. Knowing when the cuticle layers have been appropriately pulled back can be challenging. The nearly undetectable cuticle skin layers that might remain on the nail plate are very water-absorbent. This implies that any cuticle residue under the nail polish will absorb water and expand, lifting or peeling the polish. The next time you prepare your nails, try paying closer attention to this process and see whether that makes a difference.
How To Fix This Problem
The cuticle has to have numerous layers removed. Be sure to remove your cuticles altogether before painting your nails to prevent cuticle peeling. To adequately prepare, start by pressing back the cuticles with a metal cuticle pusher or an orangewood stick. You are supposed to remove all the dead skin and get around the edges to get all of it. Use a cuticle softener to make removal simpler if your cuticles are rigid. With a cuticle-nipping tool, you should remove any extra cuticles. The next step is to wipe off the area around the nail plate so that if any dead skin is left, it is removed. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to eliminate any oils from your skin. If these steps are followed carefully, you can easily apply the nail polish to your nails without any issues.
You Forgot to File the Uncut Edges.
Your failure to file the free edge might be the second because of your nails peeling. This makes sense if you want to develop and maintain the longest possible nails. But if you don’t file the free edge, don’t count on your gel polish to last very long! This is because oils can collect on the free edge of the nail. Thus you must file and clean the edges before applying your gel manicure. If you don’t do this, moisture and oil may enter the space beneath the nails, which may cause peeling.
What is the Remedy?
Before applying the gel base coat, gently file the free edges (even if you are growing your nails) and clear the area of any nail dust. Do the same for the top coat when you’re through with the base coat. Your gel nails will stay nice and peel-free if you do this.
You Needed to Prepare the Nail Plates Adequately.
I am aware that many individuals are inclined to omit this step. To conserve the health of their natural nails or to save time. Yet, chipping frequently results from improper filing or, at the very least, polishing off your nail plates.
How to Address This Issue
Abrasive surfaces are necessary for the adhesion of base coats and gel polish. To produce an abrasive surface, you should lightly file your nail plates with a 180 medium grit file.
Your Nails Have too Much Moisture.
One of the most frequent reasons for chipping is this. Gel nail paint could chip if your nails have too much moisture. You could try a Nail Prep Dehydrate and Xtra Bond Primer like this one (click to check the price on Amazon) Applying gel nail paint to your natural nails must be pretty dry and ensure it remains on correctly. Your nails can absorb water like a sponge, which helps them to grow longer. You are probably painting your nails while they are still extended if you paint them too soon after taking a bath or shower, swimming, or otherwise submerging your nails in water. Your nails expand as you paint them, then contract as they dry and return to their former size. Your gel polish may be sliding or peeling off due to this shrinking.
What’s the Solution?
Avoid applying gel polish right after taking a bath or shower. Inspect your nails to make sure they are dried. You could accomplish this using a hairdryer, but if you do, let your nails completely cool down before starting your manicure because heat can also cause your nails to stretch. Applying acetone to your nails after wiping them off with rubbing alcohol is another approach to help them dry up. This should help. After your nails are thoroughly prepared for your gel paint, apply a nail prep dehydrator and a primer, such as the one I recommended previously. Now let’s look at another essential response to the question, “Why won’t my gel nail polish stay on?”
Your Nails are Very Greasy.
You may have too much oil in your nails, so your gel paint may be chipping off. Getting gel nail paint to adhere may be challenging if your nails are naturally quite greasy. But don’t panic. There are a few easy solutions to this problem and help your gel nail paint adhere.
An Easy Fix For Oily Nails( one of the most common problems)
It’s crucial to prepare before putting gel nail paint. It would help to clean your nails with either rubbing alcohol or a nail prep wipe solution before starting a gel manicure. Any greasy buildup on the surface of your nails will be eliminated by doing this. After wiping your fingers with rubbing alcohol, you should avoid touching your nails. This is because oils from your fingertips will migrate to your nail. You can purchase a nail dehydrator gadget if rubbing alcohol doesn’t work for you. Nail dehydrators are applied similarly to nail polish and come in a little container like one used for applying nail lacquer. Furthermore, gel nail primers are available and should aid in preventing chipping. You may either prepare your entire nail or just the tips where the chips are before applying your gel base coat. It will be simpler to remove the priming if you only apply it to the tips. If you have greasy nail plates, applying a nail dehydrator and primer before your base coat may be helpful. As UV light is used to cure gel nails, many individuals use sunscreen before doing so. Although most lights cure your nails in a matter of seconds, you don’t need to do this and aren’t even putting your hands under the lamp long enough to risk injury. If you use anything other than rubbing alcohol or a specific nail prep solution on your hands or nails, there may be conditioners in that product that add moisture or oil to your nails. Thus, make sure that you don’t use any cuticle oil, hand lotion, or sunscreen before painting your nails if you are having trouble with your nail polish staying on because your nails are greasy. The ideal time to apply hand cream or cuticle oil is immediately following the completion of your manicure.
The Gunk Around the Side Walls
There’s gunk around the sidewalls. Really? Yes really. You’d be surprised at how much gunk can hide in that tiny space between your nails and your skin. This gunk can get underneath the polish and cause premature chipping at the sides of the nail.
How to Solve this Problem
During prep, pull the skin at the sidewalls back and get right in the groove with your cuticle pusher. If you have an orangewood stick with a pointy end, that’s ideal for this job. But be careful not to poke too hard. You don’t want to hurt yourself!
Your Gel Polish didn’t Cure Properly
There are several causes why gel polish doesn’t heal properly. Replacing your light (or the bulbs) may be necessary, or your polish and lamp may not be compatible. It’s also possible you didn’t give it enough time to heal. With certain lights, gel polish needs a full two minutes to cure. Although uncured polish feels harsh, it is still soft below. It soon starts to peel off as a result of this.
How to Fix The Problem
Always use polish and light from the same brand. The light from the same manufacturer has been specifically created to precisely cure that specific polish, even though gel polish recipes vary widely. If your lamp is outdated, consider changing it to see if the results are better. Always carefully follow the lamp’s and polish’s recommendations, and consider applying numerous skinny coats to prevent the following issue.
The Coats of Gel Polish Were Too Thick.
You may have applied the coatings too thickly, another reason your gel nails may be peeling. This holds for both the color and the base and top coats. The topmost layer of gel nail polish absorbs all the light during curing. As a result, if the coat is excessively thick, the underlying layers will continue to be soft, which can also cause peeling.
Solution to Problem
Practice makes perfect when it comes to applying thin layers of gel polish. Before you start, try cleaning as much finish off your brush as possible. The gel polish stays wet, so you can always add a bit more till you achieve the correct thickness, so don’t worry about applying it too thinly. Also, only use one light coat at a time, letting the previous coat dry before applying the subsequent layer. Last, be careful to cure each coat for the prescribed period. These methods should help you get a solid, durable manicure.
You Skipped Base and Topcoat
The sluggish users of nail polish should read this article! Colored gel polishes are made to adhere to the gel base coat, while gel base coats are specially made to attach to your natural nails. You could have trouble keeping your shine on for very long if you omit this crucial initial step.
What is the Remedy?
This problem has an easy fix. Just apply a base coat! I always used a gel base coat and would advise you to do the same. You must use a gel base coat if you want your nails to endure and stay on longer. Also, it aids in the improved adhesion and extended durability of colored gel paint on your nails. Adding a topcoat to the finish is also crucial. This gives your nail polish a lovely shiny sheen and prevents peeling. Therefore, the base coat and topcoat are crucial in achieving long-lasting, attractive nails, so keep them in mind the next time you manicure your nails.
Absence of A Cap on the Free Edges.
Are the bulk of your chipping occurring near the tips of your nails? So, it’s possible that you neglected to cap the loose edges.
What is the Remedy?
Do you know what capping is? You can use this easy method to reduce the number of chips when painting your nails. All you have to do to “cap” your nails is paint them with the nail polish brush before curing. Perfecting the capping method with gel nail paint might be a little challenging, but the work is absolutely worthwhile. The initial tips you receive may be jagged or irregular. If this occurs, you must file them down briefly before sealing the nail with a top coat, as usual. After perfecting the capping method, your nails will last much longer.
Exposure of Nails to Harsh Conditions
High temperatures and domestic pollutants can negatively impact gel nail polish. The effects of this kind of exposure include peeling, chipping, and lifting. Gel nail paint can develop structural issues when exposed to high heat from cooking or extreme cold from sticking your hands in the freezer. It will therefore be more susceptible to cracking. Chemicals can impact the color and the consistency of gel nail polish too.
How to Address This Issue
Wearing gloves while using cleaning products, washing dishes, or taking things out of the oven will protect your nails from chemicals and heat. Use a moisturizer at least once daily to reduce the risk of cracks in your gel manicure. Using cuticle oil can also assist in hydrating your skin and nails. Next, use a high-quality top coat to seal and guard the nail against harm.
Gel Polish Chipping at the Free Edge.
There are two key issues to watch out for if your gel polish is peeling at the nail’s free edge. Your weak and dry nails are the most likely cause. Because they lack moisture and flexibility, dry, weak nails are more likely to chip. It may be necessary to pause if your nails are fragile and frequently crack. The polish on the tips may need to be thicker, which would be your second potential problem. You can learn the capping approach described above to resolve this issue.
Peeling Acrylic Nails After Two Days
Your gel nails need to last a lot longer than two days! This typically occurs when the gel polish is too thick, or the nails are subjected to harsh chemicals or heat. If entire sheets of polish are peeling off, I advise beginning over and using the preparation above and application techniques. If you frequently have minor chipping, there may be a problem with your nails.
The following is a summary of the most typical causes of gel polish chipping too soon:
- Your nails weren’t properly filed.
- You failed to apply the primer
- The uncapped free edges
- You subjected your nails to unpleasant circumstances
- Your nails contain an excessive amount of oil or moisture.
- The polish didn’t properly cure
Why Does the Gel From My Nails Peel Off After Seven Days?
It’s less probable that improper preparation caused the issue if your gel nails last a whole week before beginning to peel. Either dampness, exposure to harsh chemicals, or extreme temperatures are likely to blame. A problem with healing is another possibility. This occasionally occurs when the sticky inhibition layer is removed with an alcohol wipe between gel polish applications. Between polish applications, you shouldn’t be removing the sticky layer. When your topcoat has thoroughly dried, you must only brush off the sticky inhibiting layer.
Concluding Comments:
Many people believe that gel nail polish shouldn’t peel at all. It is true that when done correctly, gel nail polish chips significantly less than regular nail polish. It can and does occasionally chip, even if you follow the appropriate procedures. It might be easy to believe that nothing will chip them because gel nail paint is challenging when it dries. You must be cautious with your gel nails to prevent chipping. Be aware that your nails are not tools, so avoid using them as such! Try choosing a very light color if you are concerned about your gel nails peeling. Using a light hue can significantly reduce any chipping. Remember to take proper care of your nails, use a light color if chipping is a concern, and refrain from using your nails as tools. With all of this in mind, you ought to be able to enjoy your lovely nails for a more extended period.
FAQ’s
If your gel nails appear dull, something likely went wrong during the curing phase. Gel nails might lose their gloss or change color if not adequately dried. Gel nail shine loss is typically caused by over curing.
Consider drying your gel nails for less time. Try several things to see what works. Use a different lamp, perhaps. Your nail might be sensitive and shows a reaction when specific lighting and polishes are used together.