You finish a manicure, everything looks perfect — and a week later your client messages that a corner lifted. Or the gel polish came off in one piece. Sound familiar? Lifting is one of the most common complaints among nail techs, and the causes vary. The good news: most of them are easy to fix once you know where to look. Here are 7 common reasons gel polish peels off — and what to do about each one
1. Improper Nail Prep This is the number one reason. If there's oil, moisture, or filing dust left on the nail — any material will lift, even the best one.
What to do: wipe the nail with a lint-free pad and dehydrator before applying base. Don't touch the nail plate after prep — not even with clean hands.
2. Base Applied Too Thick, or No Bonding Layer Underneath A thick layer of base doesn't cure fully — uncured material stays inside and eventually lifts along with the gel polish.
What to do: always apply a thin layer of clear base before the camouflage base — it bonds to the nail plate. Only then apply the camouflage. If you're looking for a medium-consistency base that works for most nail types, try Base Strong by LOYA — it holds well and doesn't require any tricks with layering.
3. Old Lamp or Burned-Out LEDs Under-curing is a silent cause of lifting. Everything looks fine on the surface, but the material inside hasn't fully hardened.
What to do: check that all the LEDs in your lamp are working. If the lamp is old and some diodes have burned out, the material won't cure properly even with the correct timing. Better to replace it. Choose reliable lamps with at least 36W power.
4. Wrong Base for the Nail Type Sometimes you work the same way with all clients, but one always has lifting at the edges. If the nails are too flexible and you're using a soft base — edge lifting is inevitable.
What to do: for thin and flexible nails, use a base designed for that nail type and reinforce the edges with gel. For long nails, consider using Super Base — its consistency is similar to a gel system and holds length well.
5. Skipped or Wrong Primer On oily or moist nails, primer is a must. Without it, even a good base won't hold.
What to do: for oily and moist nails — use an acid primer, it gives the best adhesion in these cases. For normal nails, a regular acid-free primer is enough.
6. Remover Residue on the Nail Plate If you removed the previous coating with remover, alkaline substances left on the nail can cause the new coating to lift. It's not obvious, but it's real.
What to do: after the manicure, ask your client to wash their hands with soap — this neutralizes the active residue and also removes filing dust. The coating goes on smoother and lasts longer. If there's no sink nearby, keep a spray bottle with soapy water at your station and use it before application.
7. Client Picks at Their Nails or Cleans Without Gloves Even a perfectly applied manicure won't survive if the client picks at their nails or constantly cleans without gloves.
What to do: explain to your client — don't touch the edges, wear gloves when cleaning. And choose a top coat with good resistance to mechanical and chemical impact.
How to Prevent Lifting Overall Most lifting comes down to prep, application technique, or the wrong product choice. Rarely the gel polish quality itself.
Check your prep routine, apply in thin layers, match the base to your client's nail type — and 80% of problems will disappear on their own.
Want to find a base that works for your style? Browse LOYA bases in the catalogue
