how to fix lifted gel nails?

To fix gel nails that have lifted, you need to trim off the areas that have lifted, buff down the nail so it’s an even surface, and then repaint the nail, applying a top coat once dry. Although that seems straightforward, there are specific techniques you need to use to make sure you do it correctly. 

Firstly you need to start by using a cuticle clipper, 

cutting off the pat of the nail that has lifted. Doing this will allow you to recover the rest of the nail as that still adheres to your natural nail, and it’ll also help give your gel nail a more even finish. Be gentle with it and only trim off the part that has lifted to protect the nail from any damage and cause more polish to lift.

Once you have cut off the lifted nail, buff the nail where the gel polish and your natural nail meet, so the nail bed is a smooth, even surface, you may have half gel nail and half natural nail, and that is fine; the aim is to fix and recover the gel nail, so you will need to remove part of the nail to fix it. 

Buff the nail until you can run your finger over the nail and you have a smooth flat surface. 

If you don’t buff the nail down enough, you may be left with a bumpy, obvious nail when you paint over it.

It would be best to use a file with a girt of 220 – 280 as you don’t want to scratch the polish, but this will help even out the surface and create the desired look.

Once your nail is filed down, paint the nail with a base coat. Even though a base coat was applied with the first layer of gel polish, applying it again will help the new layer adhere better, and it will also cover the areas where your nail is bare.

Whether your gel base coat needs to be cured with an LED or UV light, make sure to cure it for the correct amount of time before repainting the nail. If you don’t cure it for enough time, it can ruin your manicure and make it harder to remove.

When your nail is ready, repaint the nail with the closest matching nail polish. 

If you got your nails done at a nail salon, you might not have the correct polish to match your existing manicure, so try to get the closest matching gel polish you can find. 

A great tip for getting a matching nail polish would be to go for a darker option. If you don’t find a close match, try going for a darker shade of the colour over a lighter shade, as a lighter shade would make the difference more obvious, whereas a darker shade will have more of a shadow effect.

If you don’t have gel polish, you can use regular nail polish; it’ll work in the same way. The only difference with regular nail polish is that it doesn’t need to be cured; leave it to dry. 

Finally, once you have repainted the nail and it has completely dried, apply a topcoat.

This is a vital stage as it seals the gel polish. This will help your manicure last longer and will keep your nails looking smart until you get them redone.