Lift - when the product lifts from the nail

When working with nail products, it is not a question of whether you will experience lifting – it is more a question of when. Lifting can happen to everyone, and as a beginner, you will likely experience it more often.

Lifting occurs when the nail product separates from the nail plate – and there can be many reasons for this. The most common causes of lifting are:

• prep was not done effectively enough (especially around the cuticle)
• product was applied to the skin
• the free edge was not sealed
• having a nail type that struggles with adhesion (e.g., oily or thin nails)
• the product was not properly cured in the UV lamp
• hands are exposed to impacts, chemicals, water, etc., in daily life
• instructions were not followed during product application
• the nail structure or shape is not optimal (e.g., missing strength points)
• having a nail injury or nail disease

The list above is not exhaustive but gives an idea that there can be many reasons for premature lifting of a nail product.

Different types of lifting
Lifting can occur in various parts of the nail, and its location can actually reveal much about the underlying cause. If there aren’t any obvious causes (such as the product hitting the skin or similar), the following factors could be contributing.

1. Lifting at the cuticle
When a nail product lifts around the cuticle area, it is often because the cuticle or the invisible cuticle was not properly removed. Another reason could be that you didn’t clean well enough with Cleaner+ at the cuticle, didn’t apply the Hard Base Coat far enough up, or the Top Coat doesn’t completely cover the color at the cuticle.

A few good tips to prevent this: use a Micro Wipe Stick dipped in Cleaner+ along the edges of the nail and at the cuticle to remove all filing dust and debris before applying the Hard Base Coat.
Apply your Hard Base Coat (and other products) with a Nail Art Brush to carefully push the product closer to your cuticle, still avoiding the skin.

2. Lifting at the sides of the nail
When a nail product lifts at the sides of the nail, it is often because the form and strength points were not properly built during reinforcement or extension. This can lead to the product lifting or breaking at weak points. (You can see how we recommend building your nails in our learning universe, or check out the blog post on Building the Artificial Nail.)

If you are using Gel Polish without reinforcement or extension, it could be that you have very thin nails, meaning Gel Polish alone is not strong enough. Consider using a reinforcement product, such as Rubber Base, Builder Gel, or Polygel. It could also result from insufficient prep before applying the product.

3. Lifting at the nail tip
When a nail product lifts at the tip of the nail, it almost always happens because the free edge wasn’t sealed properly, or the seal was removed during filing. Daily activities, such as typing on a computer, can also wear away the seal.

4. Lifting in the middle of the nail (pocket lift)
When a nail product lifts in the middle of the nail, it is often because the nail structure was incorrect. Incorrect structure leads to uneven stress on the nail and product, causing lifting in the middle. It can also be due to waiting too long for a refill, causing the nail’s shape to fall out of balance. Finally, it may be because the prep wasn’t done effectively before product application.

What to do when lifting occurs?
When lifting happens, it’s important to remove the lifted product as soon as possible. The reason is that a small gap can form between the nail and the product, which creates optimal conditions for bacterial growth – including greenie. Additionally, lifting creates an imbalance in the nail’s strength points, which can damage the nail.
Lifting can be removed either by removing the entire product from the affected nail or by doing a refill.