Gel X nails lifting after 10-12 days...What am I missing??
Hi! I’ve been doing Gel-X on myself for about 2 years now. I’ve done a lot of research and even spoken to a few nail techs about my lifting issues, but I’m still struggling.
My sets usually last around 10–12 days before I start getting lifting at the cuticle, and eventually some nails will pop off. It’s pretty discouraging because I spend a lot of time on them, and I’d really like to get to at least 3 weeks with no lifting.
The nail techs I spoke to suggested adding a thin layer of Gelish Soft Gel Tip Adhesive on my natural nail before going in with Aprés Extend Gel, and also curing longer in case my lamp wasn’t strong enough. So I’ve been doing 120 sec cures instead of 60.
Here’s my current routine:
- Cuticle softener → push back + remove cuticle
- Wash hands
- Buff natural nail (remove all shine)
- Dust off + alcohol wipe
- Dehydrator
- Young Nails Protein Bond
- Thin layer of Gelish Soft Gel Tip Adhesive → cure 90 sec (leave tacky)
Tips:
- Size + fully etch tips
- Small bead of Aprés Extend Gel in tip
- Place near cuticle and slowly roll down
- Flash cure while holding
- Full cure 120 sec
After:
- File to shape
- Light cuticle cleanup with e-file
- Buff surface
- Dust off + alcohol wipe
- Base coat → cure
- Color → cure
- Top coat → cure
Everything feels super solid at first, but the lifting always starts at the cuticle area after about 1–2 weeks (not the sides or free edge).
At this point I’m trying to figure out what I’m missing. Is it more likely a prep issue? Could it be my lamp not curing deeply enough? (Do I need to invest in an expensive one? I only use an Amazon one)
I would truly appreciate ANY insight -- feels like I'm so close but missing something small :)