It can be annoying when nail polish chips and peels, especially after paying a lot of money and time for a manicure. It can be helpful to prevent these problems in the future to understand why they arise.
A manicure might not last as long as you’d like for a variety of reasons. Every stage of the process has an impact, from improper application methods to external circumstances.
This post will examine 18 typical reasons for chips and peeling nails and offer workable fixes to prolong the appearance of your nails.
| Reason | Solution |
| Incorrect nail preparation | Ensure proper cleaning and buffing before application |
| Using low-quality products | Invest in high-quality nail polish and top coats |
| Skipping base coat | Always apply a base coat for better adhesion |
| Thick layers of polish | Apply thin, even coats to prevent chipping |
| Improper curing of gel polish | Use a proper UV/LED lamp for full curing |
| Exposing nails to water too soon | Allow enough drying time before water exposure |
- What to do if a chip or peeling of the material is detected
- 1. Incorrect application of the first base coat
- 2. Incorrectly selected base
- 3. The client"s occupation is not taken into account
- 4. Poorly executed manicure
- 5. Sawed nail plate
- 6. The client tore the gel polish off the nail themselves
- 7. Remnants of remover in the cuticle area
- 8. Insufficient preparation of the nail plate
- 9. Remnants of old peelings
- 10. Excessively "sealed" end with material getting under the free edge
- 11. Diseases
- 12. Smudges
- 13. Using a cheap cream or oily skin of the client
- 14. Painted ingrowth points
- 15. Mechanical shocks and loads
- 16. Over-worn coating
- 17. Incorrectly constructed architecture
- 18. Laminating nails, fungal diseases
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What to do if a chip or peeling of the material is detected
Peeling and chipping are not necessarily issues with the master’s work. Among the other things that need to be considered are the client’s internal pathologies, illnesses, and nail condition.
Let’s look at the most frequent reasons why materials chip and peel and how to address them in most situations.
Analyzing the cause should be done first. These may include issues with the lamp, coating, master’s technique, the client’s nails, working conditions, and instances in which the client’s hands and nails are subjected to elevated levels of physical strain or exposure to chemicals.
Pointers for identifying the root causes of coating durability issues include:
- On which fingers and how often do chips occur if the client is regular;
- How long after applying the coating does the problem appear;
- Perhaps the lamp is out of order or the lamp model is old and cannot cope with modern nail coatings. The recommended period for replacing UV lamps is every 12-18 months for medium and high customer traffic;
- Sometimes it is enough to simply replace bulbs or diodes whose resource has been exhausted;
- Insufficient lamp power for polymerization of the coating, it is necessary to either replace the device or set a higher intensity, correlating with the polymerization time;
Determine which areas and potential causes of chips and peeling each time a client visits you for the next procedure. This will help you choose the best materials and application method for a fresh coat.
It is worthwhile to ask a new client several questions during his manicure in addition to visually inspecting his hands and nails. They will enable you to rule out any issues with the artificial coating’s wearability right away. As an illustration:
- What were the problems with manicure and gel polish in wearing before?
- In which areas did chips and peeling appear?
- What type of client activity?
It is important to consider if he frequently comes into contact with water or dust, works with household or other chemicals, or both.
List of 18 potential reasons why manicurists may experience chips and peeling:
1. Incorrect application of the first base coat
We apply the base in two layers to level the nail plate. The first needs to be evenly distributed using brush strokes such as "trampling" or "hammering," making sure that the material adheres to the nail’s scales tightly and evenly around the entire plate’s perimeter.
It is preferable to use a flat medium oval brush to evenly distribute and "tamp" the base thoroughly. It allows you to distribute the material more evenly with less than you would with a regular one.
This initial thin layer in the lamp must be properly polymerized because it provides adhesion and forms the foundation for subsequent alignment.
2. Incorrectly selected base
How do I pick the best base? The client’s nails must be considered in terms of length and shape. A square nail shape, for instance, bears a lot more weight than an oval or other form with rounded edges. This indicates that in order to strengthen the growth points and the lateral ends of the free edge, a square needs a more rigid base with a reinforcing effect.
3. The client"s occupation is not taken into account
When selecting coating materials, it is crucial for the master to consider the nail load characteristics of the client in their line of work. The client’s hands will wear down the material more quickly if they are frequently in contact with chemicals, detergents, or water.
It is advised to use biogel or rubber plastic under a colored coating. It shields the nails and is more resilient and flexible.
4. Poorly executed manicure
Pterygium that hasn’t been fully removed is included here. What’s that? The lower layer of the cuticle, known as the pterygium, grows alongside the nail as it grows. These are the pale, dry skin fragments that surround the nail plate. They are found along the lateral ridges, in the proximal folds, and in the cuticle area.
As a result, it’s critical to remove pterygium from the side walls of the nail as well as the lower portion of the nail, which contains the cuticle. Subsequently, the gel polish and base will adhere tightly and smoothly, preventing peeling.
While nail polish chips and peels can be annoying, prevention is mostly dependent on knowing the reasons behind them. There are numerous things that can cause these problems, ranging from using the wrong products to doing inadequate nail prep. This post discusses 18 typical causes of coating issues and provides easy fixes to give your manicure or pedicure more longevity.
5. Sawed nail plate
It is simple to harm the natural nail plate when using cutters or files to remove material and file the free edge. The client experiences peeling because there won’t be the required tight adhesion when a new coating is applied in the cut area.
Beginner tip: apply gel polish over a beige or milky camouflage base. In this manner, cuts will be prevented during removal because it will be clear where the artificial material ends and the natural nail begins.
6. The client tore the gel polish off the nail themselves
When a client experiences peeling and is unable to visit the master right away or carefully file off the damaged area themselves, it is a fairly common issue. Subsequently, the peeled edge is simply torn off, removing material from the entire nail as well as another portion of the coating. This causes damage to the nail plate in both the deeper and upper layers, resulting in what are effectively the same cuts.
Working with such damage requires a different approach, supplying initial alignment beneath the coating.
7. Remnants of remover in the cuticle area
It is crucial to completely eliminate the residue left behind by removers after utilizing them to eliminate cuticles and pterygium before reapplying the coating. The remover’s composition might contain fat-containing ingredients like glycerin and lanolin, which stop the artificial material from adhering to itself too tightly in the future.
For cuts, the master could apply a hemostatic agent in addition to the remover. Peeling can also occur because of its residue.
Use a degreaser and a lint-free napkin to remove them from the plate’s surface. To thoroughly massage the areas under the cuticle and the overhanging portion of the side ridges, place a napkin on an orange stick.
8. Insufficient preparation of the nail plate
What phases make up a top-notch preparation? These are the following:
- Treating the surface of the nail with a buff;
- Degreasing;
- Dehydration;
- Application of an acid-free primer, especially when building up.
Peeling and incomplete adhesion can form "islands" if one of these steps is skipped or done incorrectly.
- With the help of a buff, we remove the remnants of natural shine, any unevenness and roughness on the surface of the nail plate.
- Degreasing and dehydration allow you to dry the work surface, remove dust after filing, and also remove glycerin or lanolin contained in the remover. In addition, we remove lipids from the upper layers of the nail, the remains of greasy cream along the line of the side ridges.
It’s crucial to use plenty of napkins when cleaning the area. We transfer the remnants of filth, filing, or oily makeup from one finger to the next if we rub all of the nails on the same side or in the same spot.
Between the artificial material and the natural plate, acid-free primer functions as double-sided tape. Only the regrown portion of the natural nail plate, the growth points, and the ends are treated with a primer if there is still some artificial coating on the nail from the previous application.
Using an acid primer is preferable for clients who have hyperhidrosis because it dries the workspace as well. The product dries naturally without the use of a lamp.
9. Remnants of old peelings
In a matter of days, new peelings will form in the same spot, on top of the old ones, if you do not completely remove them. Old material often stays in the center of the nail plate and along the free edge. Thus, when removing the previous coating, give these areas extra attention.
Extra plate reinforcement is required if the peelings only affect the "working" fingers rather than all of them. Cover the middle and index fingers with fiberglass or a hard base; you can also use acrylic powder to reinforce them.
10. Excessively "sealed" end with material getting under the free edge
We get a well-sealed edge as well as the potential for material to leak under it when we process the nail ends during the base, color, and top application stages. The appearance of chips adds another layer of danger to this. After a day or two, the material beneath the free edge peels off, "pulling" the top layer off with it because it has a weaker bond with the natural base.
Hold onto a flat brush. If material gets under the free edge, remove excess material carefully by wetting it in a degreaser.
11. Diseases
The master has no control over the client’s illnesses or excruciating conditions; he can only have a secondary impact on them. Among them are:
- Hyperhidrosis;
- Taking antibiotics that affect the condition of the plate;
- Hormonal imbalances;
- Unbalanced nutrition, diets;
- Stressful conditions of the body, etc.
Peeling along the cuticle line may be experienced by the client with hyperhidrosis. In this case, it is advised to treat each nail beneath the coating individually to prevent moisture buildup and ensure that the natural and artificial layers adhere to one another with consistency.
A guide to nail disordersand diseases: symptoms, causes, and ways to get rid of 12 disorders
12. Smudges
Streaks may appear on the sides and at the cuticle when applying a thick layer of material because of a brush that was not properly wrung out or a liquid texture that was not well chosen. Micro-sags may not be noticeable to the naked eye right away after the coating is applied, but they start to peel off the skin and protrude at the edges a few hours later, or after the first time they come into contact with water.
Peeling develops when tiny "pockets" or grooves are created, into which cream, dust, dirt, and detergent residue from housework are continuously absorbed. As they enlarge, they have the ability to "pull" the majority of the coating with them.
13. Using a cheap cream or oily skin of the client
Typically, inexpensive creams contain fat replacements that just act as a film on the skin’s and nails’ surface rather than being absorbed.
Due to skin contact, clients with elevated sebaceous gland activity also have thick, oily films on their nails. Using a buff to remove shine from nails might not even remove the gloss.
It is advised to remove gel polish in both situations using removers that contain acetone in order to get rid of shine and greasy film.
14. Painted ingrowth points
The places on the sides where the nail attaches to the skin are called growth points. They are slender and movable as the plate expands. They frequently cause peeling because of their mobility. When the ingrowth points have grown and the technician tries to paint the entire nail plate, the material starts to peel off in these areas after two to three days of wear.
15. Mechanical shocks and loads
Most frequently cause the nail’s center to peel. The plate becomes forced to bend, twist, and move in its center as a result of increased loads on it.
Intense hyperhidrosis in the client may also be the cause of central peeling. Islands of rejection of the artificial coating are created when liquid flows beneath the material through the central plate.
16. Over-worn coating
Encourage customers to visit for a coating adjustment at least once every three weeks, or 21 days.
The material loses its properties, adhesion is hampered, microcracks form all around the edge, causing peeling, chipping, and even damage to the upper layers of the natural nail, if it is overworn.
An overall change in architecture and a breach of the material’s strength in stress areas are additional characteristics of over-worn coating. Since the plates are no longer adequately reinforced at the growth points, they start to "peck" and may shatter in the middle or at the edges.
Often, pathological processes that call for medical intervention arise when bacteria and fungi grow under such detachments.
17. Incorrectly constructed architecture
There is insufficient reinforcement in stress zones. When worn, the material at the highest point, the apex, shifts closer to the free edge and puts more strain on it. This causes the plates to bend, twist, and break.
When using gel, acrylic, acrylate, or fiberglass to build up nails, the natural nail plate must be sawed off from below along the free edge from beneath the artificial material. If not, there will be "floating," chips, cracks, and detachments in the architecture.
18. Laminating nails, fungal diseases
Peeling nails can have both internal and external causes, depending on the client’s health. The plates need to be adequately prepped before applying artificial material, and areas with severe peeling need to be worked on as well. It is advised to use a buff to remove any areas of excessive peeling, and then apply a primer carefully. The primer serves as an adhesive tape, binding the layers of the nail together as well as the artificial material to the natural one.
This is a checklist for a novice master who frequently sees clients with similar issues due to the list of causes for chipping and peeling. Examine if you have considered every possibility when producing your work. Which of these explanations apply to you the most frequently? Post your thoughts in the comments section!
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2 comments on “18 Reasons for the appearance of chips and peeling coating and solutions”
Svetlana
I appreciate the article. incredibly lucid and instructive! Additionally, it’s simple to write; there’s no need to read the same sentence multiple times to try to grasp the speech being discussed.
Editing
Maintaining a manicure or pedicure that lasts a long time can be aided by knowing what causes chipping and peeling. Modest changes to application and preparation can have a big impact.
Every problem has an easy fix, whether it’s using incompatible products, doing the application incorrectly, or doing the nail prep wrong. Better outcomes and fewer frustrations can arise from taking the time to attend to these details.
You can enjoy a more flawless and long-lasting nail finish by being aware of the common pitfalls and making the necessary adjustments.
