Literally 9/10 of my nails have these cracks in them which happened about 3 days after getting them done. It’s builder gel, I’ve been going to this salon a few months, and it happened on both the purple and the accent nail. I feel like it’s the top coat they used? Do I just need a nail break? Improper curing? I don’t know, this has never happened to me before. Curious what the nail gang thinks. Thanks!
by Ses_Jul
6 Comments
Apex is too thin. You should take these off before they crack your natural nail.
Go back to where you got them done, it’s clear they made the apex too thin and that’s why they’re cracking. Most nail salons will fix them, free of charge within a certain time frame of course. As they should – it’s their error.
Those look like stress cracks in the builder gel. Usually happens when the structure (apex) isn’t strong enough or the gel is too rigid for your nails. Since it’s on most nails, it’s very likely a technique/product issue rather than something you did.
Bad product
Is it a crack in the actual builder gel? Or is it just the topcoat on the very surface? It’s hard to tell from photos, but you should be able to tell in person. Some topcoats are too rigid to go over certain builder gels, and they’ll crack when the builder gel underneath flexes at all. If it’s only the topcoat cracking, they can safely be left alone until your next appointment (though it still shouldn’t be happening and it’s worth asking them to fix it for aesthetic reasons).
If it’s deeper than just the very surface topcoat layer, it’s more serious and they need to be removed and/or redone before your natural nails get damaged. Cracking of the actual gel itself on this many fingers is unusual, but it can happen if the apex isn’t high enough or in the right spot. It can also be an issue with the gel they’re using.
Some builder gels aren’t compatible with everyone’s nails, they can be too rigid where you may need something more flexible. It could be old or expired and that could be making it brittle or weak. It could be a curing issue with their lamps. It’s hard to know, but it’s worth getting it fixed in any scenario, because this shouldn’t be happening, especially so soon after your appointment.
Those nails look extremely thick. Are they cured all the way through?