Damaged nails after gel polish or gel: what to do

1. What really damages your nails: the removal, almost always

The nail you see is made of thin layers of keratin stacked on top of each other. Well-applied gel polish or gel bonds to the top layer; removed properly, it leaves that layer in place. The damage comes from how it is taken off:

• Polish peeled off by hand: the most common cause. Every piece you peel takes a thin layer of nail with it.
• Heavy filing, by hand or with an e-file, during application or removal: it thins the nail, sometimes until it becomes sensitive.
• Acetone left on too long, or repeated removals at home: it dries out the nail and the skin around it.
• A set worn too long: after 3 to 4 weeks the polish starts to lift… and it is tempting to peel it.

The same goes for builder gel, BIAB and nail extensions: it is the peeling, not the product, that damages the natural nail. Our guide to fake nail techniques says the same.

What if your nails were brittle before any set?

Not everything comes from gel polish. Nails that break, bend or peel without ever having had a set usually have an everyday cause:

• Water and soap, again and again. Very frequent hand washing, washing up, baths: the nail swells in water then dries, and the back and forth weakens it.
• Cleaning products and hand sanitiser, which dry out the nail and the skin around it.
• Cold outside, heating inside. From October to March, dry air is hard on nails.
• Nails used as tools: opening a can, scratching off a label, lifting tape.
• Back-and-forth filing, or a file that is too coarse, which opens up the layers at the tip.
• The years: over time, nails tend to become drier and more ridged.

From October, cold outside, heating inside and frequent hand washing dry nails out faster. It is the right time to start wearing gloves, keep hand cream in your bag and take the length down a little. If your nails break every winter, a BIAB overlay applied at the start of the season protects them through the driest months. Our tips for the hands themselves are in our winter hand care guide.

Signs of a damaged nail

• A thin, soft nail that bends instead of holding.
• Layers that separate at the tip: the nail peels.
• White patches and a rough surface, where layers have been torn off.
• A nail that is sensitive to pressure, heat or cold.

2. What to do at home, starting today

1. Stop peeling. If a corner lifts, do not pull: cover it with a thin plaster and book a removal.
2. Keep them short. A thin nail breaks less when it is short. Use a fine file, always in the same direction, never back and forth.
3. Moisturise every day. Hand cream after every wash and, in the evening, a drop of oil massaged into the nail and the skin around it.
4. Protect your hands. Gloves for washing up and cleaning; your nails are not for opening cans or scratching off labels.
5. Do not buff them yourself to hide the white patches: you would remove even more thickness.
6. Let the regrowth do the work. A damaged nail does not heal, it is replaced: nails grow slowly, and it takes several months for the damaged part to be gone, trimming it as it grows.

3. At the salon: the right option for the state of your nail

First, a clean removal

If you are still wearing gel polish that is lifting, start there. At the salon, removal is done by gentle filing of the surface then controlled soaking, never by peeling: €10 (15 min) for hands or feet, €5 if you have a new gel polish set in the same booking. Removing an overlay or extensions costs €20, or €10 if a new set follows. Book a removal.

BIAB overlay: protecting the nail while it grows out

For a thin, soft or peeling nail, this is the most protective option. BIAB (Builder In A Bottle) is a flexible builder gel applied directly onto the natural nail, without adding length: it forms a shell that absorbs everyday knocks. It does not "repair" the damaged nail; it protects it while the weakened part grows out and is trimmed away.

Two options: colour built into the gel, €60 (60 min), or overlay + OPI gel polish, €70 (75 min). On quieter weekday slots, the off-peak price applies automatically: €55 and €65. It lasts 3 to 4 weeks, then an infill or a removal at the salon. All the details are on our BIAB overlay and extensions page, and the difference with builder gel in our BIAB vs builder gel comparison.

A broken nail: a single-nail repair

A weakened nail that has given way can be repaired on its own, without redoing the whole hand: €10 (20 min). What to do until your appointment is in our broken nail guide.

Fancy a few weeks without colour

That works too: the Luxury SPA Manicure without polish (soak, scrub, mask, massage), €50 (50 min), or the Classic Manicure without polish, €30 (25 min): nails trimmed and shaped, hands moisturised, no polish. All our options are on the manicure page.

4. Should you take a break between gel polish sets?

Not to let the nail breathe: it does not breathe. With clean removals, you can go from one set to the next without damaging it. A break is still a perfectly good choice if you want your natural nails back for a few weeks, or if you are asked to have bare nails for a medical test or procedure.

Just bear in mind that a very thin nail left bare is more likely to break. If that is your case, a BIAB overlay protects it better than a break during the first weeks of regrowth. And the "nail detox" in January or after the summer? Mostly, it is a good moment to start again short, after a removal done at the salon.

5. After the summer: sea, pool and sand

Coming back from holiday is the other big moment for damaged nails. Going from wet to dry in the sea and the pool dries the nail out, sand scratches the surface, and a corner of polish that lifts on the beach often ends up peeled. The routine is the same: removal at the salon, nails cut short, daily moisturising, and a BIAB overlay if the nail has become thin.

Before you leave, gel polish or an overlay applied a few days before departure lasts 3 to 4 weeks: plan your removal date for when you are back rather than taking it off on the spot. Feet too: gel polish removal there costs €10 (15 min), see our pedicure page.

6. When to see a doctor or a podiatrist

A nail that has simply been damaged by removal is thin, soft or peeling, but it is not red, swollen or painful. See a doctor or a podiatrist if you notice:

• redness, swelling, pain or pus around the nail;
• a nail lifting off its bed;
• a nail that turns yellow, thickens or crumbles (possible fungal infection).

In these cases, wait for their advice before any new polish, gel or overlay.

7. Visiting Paris? What you need to know

• Where: 7 rue d'Argenteuil, Paris 1st — three minutes from the Louvre and the Tuileries, metro Tuileries (line 1) or Pyramides (lines 7 and 14).
• When: open 7 days a week, 10am to 8pm, Sundays included.
• How:online booking in English, French or Chinese, instant confirmation. Walk-ins are welcome, subject to same-day availability — calling ahead is the safest.
• Language: the whole team speaks French, English and 中文.