Nail Damage from Gel Manicures, Explained (and How We Do It Differently)
Why Gel Manicures Get a Bad Reputation
A gel manicure is one of the most requested services in nail salons around the world, and for good reason—it promises shine and strength together, unlike any other nail products. But too often, women end up with peeling, brittle, or paper-thin nails. At Atelier Anaiis, we’ve become the nail care specialists women seek out in Philadelphia when they want their natural nails restored, protected, and given the chance to truly heal from nail damage.
At our Philadelphia nail salon, gel manicures are the only manicures we offer. This may seem counterintuitive to those who come to us with fragile, damaged nails, convinced that gel itself is the problem. But at Atelier Anaiis, gel is not a source of harm — it is the tool we’ve chosen to help protect, heal, and guide natural nails back to health.
At Atelier Anaiis, we’ve learned the truth: gel polish itself isn’t the cause of nail damage. The issue lies in how the gel polish is applied, cured, and removed.
When done correctly, a gel manicure becomes a protective layer unlike any other that gives natural nails the uninterrupted time they need to regrow and reshape. And crucially, gel doesn’t leach into keratin layers to destroy natural nails like regular polish does.
For a nail salon like ours in Philadelphia with an unbending focus on natural nail health, The Signature Foundation Manicure – our gel manicure – is the cornerstone of our business and of the success we continue to have in healing our clients with damaged nails.
What "Nail Damage from Gel Manicures" Really Means
At our Philadelphia nail salon, we require all first-time clients to fill out an appointment questionnaire before scheduling them. Why do we do this? To best prepare for the upcoming appointment before they actually sit at our manicure desk.
The first question we ask on the appointment questionnaire, “What nail health issues would you like us to be aware of, if any?” is often the most insightful as to how we should approach the nail care process for that particular client. Can you guess what the most common answer is to that question?
“I have nail damage from gel manicures.”
Let’s unpack that answer a bit. Based on our experience, there are three main causes to nail damage from gel manicures.
1. Nail Damage During Gel Removal
E-file use: Many, if not most, nail salons use electric drills or “e-files” to remove nail products, including gel. As we say at Atelier Anaiis, there is no such thing as “gentle use” of an e-file: its very use foreshadows nail damage.
If you think we’re being dramatic, pause for a moment: if e-files were not as dangerous as we say and didn’t cause any nail damage, Atelier Anaiis would cease to exist and we would happily be in a very different business.
But our nail salon in Philadelphia very much exists because women need our nail care services.
The classic adage applies here with e-files, “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” And e-files are the most destructive tool of all for natural nails.
Peeling: Gel manicured nails are very often victim #1 from anxiety-related habits like picking, peeling gel layers, and biting our nails. Why? Because the strength of gel manicures ironically makes for a satisfying prey, to momentarily soothe anxieties and worries.
Forcibly removing gel manicures through picking, peeling, and biting are seemingly innocent habits that come with a long list of nail damages as receipt.
2. Nail Damage From Inappropriate Gel Curing
Under-curing: Under-curing gel manicures is a common issue that we see, especially with women who have used at-home gel kits to do their own nails. When gel isn’t cured long enough, there are two main problems that arise relevant to nail damage.
First, the gel remains soft and unstable, leading to peeling or water becoming trapped between the gel layers and nail plate. Water entrapment can lead to fungus, which needless to say, causes severe nail problems. Under-curing also negates all of the hard wearing, protective qualities of gel manicures that act as a shield for natural nails. As a result, the natural nails are exposed to potential nail damage from outside forces.
Second, repeated exposure to uncured gel can lead to development of allergies, especially if it touches the skin surrounding the nail bed. This can show up as rashes, itchiness, and swelling.
Over-curing: The durable and protective layer of gel is formed when a chemical in the gel product — called a photoinitiator — is activated by light, linking and joining together particles called monomers.
When nails are left in curing lamps for too long, these properties are compromised, damaging the monomer links and making the manicure brittle.
3. A Lack of Nail Care Leading to Nail Damage
The Atelier Anaiis Difference: Readers of our blog will know that at our nail salon in Philadelphia, every manicure appointment begins with our Nail Care program, because the longevity and lasting beauty of our gel manicure depends mostly on what happens before nail polish ever touches your nail bed.
It may seem intuitive to assume that a gel manicure lasts because of how the polish is applied or cured. In truth, its beautiful longevity is determined long before the color is chosen — in the meticulous treatment of hangnails, the careful refinement of the nail walls, and the purposeful preparation of the natural nail bed. This is where lasting beauty begins.
When dead skin is not detached and removed as part of a professional manicure appointment, they begin to pull on the gel layers as the natural nails and gel manicure grow out over the days following the appointment. This eventually compromises the layers so much that the gel no longer acts as a protective shield, resulting in peeling, chipping, and letting in outside forces that could lead to nail damage.
What About UV Curing Lamps?
This is a question we hear often, and we believe it deserves a clear, evidence-based answer. At Atelier Anaiis, we use LED curing lamps, but since concerns about UV exposure through gel manicures arise frequently, it’s worth diving into the science.
To do so, we look to Michelle Wong, PhD in chemistry and founder of the educational platform Lab Muffin, who has written extensively on the subject in her article, “Are Gel Nails Bad For You? UV, Skin Cancer and Allergies.” Wong breaks down numerous studies that examine the light energy emitted by both UV and LED curing lamps, helping us separate fear from fact.
UVA vs. UVB: What’s the Difference?
UVB: The shorter, more forceful wavelengths of ultraviolet light. UVB is strongly linked to DNA damage and skin cancer, but all the research Wong analyzes in the article has found minimal UVB exposure in modern curing lamps.
UVA: A longer wavelength that penetrates deeper into the skin. While UVA is known to pose a cancer risk, it’s significantly less damaging than UVB. Curing lamps use these longer wavelengths — the less harmful range.
According to Wong, the skin on the back of the hands requires about four times more UV to burn than the skin on the cheek, meaning hands are naturally less sensitive to UV.
Then vs. Now: Technology Has Improved
In the past, UV lamps produced higher levels of UVB. As technology has advanced, however, these concerns have become minimal. Today’s curing lamps — especially LED — are far more efficient and safer than older versions.
Michelle Wong summarizes it well: “You don’t need to worry much about your nail beds — the nail blocks all the UVB and almost all UVA, and the gel blocks even more.”
Real-World Perspective
It’s true that UVA is associated with some cancer risk, but the actual risk from nail lamps remains incredibly small. Professor David Whiteman, a cancer epidemiologist at Queensland’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, explains in Wong’s article: “Nail dryers have been widely used for some time and, despite that, cancer of the finger remains extremely rare. If I went out now in the sun without sunblock and then took a skin biopsy, in five minutes I’d have a lot more damage than those cells did.”
The Atelier Anaiis Choice
As Wong states, “If you’ve seen my posts before, you’ll know “the dose makes the poison” comes up a lot with ingredient safety, and it’s important for UV safety too. One punch might not do much, but 1000 punches is very different – more means more damage.” With curing lamps, exposure times are already very short — less than ten minutes total per appointment. And because gel manicures at Atelier Anaiis last three to four weeks, the need for frequent appointments is reduced, keeping overall UV exposure at its absolute minimum.
While the evidence shows the risk is minimal, we’ve chosen to eliminate even the small concern by using LED lamps exclusively. They cure more efficiently, expose hands for less time, and align with our philosophy of choosing protection first.
What a Long-Lasting, Protective Gel Manicure Looks Like
Our Signature Foundation Manicure — the single-color gel manicure at Atelier Anaiis — lasts beautifully for three to four weeks when cared for as instructed. Three to four weeks is the window natural nails need to reshape and regrow toward optimal nail health, safeguarded under perfectly cured, protective gel layers.
And because words can only tell part of the story, we wanted to show you what this looks like in practice. Below, you’ll find visuals of a truly long-lasting, protective gel manicure — how it wears over time and how it supports your natural nails beneath.
The Beautiful Atelier Anaiis Wedding Manicure
Gold chrome tipped French wedding nails, as seen in this Bridal Nails post.
The Gel Manicure After Four Weeks
The same wedding nails, after four weeks—protecting her through her wedding, honeymoon, and back to work.
Above, you see the same wedding nails four weeks after the original bridal appointment at Atelier Anaiis. There is no chipping, no peeling — the manicure remains beautifully intact, just as it did for the wedding.
Viewed this way, the philosophy behind our gel manicures becomes clear: they serve as protection first. These nails carried her through the wedding, the honeymoon, and back to work, remaining flawless until her follow-up appointment, when the gel could be safely and gently removed.
Her Natural Nails After Four Weeks
The same client, with her wedding nails safely removed at Atelier Anaiis.
Here, we see the same client’s natural nails after her wedding manicure has been gently and safely removed at our Philadelphia nail salon. There is no discoloration; her natural nails are an even, healthy pink. Compared to the photo from her bridal manicure appointment, we can also note the healing of a previous hangnail wound on her right hand’s fourth finger — now fully restored, leaving no trace.
As we’ve discussed, improper gel removal is one of the leading causes of nail damage, which is why we emphasize the importance of returning to Atelier Anaiis for safe removal, even for clients who book with us only once. In this case, our client rarely wears manicures because of her profession, yet through her time with us she enjoyed flawless wedding nails—and afterward, the reassurance of healthy natural nails once the gel was carefully removed.
How to Choose the Best Gel Manicure Near You
If you’ve ever wondered, “Do gel manicures damage nails?”, the truth is that the answer depends entirely on where you go. A gel manicure is not defined by the polish alone — it’s defined by the method, technology, and philosophy behind it.
The best gel manicures are not just about color or shine. They are about creating a foundation that respects the natural nail, protects it through weeks of wear, and ensures it remains just as healthy — if not more — at removal as it was at the start.
When choosing a nail salon near you, we encourage you to ask:
How is gel removed? Safe, gentle removal without e-files is critical to preventing long-term nail damage.
What kind of lamps are used? LED lamps are the safer, more efficient choice.
Is nail care included? Often described as “cuticle care”, without nail care, even the most beautiful polish won’t last more than a few days.
At Atelier Anaiis, our promise is simple: your gel manicure won’t just look beautiful — it will help your natural nails grow healthier and stronger than before. Every service is designed to protect and restore, so your nails remain strong, elegant, and truly cared for—long after the polish has been applied.
Are you ready to experience a gel manicure that protects as much as it beautifies? Fill out our appointment questionnaire and begin your journey to healthier, stronger nails.
