Sams.beautynails

One of the biggest mistakes I see is that nail techs try to solve lifting by changing brands.

A client comes back with lifting, so they ask other nail techs:

“What brand do you recommend?”

But changing brands won’t solve the problem if you don’t understand the products you’re already using.

The first thing you need to understand is how your product behaves.

* Is it rigid?
* Is it medium-flexible?
* Is it very flexible?

Here’s a simple exercise.

Apply a medium layer of your gel, BIAB or builder base onto a paper nail form (or any plastic surface that allows the cured product to peel off easily).

Cure it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Then remove it and test it.

* Does it bend easily?
* Does it need force to bend?
* Is it very rigid?
* Does it crack instead of flexing?

Now compare it with your other products.

You’ll quickly realise that products don’t all behave the same—even if they’re in the same category.

The manufacturer’s description is a useful starting point, but nothing replaces understanding how your own products actually perform.

The better you understand your products, the easier it becomes to choose the right system for the right client—and the fewer lifting problems you’ll have.

Stop guessing why your clients get lifting.

I created a free Lifting Checklist that will help you identify the real cause of lifting instead of blaming the product or your client’s nails.

Comment “LIFTING” and I’ll send it to you.

Here’s why liftings appear at the free edge👇

Hard gel is a rigid material.

The natural nail is flexible. It constantly absorbs moisture, expands, then dries and shrinks again.

When the natural nail is left underneath the free edge, the two materials move differently. Over time, this creates stress between them, which often leads to lifting at the free edge.

By removing the natural nail from underneath, you eliminate that conflict and give the hard gel a much more stable foundation.

But this is only one of many reasons why lifting happens.

Comment “LIFTING” and I’ll send you my free Lifting Checklist, where I explain the most common causes of lifting around the cuticle, sidewalls, centre of the nail, and free edge.

Juicy summer design with .tm products

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Comment “LIFTING” and I’ll send you my free Lifting Checklist to help you identify the real cause of lifting, so you can stop guessing and start fixing the problem.

A simple trick for better coverage around the cuticle without adding thickness: use a tinted top coat.
world DARK has a wide range of shades, so you can easily match the top coat to your gel and create a smooth finish with no visible gaps. It saves time and makes the colour look like it grows right from underneath the cuticle.

If your cuticles doesn’t look clean, one of these mistakes could be the reason:

1. Didn’t open the cuticle pocket properly.
If the pocket isn’t fully opened, some areas stay attached to the nail plate, making it impossible to remove all the dead skin.

2. Applying too much pressure.
Let the drill bit do the work. If you press too hard, you’ll start filing into the nail plate instead of removing dead skin. This creates an over-filed ring around the cuticle, which many nail techs mistake for leftover skin or an unclean cuticle pocket.

3. You’re not stretching the skin enough.
Without stretching the skin, you can’t clearly see the depth of the cuticle pocket—you’re working almost blindly.

4. Drill bit is dull or poor quality.
A worn-out bit won’t lift and remove dead skin efficiently, no matter how good your technique is. Invest in high-quality bits from trusted professional brands.

5. Drill bit is too large.
Not every cuticle pocket is the same. If the bit is too big for a narrow cuticle pocket, you simply won’t be able to clean it properly.

💬 Which of these mistakes do you think is holding you back the most?

Cuticle lifting isn’t always caused by poor nail preparation or an unclean manicure.

Sometimes the real problem is the nail structure. Different nail shapes need different structures, and applying gel the same way on every client can lead to lifting.

If you want to learn how to work with different nail types and prevent lifting, join my Hard Gel Course.

To book your place, send me a DM.

If you’re looking for really good pastel gel polishes, I highly recommend the pastel collection from DARK. The colours are beautifully pigmented, apply smoothly, and cure properly without causing any problems.

You can purchase them from Use my discount code: SAMS.NAIL10% for a little discount. ❤️