Babyboomer

No, you cannot top up gel polish – the product must be removed completely, after which a new set can be applied. You can only fill in with acrylic or gel nails.

This may be because LED light has come on your brush when you have been curing your gel polish in the UV lamp. This can result in some of the hairs being hardened together, and can therefore create grooves in your gel polish. It could also be because you made or stored them in direct sunlight, which can help harden them and help create grooves.

Lifting is when the gel polish lifts off the nail plate and does not stick to the cuticles. To avoid lifting, it is important that you have carried out step 1 prepping (preparation) of your nails. The preparation helps to ensure that the colors can adhere to the surface of the nail, so that lifts are avoided. You can also use a Primer before using the Base Coat to further minimize the risk of lift.

Gel polish typically needs to harden for 1-2 minutes under a UV/LED lamp. It is important to emphasize that gel polish comes in many colours, and the more pigment there is in the colour, the more the color has to harden. Black, white and dark colors contain a lot of pigment, and it is advantageous to cure them for a little longer.

This is because your gel polish does not have contact with your nail plate. In most cases, it's because you haven't done step 1 prepping your nails properly. Therefore, be extra thorough and be patient - it takes some practice to get the desired result and durability.