Do nails need to breathe between gel sets?

Many clients tell us they are taking a few weeks off gel to let their nails breathe. It is a reasonable instinct, but nails do not breathe. The visible nail plate is made of hardened keratin, and it gets what it needs from the nail bed and the blood supply underneath, not from the air.

That does not mean breaks are useless. What actually thins and weakens nails is usually how gel comes off, not the gel itself. Peeling or picking gel lifts away the top layers of the nail plate along with it, and after a few rounds nails become thin, bendy and sensitive. Heavy filing with a coarse file or a drill to remove gel does the same. We soak off gel in foil wraps and gently push it away, and we never drill natural nails, for this reason.

If your nails are already thin, a break can help, simply because it gives the thinned layers time to grow out. A nail takes roughly four to six months to grow from cuticle to tip, so a two-week break will not change much. During a break or between sets, keep nails short, use cuticle oil twice a day and wear gloves for washing dishes.

Your technician will look at your nails each visit. If they look thin, she may suggest a shorter shape, a strengthening base gel, or a few weeks of plain care, and she will explain why. If you have pain, swelling or discolouration under the nail, please see a doctor rather than booking a set.