Do nails need a break from gel, and how long should it be?

Anni Nails · 23 October 2026 · 7 min read

Short, rounded nails with a subtle French manicure on a hand resting on a white armrest, work by Anni Nails

How long your nails need a break from gel depends on the state they are in. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the professional association for dermatologists in the United States, recommends going one to two weeks or longer without nail polish between two gel manicures. If the gel has left your nails thin, however, the thin areas only disappear once they have grown out, and according to the AAD that takes about six months for a whole fingernail. Your nail does not need to breathe during the break, because it gets its oxygen and nutrients from the blood rather than from the air, and the break is mainly there so that it can grow for a while without another round of removal and filing.

Why nails do not need to breathe

The nail is made in the nail matrix at the base of the nail, which is mostly hidden and constantly produces the cells that become the nail plate (Cleveland Clinic on nail anatomy). The nail plate, the part you see and paint, consists mainly of the protein keratin, and the fingertips are supplied by small blood vessels in the nail bed underneath. Dr. Dana Stern, a New York dermatologist and nail specialist, calls the idea that nails need to breathe a myth, because nails get their nutrients and oxygen from the bloodstream and not from the air (Bravo TV, 2017).

So a layer of gel on the surface does not cut the nail off from its supply. What can harm it is something else: according to the AAD, gel manicures can make nails brittle, peel or crack, and in an article for Harvard Health two experts in dermatology warn against peeling or picking off gel polish, because layers of the nail plate can come away with it (Harvard Health).

When a break from gel makes sense

The AAD includes a break from nail polish in its tips for the time between two gel manicures, so that the nails have time to recover (the AAD on gel manicures). The Harvard Health article also recommends taking occasional breaks from polish.

A break is especially worthwhile if your nails are thin after gel, bend, split at the tips or come apart in layers, because every further round of removal and filing then hits a nail that is already weakened. Over the course of the break you will gradually see again what your natural nail really looks like.

How long the break should last

There is no length of break that suits everyone, and the AAD speaks of one to two weeks or longer. If your nails have become thin after gel, you will need more patience, because care does not make a thin area thick again: it stays until it has grown forward with the nail and can be filed off.

According to Cleveland Clinic, fingernails grow about three millimetres a month, and the AAD says it takes about six months for a fingernail to grow out completely and 12 to 18 months for a toenail (the AAD on removing gel polish). So look at how far the thin part has already grown forward: if it is close to the tip, it will soon be filed away, whereas nails that are thin right down to the base still have a long way to go. If you keep your nails short during this time, you file a little more of the thin part away each time.

If you would like some colour again after the first weeks without polish, regular nail polish is one option, since the AAD suggests considering regular nail polish instead of gel polish. It dries without a lamp and comes off with ordinary nail polish remover, so no filing is needed. According to Dr. Stern, though, nail polish remover can be very drying for the nail, so it is best to moisturise your nails and cuticles afterwards.

Strengthening natural nails after gel: what you can do during the break

Creams and oils will not make a thin nail thicker, but you can keep it moisturised and spare it unnecessary strain while it grows out:

Moisturise your nails and cuticles several times a day with petroleum jelly or another moisturising product, as the AAD recommends between polishes. If your hands are dry, the AAD advises in a 2022 news release applying an ointment-based moisturiser such as petroleum jelly to your hands, nails and cuticles every time you wash your hands, which is meant to help prevent dryness and brittle nails.
Wear gloves when washing up and cleaning, because according to the AAD too much water can weaken nails so that they split, peel or break (the AAD's tips for healthy nails).
Do not pick at leftover gel, which the AAD says can damage your nails. The AAD also advises against biting your nails and using them as tools.
File any snags smooth straight away, as the AAD also advises, so that nothing catches and tears further, and keep your nails short.

Strengthening natural nails without gel: when nails are brittle anyway

Some nails are brittle and split even without any gel. According to the AAD, treating brittle nails begins with stopping everything that could be making them brittle, such as spending a lot of time with wet hands or using harsh chemicals without protective gloves, and after that the nails, cuticles and surrounding skin are rehydrated (the AAD on brittle nails). For this, the AAD says, your dermatologist will recommend a moisturiser such as urea cream or mineral oil, which is usually applied before bed, sometimes with light cotton gloves worn overnight, and some people also need a special nail polish.

If your nails are thin and dip down in the middle like a small spoon, the AAD says this can be a sign that you are not getting enough iron (the AAD on nail changes), and that is something to have checked by a doctor.

When to see a dermatologist

The AAD recommends having your nails looked at by a dermatologist if they change, swell or hurt, because these can be signs of serious problems. So do not wait for the end of your break, but go to a dermatologist if

the skin around a nail is red and swollen, hurts or pus comes out,
a nail lifts off the nail bed,
a nail changes colour, for example to greenish black, yellow or whitish, or a new or changing dark streak appears in the nail,
your nails become spoon-shaped or stay brittle despite the break and the care.

If you have diabetes or poor circulation, the AAD says it is especially important to have any nail problem treated.

What Anni Nails offers for the time without gel

If the gel is still on your nails, the break starts with taking it off. In "Gel Removal" at Anni Nails, about 70 per cent of the material is taken off with a drill down to the base layer, the rest is softened and carefully removed so that the natural nail is not damaged, and finally a nourishing serum treatment goes on the nails. It takes about an hour and costs €25, it does not include a manicure, and you can read more about it in the article on gel nail removal.

Without gel on your nails you can book "Manicure (File / Classic)", a classic manicure with files and nail care, which takes about 50 minutes and costs €40. If you would like colour again, there is "Nail Polish", classic nail polish in the colour of your choice, which takes about 20 minutes and costs €10. For dry hands there is "Paraffin Therapy for Hands", which takes about 30 minutes and costs €25 and includes a gentle scrub, a moisturising serum, a paraffin mask without a hot bath and a nourishing cream mask.

Anastasia has been doing manicures for more than ten years, works with short nails and without aggressive techniques, and every treatment includes a personal consultation on caring for your nails and hands. The studio is in Meidling, at Schönbrunner Straße 253, 1120 Vienna. You can find a free slot online under Book an appointment, and all treatments with their prices are listed under Services and prices.