Between Sizes? What To Do When No Strip Fits Your Nail

Every set carries 20 strips in graded widths, and most people find ten that fit without thinking about it. Then there is the one nail, usually a thumb or a little finger, where one strip is slightly too narrow and the next is slightly too wide. Here is the rule, and it is not a compromise.

Why oversized is the one real mistake

A strip only bonds where there is nail underneath it. Any part overlapping the skin at your sidewalls or cuticle has nothing to hold onto, and skin is oily and mobile, so that edge starts peeling almost immediately. Once one edge lifts, the whole nail follows within a day or two. This is the same principle as not letting a strip overhang the tip, which we cover in can strips be longer than your nails.

The smaller strip has the opposite failure mode, which is barely a failure: a sliver of natural nail shows at each side, roughly the width of a pencil line. At arm's length it is invisible, and it grows out unnoticed.

Making an awkward nail fit properly

Warm the strip first. Rubbing it between your fingers for a few seconds makes it more flexible, and a warm strip conforms to a curved nail far better than a cold one straight from the packet.

Stretch gently, do not pull. A strip has a little give. Easing it outwards by a fraction while you press it down can bridge a small gap, but pulling hard puts the gel under tension that releases over the following days and lifts the edges.

Place from the cuticle, not the tip. Line the curved end up about a millimetre from the cuticle and press down from there towards the tip. Excess always goes at the tip, where you can file it away; excess at the cuticle has nowhere to go.

File, do not cut, the sides. If a strip is genuinely a fraction too wide and there is no smaller one left, you can file the edge down after curing rather than trying to trim it before. Our application guide covers the full sequence.

If your nails are consistently between sizes

Some people find every nail falls between the graded widths, which usually means quite narrow or quite wide nail beds rather than a problem with the set. Two things help: measure properly once using the nail sizing guide so you know your numbers rather than guessing each time, and if you have wide nail beds specifically, the wide nails guide covers which designs cope best. Either way, a set leaves you ten spare strips, so mixing sizes across two sets is a legitimate approach.

1. Classic French Tip

French tips are the least forgiving of a bad fit, because the tip line makes any tilt obvious. Worth sizing carefully. See Classic French Tip.

2. Barely There (Nude)

A close-to-skin neutral is the most forgiving of a slightly narrow strip, because the sliver of natural nail at the sides simply does not read. See Barely There (Nude).

Quick answers

Should I size up or down with nail strips?

Always down. A strip narrower than your nail leaves a barely visible line of natural nail at the sides, while a strip wider than your nail touches the skin, which has nothing to bond to and lifts within days.

What happens if a nail strip is too big?

The overlapping edge sits on skin rather than nail. Skin is oily and moves, so that edge peels almost immediately and takes the rest of the strip with it.

Can I stretch a nail strip to fit?

A little. Warming it between your fingers first helps it conform, and easing it outwards slightly while pressing down can bridge a small gap. Pulling hard leaves the gel under tension, which lifts the edges over the next few days.

Can I trim a nail strip to make it narrower?

Better to file the edge after curing than to cut it before, because cutting rarely follows the curve cleanly. Excess should always be left at the tip, where it files away neatly.

What if none of the 20 strips fit my nail?

Measure once properly with the sizing guide rather than judging by eye, and check the wide nails guide if your nail beds are broad. Each set leaves spare strips, so mixing sizes across two sets is a reasonable approach.

Velvora makes semi-cured gel nail strips, nail polish strips and nail care in the UK. Gel sets contain 20 strips in different sizes, are formulated TPO and HEMA free and wear for up to 14 days. Free UK delivery over £35. Browse the gel nail strips collection or start with the beginner guide.

Related reading: the nail sizing guide, strips on short nails and why nail strips peel.