The gel usually is not the problem. How it came off is.
Gel polish bonds to the top layers of the nail plate, which is part of why it wears so well. That same bond is why picking it off takes those top layers with it rather than releasing cleanly the way regular polish does.
Each time gel is peeled or picked away, a thin layer of the nail plate comes with it. It does not look dramatic in the moment, but repeated over several sets it leaves nails visibly thinner, more flexible, and prone to peeling in layers.
By the time nails look damaged, several sets have usually come and gone, and it is easy to associate the damage with gel as a product rather than with how it was removed set after set. The gel applied and soaked off correctly is not the same process as gel picked off over a period of weeks.
A soak-off, usually with the nail wrapped in remover-soaked cotton under foil or a clip for several minutes, lifts the gel so it can be gently pushed or wiped away rather than peeled. It takes longer than picking, which is exactly why it does not take the nail plate with it.
Give them a break between sets when possible, and let a technician assess the nail rather than immediately applying another set over damaged nail plate. Thin or splitting nails are a reasonable thing to mention before your next appointment.
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