Gel nail polish is thicker than standard polish formulae, which can lead to some confusion as to exactly how thick gel nails should be.
Gel nails will not be as thick are acrylic nails, but they should still have a decent thickness to them. Think approximately 0.3 inches when measured at the free edge of the nail. That’s roughly the same thickness as a credit card.
However, your gel nails should not feel hard to the touch. Despite their thickness, gel nails should remain flexible, unlike acrylic nails, which are much firmer.
If your gel nail polish is coming out too thick, this could be because you’re applying too much or simply due to the formula of the polish changing over time after exposure to air. Once you open a bottle of gel polish, it will start to thicken, and eventually, it will become too thick to apply effectively.