Also, these gels could be soak-off or not. Again without knowing which brand you are referring to it is not possible to say.
Some people claim that soak-off gels are better because "they don't damage the nails". Again this is not correct. The fact is that nail products and tools do not damage nails, but often Nail Technicians who are not properly trained do damage the nails. There is a higher risk of damage with soak-off gels because many NT do not soak-off long enough. If a company recommends a 10 minute soak off time, this is the MINIMUM. As a result they get impatient and scrape the remaining gel or gel polish off the nail - by now the nail has been soaking for 10 to 15 minutes in remover liquid and has absorbed some of this, making the surface much weaker (like damp newspaper). Then it is much easier to cause damage.
I personally don't see any point to removing gel by soaking off down to the natural nail. Often you are simply removing a good layer of gel that protects the natural nail from damage. Better to file and keep that layer of protection. But there is a whole industry geared to selling the myth that soak-off gels are better - without any conclusive evidence.