If you've never had extensions before, the menu can be a lot. Gel-X, soft gel, hard gel, acrylic, dip, builder-in-a-bottle — several of those are the same thing under different names, and the differences that actually matter are simpler than they look.
You don't need to arrive knowing which one you want. Here's how we talk it through in the chair.
Gel-X (soft gel extensions)
A full-cover soft gel tip is fitted to your nail, trimmed to shape, and cured with an adhesive gel. No sculpting, no dust, no smell.
It's a lovely fit if:
- You'd like length without weight. Gel-X is noticeably lighter, which makes a real difference for a first set.
- You have a shorter or more curved nail bed — full-cover tips sit beautifully on shapes that are awkward to sculpt.
- You'd rather avoid the smell of monomer, or you're pregnant and would prefer to skip it.
- You'd like removal to be simple. Gel-X soaks off cleanly.
The trade-off: it's a little less rigid. If your hands take a lot of knocks, a very long Gel-X set won't last as well as acrylic would at the same length.
Acrylic
A liquid and a powder are sculpted onto your nail over a form or tip, and set into a hard extension.
It's a lovely fit if:
- You'd like real length, serious durability, or a defined shape like stiletto or long coffin.
- You need structural support on a nail that's damaged or healing.
- Your work is hard on your hands and you'd like a set that keeps up.
The trade-off: it's firmer and a bit heavier. Because acrylic doesn't flex, a hard knock passes through to the natural nail rather than the product giving way. There's also a distinct smell while it's applied, and removal takes a little longer.
Neither product damages nails. Taking either one off the hard way does — which is why removal is always part of the service.
What we'll ask you
What do your days look like? A nurse, a hairdresser and someone at a keyboard all get different advice, and none of it is a judgement. We'd just rather you have a set that sails through your week than one that needs babying.
How often would you like to come in? Both need a fill every two to three weeks. If four weeks suits your life better, that's completely fine — we'll build a little shorter and pick a shape that grows out gracefully, so it still looks intentional at week four.
How did your last set go? If you've had lifting, breakage or soreness before, that tells us more than any preference could. It also isn't a mark against you — it's just useful information.
Where we'll offer an opinion
We'll always give you our honest read, and the final call is yours.
If you ask for a length we think will struggle with your week, we'll say so and suggest the longest we'd feel confident about — and if you'd still like to go longer, we'll make it as strong as we possibly can and tell you what to watch for.
The one thing we won't do is apply over a nail with an untreated infection or an unhealed injury. That's for your sake, and we'll happily book you back in once it's settled.
Still not sure?
Start shorter than you think you want. A gel new set at a modest length lets you see how your nails get on for a few weeks before committing to real length — and if you decide you want more, we'll add it at your refill.
And if anything doesn't hold, it's on us: anything that fails within seven days of your appointment is repaired free of charge.
If you'd rather just talk it through in person, book whichever service sounds closest and tell your technician you're deciding — we'll take it from there.