Shellac, gel or regular polish? How to choose your manicure

Regular manicure or shellac? "Gel" makes the choice more confusing, because people use that word for two different things.

Here's the short answer first. After that we go through each option properly.

On our menu, shellac and gel colour are the same service. Choose a shellac manicure if you want colour that usually lasts two to three weeks and is fully dry before you leave. Choose a regular manicure if you like changing colour often, or just want your nails tidy for something this weekend.

Illustration titled 'Regular, shellac or hard base? Three finishes on the Mya menu, and what each one is like to wear.' Three fingertips side by side: a rose nail labelled Regular with a small chip at the tip, a deep berry nail labelled Shellac with a high-gloss shine, and a pale pink glossy nail labelled Shellac plus hard base. — The three finishes on our manicure menu. An illustration, not a photo of our work. Open full size (opens in a new tab)

What "shellac" means on our menu

You'll see Shellac (Gel Color) on our menu. Both words describe the same service: gel colour, cured under a lamp. On our menu, "shellac" is the name of the service, not a particular product.

The confusing part is "gel nails", which usually means something else: gel built up on the nail to add structure or length, like Gel-X extensions or a gel overlay. The simplest way to think about it: gel colour adds colour, and gel nails add structure.

That leaves two finishes to choose between, and one add-on:

Regular polish. Classic nail polish that air-dries.
Shellac (gel colour). Gel polish, cured under a lamp.
A hard base. An extra strengthening coat over the colour, on either one, for natural nails that need it.

Regular polish

A base coat, two coats of colour and a top coat, then the polish air-dries.

Time in the chair: about 25 minutes for a Regular Manicure.
Drying: it's dry to the touch before you go, but it stays soft for hours afterwards. Most smudges happen in the car, pulling on a coat, or digging for your keys, so give yourself a quiet hour after your appointment if you can.
How long it lasts: it looks good for about a week, and the tips usually show wear first.
Taking it off: quick, with no soaking.

Good for: people who like a new colour every week or two, a one-off event, and hands that spend a lot of the day in water.

Shellac (gel colour)

Shellac goes on the way regular polish does, but each coat is cured under a lamp. It sets completely hard, so your nails are fully dry and glossy before you leave.

Time in the chair: about 40 minutes for a Manicure Shellac.
Drying: nothing to wait for. You can pull on gloves and grab your bag right away.
How long it lasts: usually two to three weeks with the shine still there. On toes it often lasts longer, because toenails grow more slowly.
Taking it off: we soak it off in the salon. That's ten minutes as its own service, or you can book Shellac Removal With Regular Manicure.

Good for: holidays, busy weeks, anyone tired of chipped polish, and Edmonton winters, when gloves come on and off twenty times a day.

Adding a hard base

A hard base is an extra coat over your colour that strengthens the nail. You can add it to a shellac manicure or a regular polish manicure: add Hard Base On Natural Nails when you book. It takes about five more minutes, and it doesn't add length.

Good for: thin or bendy nails, and nails growing back out after extensions come off.

A hard base isn't the same as a gel overlay, which is a separate service on our menu. If what you want is length, that's an extension. Our Gel-X or acrylic guide explains the difference.

Timeline chart titled 'How long each one lasts', from day 0 to four weeks. Regular polish on hands looks fresh for about five days and starts to show wear by about a week. Shellac on hands looks fresh for about two weeks and starts to show wear between two and three weeks. Shellac on toes looks fresh for about three weeks and often lasts longer than on hands, because toenails grow more slowly. Typical wear, not a guarantee. — Typical wear on an average week. Hands that spend a lot of time in water or at work will see wear sooner. Open full size (opens in a new tab)

Whichever you choose, if a chip or lift shows up in the first seven days with light, everyday use, we fix it free. After that, it's normal wear. Either way, your nails need a little looking after between visits: use them gently, not as tools, and wear gloves for cleaning and dishes.

At a glance

Is shellac bad for your nails?

For most people, no, as long as it's put on and taken off properly. As we explained in how long a gel manicure lasts, the damage people blame on gel almost always comes from peeling or prying it off, which pulls layers of nail away with it. Soaking it off in the salon avoids that.

The lamp is only on for a short time with each coat. If UV on your hands is something you think about, you can put sunscreen on your hands before you come in or bring fingerless UV gloves. Both are easy, and we're happy to work around either.

A small number of people become sensitive to gel products over time. If the skin around your nails gets itchy, red or swollen after a gel service, tell us, and have a pharmacist or doctor take a look.

Most of the damage blamed on shellac comes from peeling it off.

Which one should you book?

Doing hands and feet together? Manicure & Pedicure Regular takes about an hour, and Manicure & Pedicure Shellac about an hour and a half.

Still not sure? Book whichever seems closest and tell us when you sit down. If there's time in your booking, we'd rather change it in the chair than send you away. Shellac takes a little longer and costs a little more than regular polish. Current prices are on Fresha.