Experimenting with nail designs, lengths, and shapes have been a trendy beauty indulgence for the past several years. Nail extensions have become the ultimate accessory for your overall look and style, and can be switched up at every appointment depending on your mood.
Whether it is long, short, stiletto or rounded shaped, with a natural color or a polish that is bright and glittery, nail extensions offer a variety of styles and are an entity on their own.
Along with the evolution of nail shapes and designs, the methods for obtaining these desired tips have developed as well. While rocking your natural nails is still a popular option, the development of light-cured and gel-polish nails has taken over the nail scene.
Rather than the only options for adding strength and length to your nails being a soft gel polish or an acrylic tip, hard gel and builder gels have become the go-to method for many consumers and nail professionals alike.
Hard gels and builder gels offer the best of both worlds: a gel application that offers a thicker polish less likely to chip, but with the hardened strength and extension of an acrylic nail. There are different options available in builder gel extensions, based on your nail salon and what method you prefer.
However, much like with acrylic or regular gel polish, there are specific ways to apply and remove builder gel to prevent your natural nails from becoming damaged.
But once it is applied, how do you remove builder gel? Builder gel is best removed by a professional nail technician, as it is a harder gel that adheres to the natural nail and is tougher to remove than a softer gel polish. It requires filing with an electric nail drill and can be followed up by a soak in acetone to remove the final layers.
Below we will discuss what builder gel nail extensions actually are, how they benefit your nails, and a complete guide to the application and removal process.
What Is Builder Gel?
Builder gel is a hard gel that creates, extends, and enhances the shape of your nails. The hard gel material can be applied directly to your natural nail or applied over a pre-shaped extension to give you the desired nail look you are after.
Builder gel is also referred to as “hard gel” as it is a stronger substance than its softer gel alternative (such as regular gel polish or Shellac), which leads to the nails being harder to chip with a more durable wear.
Hard gel is thicker than the typical gel nail polish and is more durable, lasting up to 2-3 weeks before needing to be refilled.
Although builder gel is a harder form of gel polish, it still looks natural on the nails after it is applied regardless of the length.
Once applied, the hard gel is cured under a UV light to set the nail. During the application process, your nail technician can shape and sculpt the desired length and style of your nails, whether you want them to be a statement-making, long stiletto shape, or a subtly lengthened, natural appearance.
After the desired style is achieved, the nails will again be set under the UV light to cure, before applying the regular gel polish in the color of your choosing.
Builder gel typically is also available in a range of natural tones, such as clear, soft pinks, and neutrals to be applied and worn on its own if that is your desire.
What Is The Application Process?
If you are after longer extensions to your natural nails, it can be achieved by your nail technician using either a nail former sticker placed under the nail or with a premade and pre-shaped nail extension — it helps if your natural nail has a little bit of length on its own to allow the nail extensions to be reinforced.
Nail former stickers are used to create a lengthened shape that uses your natural nail as the base. The builder gel is layered onto your natural nail and the sticker to reach the desired length, and then is filed and sculpted into the desired shape.
Premade nail extensions, which come in a variety of lengths and shapes, are applied over the natural nail using the builder gel to adhere them together. They are measured to suit your natural nail bed, and save your nail technician the time of filing down the gel to create the desired shape from scratch.
The application process for a new set of builder gel nail extensions can take about two hours. First, the natural nail is cleaned and dried to prep for the long-wearing gel that will be applied on top. Then, you choose between nail former stickers or premade nail extensions before builder gel is applied.
Builder gel is a thick, tacky texture that is painted onto the nails, typically with a brush or applicator. Your nail technician will layer the gel onto the nail and begin to form the desired shape and length.
Once an adequate amount of the builder gel is laid down, the nails will be placed under a UV light to be cured, or “set.” If a premade nail extension is being applied over your natural nail, it will also be cured under the UV light to set, as it also uses builder gel to create the bond.
Once the builder gel has been set, the nail extensions are then filed down and fully shaped into whatever style your desire. The nail former stickers are removed, and your nail tech will work on perfecting the shape by filing, clipping, or buffing to the desired style.
After the length and style are achieved, the process then follows the steps of a typical gel manicure. Your chosen regular gel polish is applied and then cured under the UV lights. Any designs are then created and the process is finally finished with a top coat.
Because builder gels use regular gel polish to add color, there is a wide variety in the shades and textures available.
Builder gel is a strong and durable formula that can last on your nails at least three weeks before needing an infill appointment. The builder gel extensions grow out with your natural nail, so how quickly your nails grow will also affect when you should schedule your next fill.
While the process is similar to having a new set applied, fill appointments take slightly less time as it is mostly focused on filling in the new regrowth.
How To Remove Builder Gel
Truthfully, the best method to remove builder gel is to have it removed by a professional nail technician. As opposed to the softer, regular gel polish that can be soaked off with acetone, the hard builder gel first needs to be filed off to be removed completely.
If not removed properly by a professional, damage to your natural nail can occur by being filed down too much or scraped away roughly.
The main way to remove builder gel is by filing the gel down almost completely with the use of an electric nail file or drill. This process will rid the natural nail of the gel, but will not remove any of the actual natural nail underneath if done correctly.
An electric nail file is able to quickly and effectively remove the hardened builder gel in a way that a manual file cannot, which is why it is best to have the builder gel removed by a professional nail tech who has all the necessary file and drill types available.
The nail technician will use the nail drill to file the builder gel down to the thinnest layer possible, which will remove most of the builder gel and allow for the remaining product to be easily soaked off or clipped away.
If you desire the builder gel to be removed completely, the nail technician will most likely follow up by soaking the nail in acetone for about 10 minutes, then scraping away the remaining gel with a nail stick.
Another option to completely remove the gel after filing down the majority would be to trim or clip away any of the excess builder gel as the nail grows out. Typically when removing builder gel, the nail technician will clip away any unwanted length before filing down.
As the builder gel gets drilled down to a very thin layer, you can clip away any of the excess as the nail naturally begins to grow out over the following weeks with nail maintenance appointments.
Having the builder gel removed by a professional with an electric nail file should not cause any damage to the natural nail underneath, and regular polish or soft gel polish can be applied after having builder gel removed if that is your desire.
If you are not looking to have the builder gel removed completely, but rather are looking for an infill appointment, the steps are followed in much the same way. Your nail technician will file down the existing builder gel to a thin layer in order to have an even base to apply the new layer of gel onto.
The new layer of builder gel will be applied over the entire nail, filling in where the natural nail growth has occurred, and then cured under UV light — the rest of the shaping and polishing process will resume as normal.
Whether it is for an infill appointment or to have the builder gels removed completely, the process overall should take less time than the initial new nail set appointment.
Other Methods Of Removing Builder Gel
While the best method is to be removed and filed off by a professional, depending on the type of builder gel, it can be soaked off with acetone. However, the soak-off method typically also requires the nails to be filed down, most effectively with an electric nail file or drill.
When soaking off the builder gel, it is important to cut any of the length down first to limit the amount of filing and soaking required. Next, filing down the initial layer of builder gel will help the acetone be able to soak off the bond quicker.
Depending on the type of builder gel, it is denser than the usual soft gel and will be harder to remove than with just acetone, like a soft gel.
Finally, once the nail has been filed down sufficiently, the nail can be wrapped in foil with a cotton ball soaked in acetone and left to sit on the nail for a period of time.
While softer gels might take less time to soak and loosen the gel, builder gel will require a longer amount of time to do so, closer to 30 minutes. After the nail has been properly soaked, the remaining gel can be scraped off with a nail stick to remove it completely.
Side Effects Of Builder Gel
Builder gel nails are an ideal option if you are looking for long-lasting, strong nails that provide a specific shape or style to your natural nails; however, over time they can weaken your natural nail bed.
With prolonged applications, your natural nails can become more sensitive. If you find that your nails are weakening or feeling sensitive, it is best to take a break from builder gel nails to give your natural nails some time to recover.
If you find that your nail beds have become sensitive with regular, soft gel polish over time, the sensitivity with builder gels will feel much the same. Taking a break and allowing your natural nails space to breathe will be helpful, along with using nail-strengthening treatment polish.
Using a clear, nail replenishing or strengthening polish will help to restore your nail beds to their usual strength in between appointments while you allow your nails time to recover.
Final Thoughts
Builder gel is a safe and efficient way to experiment with your nail designs without having to worry about toxic chemicals (like acrylics) or easy chips in the polish (like regular polish or soft gels).
You are able to achieve any type of look with builder gel polish, whether you want to stay close to the shape of your natural nail or try out different lengths and shapes based on the trendy styles you see on social media.
You can switch up the style at your nail appointments depending on your desired look, or keep your signature shape during each refill.
Not only does builder gel offer you the length and shape of the nail your want, it provides a stronger, more durable nail that is able to last up to three weeks before needing a refill appointment, depending on your natural nail growth.
Even the lengthiest, pointiest of nails will be able to maintain their color and shape until your next appointment without chipping or breaking over time.
If you decide you want to take the plunge and make the switch to builder gel nail extensions, one of the most important ideas to keep in mind is the removal process of the extensions.
While it might be easier to remove regular polish, and even soft gel polish, at home in between appointments, to keep the natural nail as healthy as possible, builder gel is best removed with a professional nail technician to avoid any potential damage.
The builder gel adheres to the nails in a way that is best removed with an electric nail file or drill, and your nail tech will have the best removal methods handy depending on the type of builder gel you have.