Exhausting Gel vs. Builder Gel: All Your Questions, Answered

As somebody who loves lengthy nails with extravagant designs that final me a month, nail well being is extraordinarily vital. And with that comes choosing the proper kind of polish—in my case gel—to assist lengthen, strengthen, and slay the day away. Whether or not or not you frequent the nail salon, it is secure to say the choices for manicures maintain increasing—which is thrilling, however maybe slightly complicated too. Usually, your nail tech will have the ability to suggest one of the best kind of manicure and nail remedy in your mani objectives, but it surely by no means hurts to go in with slightly background information.

So, we tapped nail consultants Mo Quin and Julie Kandalec to provide us the lowdown on two common manicure kinds: onerous gel and builder gel. Forward, they break down the ins and outs of every, together with how to decide on the one which’ll meet your wants.

What Is Exhausting Gel?

“Exhausting gel is an oligomer—a non-porous nail product, normally in a pot, that’s cured beneath an LED lamp to create a robust, sturdy base layer that can be prolonged,” says Kandalec. It is acetone-resistant, which means it might’t be eliminated with a basic polish remover. “This ensures a long-lasting, sturdy nail enhancement that [must be] filed off by a nail skilled as it might’t be soaked off,” she says. “The onerous gel helps present a resilient basis, ideally suited for these searching for further nail power and size, and it may be topped with coloured gel polish and nail artwork.”

What Is Builder Gel?

Equally, “builder gel is a sort of UV gel polish that can be utilized to create size and power on high of your pure nails” shares Qin. Kandalec says additionally it is an oligomer and may be gentle, semi-hard, or onerous. “It’s utilized on to the pure nail or over a nail kind or plastic nail tip after which cured beneath an LED lamp to kind a sturdy enhancement,” she explains. “Builder gels present a versatile, supportive construction for nails, that builds up the apex (the middle of the nail) to supply a stronger nail and extra aesthetically pleasing form.” It is normally topped with gel polish, however common lacquer works, too—and, in line with Kandelec, lasts “considerably longer” than it does on pure nails.

How Do They Differ?

Whereas onerous gel and builder gel have many similarities, there are some key variations. Kandalec breaks them down:

Exhausting Gel

• Has a thicker viscosity than builder gel. 
• Normally solely is available in a pot and is utilized with a separate brush.
• It may be a bit self-leveling, however nonetheless wants some gentle submitting to complete. 
• Normally solely accessible in clear, nude, or pink shades (typically with shimmer or opalescent finishes).
• Used so as to add size.
• Have to be filed off for elimination—it won’t soak off. “Whereas this may occasionally sound probably damaging, licensed nail professionals are expert on this course of and know precisely when to cease submitting based mostly on how the nail appears, feels, and sounds because it’s being filed off,” she says.
• Lasts till it grows out (round three weeks) however typically even longer, relying on the consumer’s nail progress and care.

Builder Gel

• Normally thinner viscosity than onerous gel.
• Is available in a pot or bottle.
• Extra self-leveling and wishes little to no submitting to complete. 
• Out there in nude, pink, clear, and white shades, and a few colours (though much less frequent).
• Can be utilized so as to add size, relying on the product. If the gel is gentle, you may add little size (if any in any respect); if the gel is semi-hard, you may add a really quick free edge to the nail; and if the gel is tough, you may add size as desired.
• Might be soaked off with acetone, making the elimination course of simpler and extra “DIY-able” than onerous gel.

Be aware: A consumer asking for a structured or “Russian” manicure will possible get builder gel.

How Are They Comparable?

Merely put, each are gels that want curing with a lightweight lamp and can be utilized to construction and add size to nails, Qin explains.

When to Use Every

Now that you simply perceive the ins and outs of builder and onerous gels, you might marvel which is best for you. There are little quirks and traits to every, and the consultants be aware that private choice makes a distinction when selecting a gel for his or her shoppers.

“I like to make use of builder gel for extending nail size or [as an] overlay for pure nails, and onerous gel as a topcoat to make pure nails extra sturdy,” says Qin. However, Kandalec prefers onerous gel for shoppers searching for size and power. “Moreover, onerous gel supplies a superb base for making use of coloured gel polish, permitting for a mix of onerous gel and gentle gel layer over it.”

Conversely, “builder gel is extra versatile than onerous gel, making it choice for shoppers preferring a extra pure really feel on their nails,” Kandalec continues. “It is excellent for a structured manicure if somebody needs to develop out their pure nails beneath.”

Gel vs. Acrylic

In case you’re like me, your first introduction to nail extensions was acrylic (and possibly it is nonetheless your tried and true). Kandalec breaks down the variations between gel and acrylic, and why you may select one over the opposite:

• Gel is extra versatile than acrylic, making gel nails much less vulnerable to lifting.
• Gel is lighter than acrylic and thus ideally suited for shoppers who desire a extra pure (versatile) really feel to their nails.
• Gel cures beneath an LED/UV lamp.
• Acrylic includes a robust odor, whereas gel has little to no odor.
• Gel is simpler to file as it’s softer.