Laborious 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 essential. And with that comes choosing the proper sort 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 hold increasing—which is thrilling, however maybe a bit complicated too. Sometimes, your nail tech will have the ability to suggest one of the best sort of manicure and nail therapy to your mani targets, however it by no means hurts to go in with a bit background information.

So, we tapped nail consultants Mo Quin and Julie Kandalec to provide us the lowdown on two standard manicure types: 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 Laborious Gel?

“Laborious gel is an oligomer—a non-porous nail product, often in a pot, that’s cured below 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 traditional 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, best for these in search of 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 prime of your pure nails” shares Qin. Kandalec says it is usually an oligomer and may be smooth, semi-hard, or onerous. “It’s utilized on to the pure nail or over a nail kind or plastic nail tip after which cured below 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 often topped with gel polish, however common lacquer works, too—and, in response to 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:

Laborious 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 mild submitting to complete. 
• Normally solely obtainable in clear, nude, or pink shades (generally with shimmer or opalescent finishes).
• Used so as to add size.
• Should be filed off for elimination—it is not going to 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 primarily based on how the nail appears to be like, feels, and sounds because it’s being filed off,” she says.
• Lasts till it grows out (round three weeks) however generally 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 desires little to no submitting to complete. 
• Obtainable 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 smooth, 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 difficult, you may add size as desired.
• Could be soaked off with acetone, making the elimination course of simpler and extra “DIY-able” than onerous gel.

Observe: A consumer asking for a structured or “Russian” manicure will doubtless get builder gel.

How Are They Related?

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, it’s possible you’ll marvel which is best for you. There are little quirks and traits to every, and the consultants observe that non-public desire makes a distinction when selecting a gel for his or her purchasers.

“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 purchasers on the lookout for size and power. “Moreover, onerous gel gives a superb base for making use of coloured gel polish, permitting for a mix of onerous gel and smooth gel layer over it.”

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

Gel vs. Acrylic

For those who’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 would possibly select one over the opposite:

• Gel is extra versatile than acrylic, making gel nails much less susceptible to lifting.
• Gel is lighter than acrylic and thus best for purchasers who need a extra pure (versatile) really feel to their nails.
• Gel cures below an LED/UV lamp.
• Acrylic entails a robust odor, whereas gel has little to no odor.
• Gel is less complicated to file as it’s softer.