Gel Nails, BIAB & Builder Gel

Yes, but we need to know what was used on your nails first. Different brands remove differently, and we want to be sure we have the right products in before you come. Ring us on 01279 442844 and we will talk it through with you.

We offer builder gel, which is the same treatment. BIAB stands for builder in a bottle. It is one company's trademark that has become the word everyone uses, exactly the way Shellac did. Ours is the Gelish builder range. We chose it because it is the brand we have worked with and trust the most.

It is not bookable quite yet. Our team have finished their training and are working through their case studies now. We will announce prices and open bookings on The Shwe App as soon as they are signed off.

In the meantime you can add Gelish Structure Gel to your usual gel nails. That is a thin strengthening layer applied under your colour to give extra support, smooth out ridges and protect weaker nails. It is not the full builder gel service, but it is a good option if your nails need a bit of help now, and it works with any of our Gelish colours.

Two things worth knowing. All our current nail services are overlays on your own natural nails, so we do not do extensions. And if you are already wearing builder gel from another salon, please do not book our gel removal and reapplication services, Gel Fingers or Gel Toes Removal & Reapplication. Those are for standard gel only, and we cannot remove or infill builder gel until our training is signed off.

Your usual gel is an overlay on your natural nail. It gives you around three weeks of colour and shine, but it doesn't add strength.

Builder gel is an overlay too, just a stronger and more flexible one. It adds a layer of strength so nails that split or peel get a chance to grow. And instead of soaking the whole set off at every appointment, we infill at the base as your nail grows.

Neither one is an extension. They both go over your own nail.

BIAB stands for builder in a bottle. It started as one brand's name and has become the word most people use for builder gel generally. Ours is the Gelish builder range.

It's the same product, applied a different way. As a £3.50 add-on it's a single coat over your natural nail to reinforce it. Applied as a builder gel it's built up properly to add strength and shape, and then infilled as your nails grow rather than soaked off every time.

No, and this is the main difference from your usual gel colour. With gel polish we soak the whole lot off and start again at every appointment. With builder gel we infill at the base as your nail grows and keep the same set going. It comes off eventually, but not every few weeks, so your natural nail gets a rest from being taken back to nothing each time.

Usually every three to four weeks, depending on how quickly your nails grow. An infill tops up the regrowth at the base so you keep the same set going, rather than taking everything off and starting from scratch.

Yes. Builder gel is the strengthening layer underneath. On top of it you can have any of our Gelish colours, a French finish, or nail art, exactly as you would now.

Not when it is applied and removed properly. The damage people describe usually comes from picking gels off at home, or from a removal that has been rushed. We soak off and refine gently, and we would always rather take it off for you than have you do it yourself.

Shellac and The GelBottle are brand names, the same way Gelish is. Shellac is CND's, and The GelBottle is where the term BIAB comes from. They're all gel systems that cure under a lamp, and the differences are in the formula and how each one is applied and removed.

We use Gelish. It's the brand we've worked with longest and trust the most, and our team are trained in it.

If you've had another brand somewhere else and want it removing here, ring us on 01279 442844 first so we know what was used.

We are insured to carry out treatment on any age with Parental consent. Our supplier, Gelish also do not have a minimum age requirement.

No, we do not remove acrylic nails. We can remove gel from another salon, but we need to know what was used first, so please give us a ring before you book.

No. Gel nails are not banned. One ingredient called TPO is no longer allowed in new products in Great Britain, and manufacturers have already reformulated without it. Gel services carry on exactly as before.

Most of what we use never contained it. A small number of our colours and gels do, and they were bought before the change, which salons are allowed to use up. We are moving over to the new versions as they reach us. If you would rather we used something without it, tell your therapist and we will.

No. There is no health warning attached to the gels you have already had, and nothing needs removing or redoing. The change came from a chemicals classification rather than anything going wrong in salons, and it is about what can be made and sold going forward.

Yes. HEMA, or hydroxyethyl methacrylate, is a monomer used in most professional gel and acrylic systems to help the product bond to the nail. It is not banned and it is not restricted, beyond being meant for professional use rather than home kits. It is a recognised allergen though, and reactions come from the product touching your skin or not curing fully, which is why home kits and untrained application are where most problems start. Our therapists are trained to keep product off your skin and to cure it properly. If you know you react to HEMA, or you have had a reaction to nails or to dental work before, tell us when you book and we will talk it through with you.

We would rather you did not. Home kits are where most reactions start. The lamp often does not match the gel, the product does not cure properly, and it is very easy to get product on the skin around the nail. Picking or peeling gel off at home also takes layers of your natural nail with it.