After having gel and acrylic nails for numerous years, at the beginning of 2024 I decided to try builder gel, also known as BIAB, and I’d never go back.

Whilst builder gel has been around for a number of years, it has only been in the last few that it’s become extremely popular.

With extremely weak and brittle natural nails, I was intrigued by the idea of the thick gel product as it promised stronger nails.

It is a type of hard gel polish with a thick viscosity to help create length, thickness and strength.

The Gel Bottle were the first to launch the innovative product back in 2015, but many brands have since brought out their own version.

It is often recommended for anyone who has weak or brittle nails, nail bites, or clients who struggle to grow their nails.

However, after having gel for a number of years, and then dipping in and out of acrylic, I was sceptical that anything could actually make my nails strong and long.

I did try builder gel at home, and there are a number of brands which offer it, but it did take me a good couple of hours to do, and my nails didn’t last as long as they do from the salon.

The application of BIAB wasn’t too dissimilar to normal gel, although the nail artist placed a bead of the product on the nail before spreading it side to side.

Normal gel is put on the nail like a polish in many thin layers rather than one thick bead layer.

The overlay of BIAB can be worn on its own or it can be enhanced with nail art or a coat of gel polish colour.

I often decide to go with a gel colour over the top, but occasionally do like the builder gel on its own as it’s natural.

It takes my nail artist around an hour from start to finish and I’ve been having BIAB nails consistently for around eight months now.

Each set can last up to a month, although they do begin to grow out and look old from around the two-week mark.

Each session has only made my nails stronger and they have never ever been longer or stronger.

You can expect to pay more for BIAB than a normal gel as it uses more product, requires a different skill and takes slightly longer in time.

However, having nice nails can help to boost confidence and I’d never go back to doing them myself.

Home nails are much cheaper to do and getting nails done in a salon consistently is a luxury, so if you currently do them from home and it’s working for you, stick with it.

Prolonged and improper use can damage nails so it’s important to check the nail health every so often to make sure there are no adverse effects.

It’s also important not to pick it off between applications as this can make the nails even more brittle and damaged.