SMYN · TREATMENTS
Builder Gel Manicure
Strength you can feel by the first keystroke. A thin layer of builder gel over precise Russian cuticle work — for nails that bend, peel or want to grow.
01 · WHAT IT IS
What it is.
Builder gel is a self-levelling gel applied over the natural nail in one thin, structured layer. Cured under the lamp, it sets into a firm arch that takes the daily knocks — keyboards, car doors, jar lids — so the nail underneath doesn’t have to.
We apply it with the same Russian technique as our classic manicure: dry e-file cuticle work first, finished by hand, then the builder laid flush to the base. It wears like gel polish but with structure — nails that bend or peel get a solid three to four weeks instead of one.
Allow 1 hour 45 minutes for short nails and up to 2 hours 30 for long. Price follows length, from £80 — and if you’re growing your nails out, this is the manicure that gets them there.
02 · WHY IT WORKS
Why clients choose it.
Structure, not bulk.
One thin self-levelling layer, cured hard. It reads as a natural nail — just a stronger one.
Four-week wear.
The builder holds its arch as the nail grows, so week three still looks intentional.
Made for weak nails.
Bending, peeling and splitting stop being daily events. The gel takes the stress instead.
Russian technique underneath.
Dry cuticle work, gel flush to the base — the same precision as our classic manicure.
Grows your nails out.
The overlay protects the free edge while it lengthens, visit by visit.
Infills, not do-overs.
From £85, we rebalance the arch and refresh the colour without starting from zero.
03 · YOUR VISIT
Your visit, step by step.
Consultation.
We check the state of your nails — thickness, bends, past breaks — and agree length, shape and colour.
Preparation.
Old coating comes off with the e-file, cuticles are lifted and removed dry. No soaking, no clipping into live skin.
The manicure.
Builder gel laid in a thin, self-levelling layer, cured, then shaped and finished in your colour. The arch is built deliberately — that's the part that earns the wear.
Aftercare.
Cuticle oil daily. Come back in three to four weeks for an infill or a fresh application — your nails will tell you which.
04 · PRICES
Prices.
Base prices — length decides the band. Choose an '& Removal' option if you're wearing old builder or hard gel.
05 · GOOD TO KNOW
Questions, answered.
Gel polish is colour with a little flex; builder gel adds a structured layer that holds an arch. If your gel polish chips at the tips or your nails bend under it, builder is the upgrade. Same technique, more support.
No — the builder protects them. Damage usually comes from rough removal, which is why ours is done with the e-file and by hand, never by picking or prying. Your nail plate stays where it belongs.
Three to four weeks. The limit is nail growth shifting the arch forward, not the gel failing — which is why infills exist.
At three to four weeks the arch has grown out with the nail. We take down the grown-out structure, rebuild the apex and refresh the colour — from £85, without removing everything and starting again.
A little — it can extend the free edge by a few millimetres. For real length, book a full set of extensions. For strength on your own nails, builder is the one.
Go by your nails as they are today: short £80, medium £85, long £95. Longer nails simply take more time to structure properly, and we'd rather the diary was honest about it.
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