From BIAB to Bio Sculpture, K-beauty and beyond, these next-gen treatments promise both length and strength.

What’s not to love about leaving the salon with a perfect-looking gel mani? None of that touch-dry trepidation and the colour lasts for weeks. But as anyone who’s shelled out for shellac knows, you might be happy with that 40-buck, UV-baked polish, but your poor nails? Not so much. 

That’s because, unlike old-school varnish, gel polishes won’t stick to a healthy, shiny nail. “You need to rough up the surface to get it to adhere, which is obviously damaging,” says Dr Rudo Makuyana, a podiatrist at The Foot Hub and founder of Medi Nails in Sydney. “And because people think the measure of a good mani is how long it lasts, it’s often the rougher the better.”

Add to that the fact nail technicians don’t need qualifications in Australia and that the person wielding that tiny tungsten drill bit may be more motivated by the queue of walk-in customers behind you than nail health, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

But before you bid adieu to holiday-long colour, we have encouraging news. Superior tech, plus the resurgence of specialist nail spas, mean safer, smarter alternatives that still look amazing. 

The health hero: BIAB

Builder in a Bottle, aka BIAB, is fast gaining cult status. A new gold standard in manis, it’s as strong as acrylic, flexible as gel and lasts longer than typical shellac. But the true magic lies in the fact it doesn’t need to be removed each salon visit. Like old-school acrylic you simply get an in-fill, meaning less wear and tear. Sure, it’s double the price of a gel mani, but “the technicians who provide BIAB have done training and know how to look after nails,” says Dr Makuyana. Love that for us. 

The strength builder: Signature Nail System

Better known as SNS, this one’s a popular option if you’re after strength. It involves dipping your tips into coloured powder, which is then sealed. Your nails are less flexible than they’d be with gel, but the colour will be slower to chip. “SNS can be good, but, again, you can’t in-fill, so you have to remove the whole thing eventually,” says Dr Makuyana – especially when it starts to lift at the edges, at which point the temptation to pick can be calamitous.

The quality pick: Korean and Japanese gels

Just as K-beauty and J-beauty brands have a reputation for top-notch results, so too do their nail gels, which are UV-hardened. “They’re healthier in terms of ingredients and involve a special base that has a thicker consistency, close to that of BIAB, which means it lasts a bit longer,” says Dr Makuyana. Unlike BIAB, though, they can’t be infilled.

The nourishing treat: Bio Sculpture

This gel-like product contains nutrients to support nail growth. Instead of going on like polish, the product is manipulated to the right shape before it’s hardened, which requires special training. How do you know if a provider uses Bio Sculpture? They’ll tell you. “Good salons are loud about the superior brands they use,” says Dr Makuyana. “Look for places with professional vanity.” On the flip side, a bunch of plastic swatches rather than a branded bottle is a red flag.

For the shellac die-hard: CND Shellac

If you’re going to opt for an occasional shellac, which is just another type of gel, make sure it’s the real deal, and applied by a careful technician who’s not in a rush. “CND Shellac is still really good, but the problem is many salons just call all gel products shellac. You pick the colour you like, but you don’t know [where] they bought the product and there are harsh ingredients inside.”

For a rest and reset: naked polish

At the end of the day, good old-fashioned varnish is almost always going to be the colour your nails love most. “In fact, healthy nails sometimes look most beautiful with just clear polish.” Always remember, the secret to amazing nails is knowing when to stop, Dr Makuyana says. “Good hairdressers will refuse to do what you ask if they know it’s going to really damage your hair. We need to find nail technicians with that same kind of energy.”