Anonymous wrote:Depends on the technique. Sometimes they lift/chip after a couple days and sometimes they last a couple weeks.
I have had much better luck with builder gel, which is a flexible gel somewhere between gel polish and acrylic in hardness. Luminary is the brand my salon uses but BIAB is another popular brand. Every set has lasted 3-4 weeks with 0 lifting. It's amazing. The best thing is that I never need to soak it off, she just files down leaving a thin layer of gel and does a fill on top of that, so natural nails aren't buffed over and over causing damage.
Builder gel is a miracle. I was a 30 year nail biter. I'd bite through gel polish, acrylics would lift and then I'd pick it all off my nails so I could bite them and leave them destroyed. Now I have the pretty grown-up nails I've always wanted but couldn't due to the nasty habit. It's $55 plus tip for me every 3 weeks but it's worth it.