How long gel nails actually last

Three weeks is the figure, and it is worth explaining what it is measured against, because "how long do gel nails last" and "how long do gel nails look new" are two different questions.

Three weeks is about growth, not about the gel failing

A gel set does not usually end because the gel gives up. It ends because your nail has grown and the line where the gel starts has moved down the nail far enough to see. That is why the figure is three weeks for most clients and why it is not the same three weeks for everybody. Fast nail growth brings the refill forward. It is not a fault in the set.

What actually shortens a gel set

Hands in water for long stretches, cleaning products without gloves, and using a nail as a tool, which everybody does and nobody admits. Opening things, scraping labels, picking at a lifted edge. One picked edge takes a set from three weeks to two, because once the seal is broken the lifting spreads.

Why the refill is booked, not guessed

The studio is appointment only, which means your refill goes in the book while you are still in the chair, timed to your own growth rather than to a general rule. Clients who come in on schedule spend less time in the chair than clients who leave it until something lifts, because a refill on a sound set is a shorter job than a repair on a damaged one.

HEMA-free, and why that is worth asking about

The gel system here is HEMA-free, and the studio uses LNC Professional throughout, which is MMA-free, professional-grade and eco-conscious. If you have ever had a reaction, or you simply have your nails done often enough to want to know what is being used, that is the question to ask any salon, not just this one.

Sets built to hold

Sets here are engineered for three-week wear retention, and twenty years of master craft mostly shows in the preparation rather than in the top coat. The part you can see is the colour. The part that decides whether you are back in two weeks or three is underneath it.

Booking a gel set

The studio is appointment only, so the chair is yours for the whole visit and nobody is waiting over your shoulder. We are at 64 Hadfield Street, 2nd Floor, Stabroek, Georgetown. Look for the white building with the pink sign, second floor, around the corner from the Argentine and Chilean Embassies.

Opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed Wednesday and Sunday. You can book at lexannnsi.com/appointments, or call +592 622-2822 if you would rather talk it through first.

Frequently asked questions