Gel, Shellac, BIAB, Acrylic, Dip or Strips? Every Manicure Compared

If you have ever stood in a salon wondering whether you want gel, BIAB, acrylics or something you have never heard of, you are not alone. The names describe different things: some are products, some are techniques, and some are brand names that became generic. Here is the whole category in one place, compared on the four things that actually decide it for you: what it costs, how long it lasts, how it comes off, and what it does to your nails.

The comparison

Prices are typical UK salon prices and vary a lot by city, so treat them as a range rather than a quote.

What the names actually mean

Shellac is a brand of gel polish, in the way Hoover is a brand of vacuum. When people say Shellac they usually mean any salon gel manicure. BIAB stands for builder in a bottle: a thicker gel that adds a layer of structure over your own nail, so it suits people whose nails bend and snap. It is overlay, not extension, though it is often used under one. Dip powder is colour powder sealed with resin rather than cured under a lamp. Semi-cured gel strips are real gel polish that has been cured to around 80 per cent in production, so it arrives as a flexible strip that you press on and finish curing under a lamp for about 60 seconds.

Which one suits you?

You want colour on natural nails, cheaply, at home. Semi-cured gel strips or polish strips. Two weeks or one, £11.99 or £5, and no appointment. You want length or your nails are very weak. BIAB or acrylics, at a salon: no home product adds real length, and any that claims to is overstating it. You want it to look done with zero maintenance for a month. BIAB or dip powder. You change your mind constantly. Strips or press-ons, because you are not committing three weeks to one colour. Your nails are recovering from something. Whatever you pick, the removal method matters more than the product; see the recovery guide.

The damage question, honestly

Nail damage is mostly a removal story, not an application one. Acetone soaks, filing back the nail plate, and picking product off all thin the nail, and they are common to gel, dip and acrylics. That is the single biggest advantage of strips: they come off with cuticle oil and a gentle peel, no acetone and no filing. It is also why a badly removed strip set can damage nails just like anything else, which we say plainly in can nail strips damage your nails.

If you land on strips, start here

1. Barely There (Nude)

The safest first set: a neutral that looks like very good natural nails, so an imperfect first application barely shows. See Barely There (Nude).

2. Classic French Tip

The salon look people most often ask for, with the tip line already drawn perfectly. See Classic French Tip.

Quick answers

What is the difference between gel polish and Shellac?

Shellac is a brand of gel polish, so in practice they are the same category of salon manicure: gel colour cured under a lamp, worn for two to three weeks and removed with an acetone soak.

Is BIAB better than gel?

BIAB is a thicker builder gel that adds structure, so it suits weak or bendy nails and lasts three to four weeks. Standard gel polish is thinner and cheaper. Neither is better in general; BIAB is better if you need strength.

What is the cheapest manicure that lasts two weeks?

Semi-cured gel strips at home, around £11.99 a set with no appointment, against £25 to £45 for a salon gel manicure that lasts a comparable time.

Which type of manicure damages nails the least?

The one removed most gently. Acetone soaking and filing cause most damage, which is common to gel, dip and acrylic removal. Strips lift off with cuticle oil, so removal is the gentlest part of the process.

Can I get nail extensions at home?

Not genuinely. Length and structure need a salon service such as BIAB or acrylics. Home products including strips follow the nail you already have.

Velvora makes semi-cured gel nail strips, nail polish strips and nail care, wear-tested on real nails here in the UK. Gel sets are £11.99 for 20 strips, formulated TPO and HEMA free, and orders over £35 ship free anywhere in the UK. New to strips? Start with the beginner guide, or browse the full collection.

Going deeper on one comparison? See strips vs Shellac, strips vs BIAB, strips vs dip powder and strips vs press-ons.