Gel, acrylic and polygel
Gel, acrylic and polygel are the three materials used to add thickness, level a nail or extend its length. All three end up as a hard plastic on the plate, and they differ in how they harden, how they smell while being applied, and how they are removed.
In short
- Gel cures under a lamp; acrylic hardens in air.
- Polygel is an in-between paste that cures under a lamp.
- Acrylic is the hardest and the most break-resistant.
- None of the three is peeled off: each has its removal routine.
How do they compare at a glance?
| Gel | Acrylic | Polygel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it hardens | UV or LED lamp | Reacts in air, no lamp | UV or LED lamp |
| Smell on application | Almost none | Strong and lingering | Almost none |
| Working texture | Fluid to dense, self-levelling | Mixed from powder and liquid | Paste, shaped with brush and alcohol |
| Hardness of result | Medium, with some flex | High, more rigid | Medium |
| Removal | Filed off, or acetone depending on formula | Filed off or acetone | Filed off |
| Working time | Stops when you cure it | Limited: it sets on its own | Generous: nothing sets until cured |
What is each one?
Gel arrives ready to use in a pot or bottle and stays liquid until light reaches it. That gives a comfortable working window: the bead is placed, adjusted, and only cured once it looks right.
Acrylic is mixed on the spot from a powder and a liquid, which together form a bead that is placed on the nail and begins to set by itself. No lamp is involved. The working window is short, so it rewards decisiveness and experience.
Polygel sits between the two: it comes in a tube with the consistency of a paste, is spread across the nail with a brush moistened in alcohol, and cures under a lamp like gel. Nothing hardens until the light goes on, so there is plenty of time to shape it.
Which is strongest?
Acrylic, generally. Its structure is more rigid, which resists impact and pressure better, although that same rigidity means it breaks more suddenly when it does break. Gel and polygel carry a little more flex and absorb twisting more comfortably. Harder is not the same as better: what suits depends on what the hands are used for.
What about the smell?
It is the difference most noticeable in the room. Acrylic liquid has a strong, distinctive smell that lingers. Gel and polygel are close to odourless. That is why small or shared spaces tend to work in gel, and why ventilation is part of the equipment list wherever acrylic is used.
How is each one removed?
Acrylic and some gels respond to acetone, which softens them until they can be lifted away with a pusher. Other gels, and polygel, do not dissolve: they are filed back with an e-file until only a minimal film is left on the nail. In all three cases the principle is identical and admits no exception: nothing is peeled. Whatever comes away by pulling at an edge takes layers of the nail with it.
What changes about upkeep?
The more material sits on top, the more the calendar matters. Gel, acrylic and polygel are infilled or removed within their window, usually 3 to 4 weeks, and are not left to run on just because they still look whole. A lifted edge leaves a gap between the material and the nail where water and dirt collect, and that gap does not air out. While the nail is underneath, it cannot be looked at either. Removal always follows its own method: none of the three is peeled.
Sources: Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (EUR-Lex) · AEMPS · Cosmetic products (Spanish Medicines Agency) · Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), European Commission
Published: 12 October 2026 · Last reviewed: 12 October 2026