· 3 min read
You look down one morning and the set that was perfect a while ago has started to drift. There is a line at the base. One nail feels different from the others. The colour still looks fine, so you are not sure whether this is a small appointment or a big one. Booking the right one saves time in the chair and money at the counter, so here is how we tell the difference.
Signs you need a refill
A refill is maintenance on an existing set: the grown-out area is refreshed and the shape is restored, and the set carries on. Book a refill when the enhancement itself is still sound and only the base has moved.
- A visible gap has appeared between the cuticle and the start of the enhancement, but the product is still firmly attached.
- The shape has softened — the tapered sides are no longer as clean as they were.
- The nails feel slightly front-heavy because the balance point has grown out.
- Everything is intact: nothing has lifted, cracked or come away.
Signs you need a full set
A full set is a new enhancement built on all ten nails. It is the right booking when the existing set can no longer be carried forward honestly.
- Lifting: a corner or edge has separated from the nail. Once air gets underneath, refilling over the top only hides it.
- Damage: a nail has cracked, chipped down into the structure, or come off entirely.
- Too many nails need work. If half the set needs attention, rebuilding is faster and looks better than patching.
- You want a different shape or a very different length — that is a rebuild, not a refresh.
- You are changing systems. Acrylic to Gel-X, or Gel-X to Bio Gel, means the old product comes off first.
A refill continues a set. A full set starts one. Lifting is where the first quietly becomes the second.
The same-system rule
Refills only work within the system you already have. An Acrylic / UV Refill ($45+) maintains an acrylic or UV set. A Bio Gel Refill ($50+) maintains a Bio Gel set. A Gel-X Refill ($50+) is a maintenance service for eligible existing Gel-X enhancements. You cannot refill acrylic with Bio Gel or the other way around — if you want to switch, the existing enhancement comes off and a new full set goes on.
This matters most if your last set was done somewhere else. We are very happy to take over an existing set, but tell us what it is when you book, or bring a photo. If you genuinely do not know, say so — that is a normal thing not to know, and it is better to book with the question open than to guess.
If the set is coming off
Fake Nail Removal ($20) removes existing artificial nail enhancements. Book it when you want to go back to your natural nails, or as the first half of an appointment where a new set follows. If you have shellac rather than an enhancement, that is Shellac Removal ($10) instead. Please do not pull, pry or peel a set off at home — removal that goes badly takes surface layers of the natural nail with it, and then the next set has less to hold on to.
What each option costs
| Booking | Price |
|---|---|
| Acrylic / UV Refill | $45+ |
| Bio Gel Refill | $50+ |
| Gel-X Refill | $50+ |
| Acrylic / UV Full Set | $55+ |
| Bio Gel Full Set | $65+ |
| Gel-X Full Set | $65+ |
| Fake Nail Removal | $20 |
Prices with a plus are starting prices; final cost depends on length, shape and design. If you booked a refill and we find lifting once we look properly, we will tell you before anything is done — nobody likes a change of plan discovered at the till.
The FAQ answers the other questions that come up around refills, removals and what to book when you are not sure. Read the FAQ
When in doubt, book the smaller appointment and describe what you are seeing in the notes, or call us at (416) 203-8888 before you book. A thirty-second description usually settles it.