✦ Decision hub
Nail Types Compared — Every System, Honest Numbers
Six systems dominate 2026 salons. Each page below compares them with the same ruthless rubric: real wear times, yearly cost maths, a damage ladder built from dermatology-cited sources, and the removal truth nobody puts on the price list.
Start here
Undecided between the big three? Read Gel vs Acrylic vs Dip Powder. Know your two finalists? Find their head-to-head below. Don't know your shape yet? The Shape Finder quiz sorts that in forty seconds.
Head-to-head comparisons
The damage ladder, ranked
| Rank | System | Why it sits here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Builder Gel (BIAB) | Designed to strengthen; infill-friendly |
| 2 | Gel Polish | Thin coats, easiest soak-off |
| 3 | Press-Ons | Gentle with tabs; only glue-prying hurts |
| 4 | Gel-X | Gentle prep, light tips |
| 5 | Dip Powder | Longer soak; jar hygiene question |
| 6 | Acrylic | Fills + aggressive removal thin nails over years |
Removal technique moves any system up or down this ladder faster than its chemistry does.