The gel manicure starts with cutting the nails, lightly soaking the hands, trimming the cuticles, and a thorough hand-cleaning. The polish itself is where things get different: Your professional will start with a base coat layer that primes your nails for the gel, which is a special kind of polish that—instead of air-drying—gets firmed up under a UV light. After each coat is painted on, you place your hand under a UV light for 30 seconds. A glossy top coat goes on top, take one final minute under the lamp, and you’re done. V and LED curing is a chemical process where a chain reaction creates heat and the gel begins to set. When the gels sets, it leaves a residual sticky layer on top that’s removed with a lint-free cloth.

Generally, a gel manicure can hold up for two to three weeks, but that’s not set in stone. Just like with your regular polish, how you treat your hands post-manicure and throughout those two weeks will make a big difference in staying power.

Cover each nail with an acetone-soaked cotton ball, held in place with aluminium foil, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, the polish should slide off without any filing or scraping. For any stubborn spots, a wooden stick can be used to ease it off gently.