Hard gel is used to extend the nail “99 percent of the time,” Suzie says. Less frequently, it’s used for a nonextension technique referred to as a gel overlay.

Wet gel polish, cured under UV or LED lights, is ready to be flaunted after just minutes, while normal nail polish can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to air dry.

Small horizontal strokes spread the cruelty-free gel to the tip of the shaped nails. Builder gel can be used to artificially add a moderate length. Nails must be cured under a UV/LED nail lamp.

Dip can look thicker on nails than gel. “Gel nails tend to look a bit more natural on the nails than dip powder,” says ... OPI Repair Mode Bond Building Nail Serum. $23 at Walmart. CND ...