I have just cancelled my Christmas nail appointment because my last manicure (brown tortoiseshell) is still going gangbusters.

This isn’t the first time I’ve saved myself the cash and 90 minutes of my life since I switched to builder gel around two years ago. Whereas my nails used to reach a certain length and then break or crack in the same places, now my manicure is more likely to grow out before that happens.

The process of a builder manicure is much like a regular gel mani, only with an additional base layer of thicker, nude-coloured “builder gel” to strengthen and build up the natural nail before visible gel colour is applied. The downsides are perhaps an extra 10 minutes and a tenner or so on your appointment, and a slightly thicker appearance to the tips. But for me, the upsides are more significant.

My nails beneath are healthier, mainly because the builder gel remains at the coalface when it comes to gel colour removal, protecting my natural nails from needing to be roughed up ahead of painting (it’s generally not gel polish that causes damage to nails, it’s their careless removal).

A mani lasts a month, no cracks. My builder gel is removed only once in a while, perhaps every three to four appointments, and simply “filled in” the rest of the time.

I’ve mostly – and very happily – used the widely available BIAB GelBottle brand, but more recently, I’ve loved Bio Sculpture, which offers builder gel as an optional base from a menu of “Ethos” treatment base coats tailored to specific nail concerns.

The final look is thinner and, reassuringly, the products are made in Bio Sculpture’s own factory (many brands source from China and information around formulation and manufacturing can be vague).

Bio Sculpture offers Hema-free polishes but no one is immune to the risk of gel polish allergies (which can be life-changing, leaving those affected with missing nails, health problems and permanent allergies to everyday things such as white tooth fillings), so it’s important to be vigilant.

DIY gel polish kits are often the culprit, since a skilled, trained professional will not allow polish to bleed on to skin and will use the correct LED lamp for the gel brand in use. Beware messy painters, cheap lamps and impatient technicians who ask you to swap hands before the curing cycle has finished. And don’t be afraid to ask for removal, and leave if in doubt – good techs hate sloppy work, take safety very seriously and welcome client questions.