Answers · 12
Do nail extensions damage your natural nails?
Do nail extensions damage your natural nails? A plain answer from a nail studio in Kilpauk, Chennai: what matters before, during and after a set.
Nail extensions do not have to damage your natural nails. What matters is how a set is put on, how it is worn and how it comes off, so this answer walks through each stage and what we do at Based Aesthetics in Kilpauk.
We cannot tell you how your own nails will respond without seeing them. That is what the free checks below are for.
Before a set: look at your own nails first
If your nails are thin, peeling or still growing out after a previous set, start there rather than with a design. Use the free nail scan online, or book the free 30–40 minute nail assessment in the studio. The assessment is also the place to choose which system suits you.
If a nail is sore, discoloured or looks infected, please see a doctor before you book anything. Our line is simple: a doctor comes first, a salon second.
What goes on your nails
We do not use acrylic. We work in three systems:
- Gel
- Soft gel
- Polygel
All three start from ₹2,200 for both hands, with colour included. If you are weighing them up, ask at your assessment rather than choosing from a photo alone.
How the set is applied
Your own nail and the skin around it are part of the job, not just the surface the set sits on. Cuticles are pushed, never cut. Files and buffers are single-use and go home with you. Every reusable metal tool is sterilised in a Class-B autoclave at 134°C, sealed in a pouch with an indicator strip and opened in front of you.
Wearing the set
A set lasts about 3 weeks. A few plain habits help it, and the nails underneath, through that time:
- Do not use your nails as tools for cans, tabs or packaging.
- Wear gloves for long jobs in water or with cleaning products.
- Dry your hands and nails properly after washing.
- Do not file, cut or glue a set yourself.
- If an edge lifts, leave it alone and send a photo on WhatsApp to +91 98848 96963.
For more on wear through the wet months, see how long gel extensions last in Chennai's humidity.
Taking it off
This is the step to leave to the studio. Please do not peel, pick or pull a set off at home, however loose it feels.
When you are ready to go back to your natural nails, book a removal, which is ₹700. If you want to keep wearing extensions, a refill from ₹1,500 keeps the same set going at around the three-week mark.
If extensions feel like more than you need
You do not need extensions to have colour that stays put. Gel polish on your own nails is ₹1,000, and long-wear gel lasts about 3 weeks. BIAB, from ₹2,200, is another option to ask about at your assessment. We compare the costs in do gel nails cost more than a regular manicure.
Visiting the studio
We are at 11/5 Sundar Lal Nahata Avenue, Kilpauk, open daily from 11 to 8, with parking on site. Women and men are welcome. Every service and its time is on the full price list.
PriceGel, soft gel and polygel extensions from ₹2,200 (both hands, colour included) · Refill from ₹1,500 · Removal ₹700
Questions people also ask
Can I take my extensions off at home?
Please do not peel, pick or pull a set off yourself, however loose it feels. Book a removal in the studio instead, which is ₹700.
Do you use acrylic?
No, we do not use acrylic. We work in gel, soft gel and polygel, all from ₹2,200 for both hands with colour included.
My nails feel weak after my last set. Can I still get extensions?
Start with the free nail scan at basedaesthetics.co/scanner or the free 30–40 minute nail assessment in the studio. If a nail is sore, discoloured or looks infected, see a doctor first, because a doctor comes first and a salon second.
Written by Based Aesthetics, Kilpauk. If something on your nails worries you, a doctor comes first, a salon second.