If you want long nails and your natural nails won't get there on their own, extensions are the answer. No waiting three months hoping they don't snap. No babying them through every door handle and zip. You walk in with short nails and walk out with the length and shape you want.
Nail extensions add physical length beyond the end of your natural nail using a product that's either sculpted on or attached as a pre-made tip. They're not the same as gel polish (which is just colour) or BIAB (which strengthens but doesn't add significant length). Extensions are specifically for adding length.
At Aesthete Beauty in Dundee, there are three types of extensions available: polygel, soft gel tips, and BIAB gel extensions. Each one works differently and suits different needs. Radina Ignatova has over 11 years of experience and her work has been featured in Scratch Magazine and Who What Wear UK. She'll help you choose the right type for your nails. Prices start from £50 for soft gel tips. Book online any time or call us on 01382 217888.
If you've been reading about nail extension damage online, there's a whole section on that further down. Short version: damage comes from the person doing them and how they get removed, not from the product itself.
You also won't find acrylics here. That's a deliberate choice, not a gap in the menu. There are better options now that give you the same strength and length without the harsh chemicals, the strong monomer smell, or the damage that comes with traditional acrylic removal. More on that below.
Nail extensions are exactly what they sound like. They extend the length of your nail beyond where your natural nail ends. The added length is created using a product that bonds to your natural nail and gets shaped into whatever style you want.
Unlike gel polish, which is a thin colour coating that sits on top of your existing nail, extensions physically add material that builds the nail out longer. And unlike BIAB, which creates a structural overlay to strengthen your natural nail and help it grow, extensions give you length right now in one appointment.
You can have extensions in any shape. Almond, coffin, stiletto, square, ballerina, round, whatever you're after. The length and shape get decided at the start of your appointment and Radina will advise what works best with your natural nail and lifestyle.
Once the extensions are on, they can be finished with gel polish in any colour, French tips, chrome, cat-eye, or nail art. The extension is the structure. The finish goes on top.
People ask this a lot. Traditional acrylic nails use a liquid monomer and powder that get mixed together on the nail. The chemical smell is strong, the application creates dust, and removal usually involves heavy filing or long acetone soaks that dry out the natural nail underneath.
One nail technician on a professional forum put it bluntly: she stopped offering acrylics entirely because of how much damage she saw from repeated fills and improper removal. Thin, peeling nails that took months to recover.
Polygel gives you acrylic-level durability without the monomer chemicals. It's odourless, lighter on the nail, and the application is cleaner. Soft gel tips are even gentler. BIAB extensions add length while actually strengthening the natural nail underneath. All three options are HEMA-free at Aesthete Beauty.
The old way of doing extensions involved a trade-off: you got length, but your natural nails paid for it. That trade-off doesn't exist with the products and techniques used here.
There are three types of nail extensions at Aesthete Beauty. Each uses a different product and application method.
Soft gel tip extensions are pre-shaped tips made entirely from soft gel. Think of them like a professional version of press-on nails, but properly bonded with gel adhesive and cured under the LED lamp. They cover the entire natural nail and come in different lengths and shapes. The application is quicker than sculpting because the shape is already formed. They're lightweight, flexible, and feel natural. Soft gel tips can be soaked off with acetone when it's time for removal, which is gentler on the natural nail than filing. Soft Gel Tips start from £50.
Polygel extensions are a hybrid product that combines the strength of acrylic with the flexibility of gel. It comes in a tube as a paste and gets sculpted onto the nail using a form and a special slip solution. The big advantage of polygel is that it doesn't harden until it goes under the LED lamp, so Radina has full control over the shape before it sets. It's lighter than acrylic, there's no strong chemical smell during application, and it's more flexible so it resists cracking. Polygel is filed off rather than soaked, so removal takes a bit longer but the product is very durable. Polygel starts from £58.
BIAB gel extensions use the same Builder In A Bottle product as a regular BIAB overlay, but applied with forms or tips to create a short extension beyond the natural nail. This is the option if you want a modest amount of extra length with the strengthening benefits of BIAB underneath. It's not suitable for very long or dramatic nails because BIAB doesn't have the structural rigidity of polygel or hard gel at longer lengths. For short, natural-looking extensions with maximum nail health benefit, BIAB extensions are a good choice. BIAB Gel Extensions start from £59.
Advanced and modern shapes are available for clients who want longer, more complex shapes like long stiletto, extended coffin, or ballerina. These require more advanced sculpting work and start from £95.
It was my first visit to Aesthete Beauty Salon today. I got the Soft Gel Tips Nail Extensions done in two pretty pink colours. Radina was lovely and so professional. I'm absolutely delighted with how my nails turned out. Will definitely be back!
Lisa Marie Robertson
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★★★★★
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Google Review
Polygel extensions, modern almond shape
soft gel tips (sometimes known as Gel X after the Apres brand)
This is the question everyone asks. Here's the honest answer.
Choose soft gel tips if you want the quickest application, the lightest feel on your nails, and you like a natural-looking result. They're pre-shaped, so there's less sculpting time. Removal is gentle because they soak off with acetone. Best for: first-timers, people who want a one-off set for a holiday or event, and anyone who values comfort and ease of removal.
Choose polygel if you need something stronger. Polygel is sculpted onto the nail, so Radina can build exactly the shape and thickness you need. It handles daily wear better than soft gel tips, especially if you're hard on your hands. It doesn't crack or snap the way acrylics can. Best for: people with active lifestyles, anyone switching from acrylics who wants similar strength, and clients who want long-term extensions with regular infills.
Choose BIAB extensions if you want a shorter, more natural-looking extension with the added benefit of nail strengthening. The builder gel reinforces your natural nail while adding modest length. It's the middle ground between a gel overlay and a full extension. Best for: people who want just a bit of extra length, nail biters who need something to grow into, and clients who already get BIAB and want to try a touch more length.
A note on soft gel tips and suitability.
Soft gel tips aren't suitable for every nail type. If your nails are weak or damaged, if you have very flat nail beds, or if your nails are bitten very short, the tips won't bond properly and you'll get lifting or popping within days. That's not a quality issue, it's just how the product works. It needs a certain amount of healthy nail plate to grip onto.
If that sounds like your nails, polygel or BIAB extensions are better options. Radina will tell you honestly at your consultation which type will actually work for you. There's no point booking a service that's going to fail within a week.
Instant length. This is the main reason people get extensions. You don't have to wait for your natural nails to grow. You don't have to worry about them breaking halfway there. One appointment and you have the length you want.
Any shape you want. Almond, coffin, stiletto, square, ballerina, or anything in between. Extensions give you enough material to sculpt shapes that short natural nails can't achieve. Radina can create precise, symmetrical shapes on every nail.
Lighter than old-school acrylics. Both polygel and soft gel tips are significantly lighter than traditional acrylic extensions. They flex rather than crack, feel more natural on the nail, and there's no strong chemical smell during the appointment.
Infills instead of full replacement. Extensions don't need to be completely removed and redone every time. As your nails grow out, the gap near the cuticle gets filled in with fresh product. This is healthier for your natural nail because it means less repeated filing and removal. Most clients come in for infills every two to three weeks.
HEMA-free products. All products at Aesthete Beauty are HEMA-free, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions and sensitivity.
Professional dry preparation. Every extension appointment starts with dry e-file cuticle preparation. No water soaking. This gives the product a stable, clean surface to bond to from the first layer.
Over 230 gel polish colours. Choose your finish from over 230 gel polish colours. All HEMA-free. Chrome, cat-eye, and ombre finishes are available as add-ons.
French almond extensions by Radina
Better results with Russian manicure preparation. Extensions bond to the nail surface, so the cleaner that surface is, the better the adhesion. Russian manicure removes all dead cuticle tissue with an e-file, leaving a perfectly prepared nail plate. Clients who combine extensions with Russian manicure preparation get noticeably longer wear and less lifting. It's not required, but it makes a real difference.
HEMA-free and TPO-free products. Every product used for extensions at Aesthete Beauty is free from HEMA and TPO. HEMA is a chemical that can trigger contact allergies with repeated exposure. TPO is a photoinitiator being banned by the EU (April 2026) and UK (August 2026). The products here are already ahead of both regulations. If your skin has ever reacted to gel nails or you've developed sensitivity over time, this matters.
Shapes you can't get with natural nails. Almond, coffin, stiletto, ballerina, Russian almond, square, or custom modern shapes. Extensions give Radina enough length and material to sculpt shapes that natural nails simply can't hold. Advanced and longer shapes take more time and skill, which is why they're priced separately.
Value for the wear time. Extensions last three to four weeks before an infill. Polygel extensions start from £58, which works out at roughly £2 a day for nails that look exactly how you want them. The per-day cost is lower than a daily coffee.
This is the most searched question about nail extensions, so here's a direct answer.
No. Not when they're applied correctly and removed properly.
The horror stories you read online are real, but they're almost always about what happened after the extensions, not the extensions themselves. Someone peels them off in the bath. Someone picks at a lifted edge until the whole thing comes away with three layers of nail attached. Someone goes to a salon where the tech files the natural nail down to nothing before applying product. Someone tries a DIY removal with a metal scraper and pure frustration.
That's where damage comes from. Not from the product sitting on your nail.
Before and after: Soft gel tip extensions with ombre nail art
Here's what actually causes problems:
Picking or peeling off extensions. This is the big one. When you peel an extension off, it doesn't come away cleanly. It takes the top layers of your natural nail with it. Your nails end up thin, rough, splitting, and painful. It can take three to six months for the damage to grow out completely. If you take one thing from this section, make it this: never peel them off.
Over-filing during preparation. Some technicians aggressively buff or file the natural nail before applying extensions. At Aesthete Beauty, Radina uses an e-file for precise preparation without grinding the nail down. The surface gets lightly textured for adhesion, not stripped back.
Skipping infills for too long. When extensions grow out past four weeks, the product shifts away from the cuticle and the balance of the nail changes. The stress point moves to the wrong place. That's when nails get weak, start lifting, and water gets underneath. A UK professional nail trade publication explains it clearly: grown-out product puts pressure on the natural nail and creates a weak structure that's prone to breaking.
Bad removal. Professional removal at Aesthete takes 20 to 30 minutes using controlled filing and acetone soaking. DIY removal with a credit card and no patience is how people end up spending three hours and still leaving their nails feeling terrible. If you want your extensions off, book the removal appointment. It's £20 and it protects your nails.
The technique matters more than the product. Radina has been doing this professionally for over 11 years. Preparation is precise, products are HEMA-free, and removal is always available as a proper service. Your natural nails are looked after before, during, and after.
Soft Gel Tips start from £50. Polygel from £58. BIAB Gel Extensions from £59. Advanced Modern/Long Shapes from £95.
Infills from £53, or from £55 if it's been more than four weeks. Nail Repair £5.
Removal from £20. Soft Gel Removal from £15. Add French Tips £10.
Add-ons: Chrome from £7, cat-eye from £7, nail art from £7.
All current pricing is in the online booking system. Pick your service, choose your time, done. You can also call us on 01382 217888 or message on WhatsApp.
Not sure which type to book? Book a consultation or just ask when you arrive. Radina will look at your nails and recommend the best option.
I went to get my nails done yesterday by Radina, she was so kind! You can really tell from the service that she genuinely cares about the health of your nails. Will definitely be going back!
If you've never had extensions before, here's exactly what happens.
Soft gel tips take about 1 hour 10 minutes. Polygel extensions take 1 hour 25 minutes. BIAB extensions take 1 hour 10 minutes. Advanced and modern shapes take around 1 hour 40 minutes because of the extra sculpting involved. Infills within four weeks take 1 hour 10 minutes. If it's been longer than four weeks or you're coming from another salon, allow 1 hour 25 minutes.
You'll get a digital consultation form by email before your appointment. Quick one. It asks about your nail health, any previous extensions, allergies, and what length and shape you're thinking about. Radina reads it before you sit down so your appointment time goes entirely on your nails.
Clean air, clean tools. Vodex dust extraction runs throughout all e-file work during your appointment, pulling nail dust from the air at the source so the room stays clear and there's no chemical smell. Every client gets fresh disposable files and buffers, metal tools are cleaned and sterilised between appointments, and Radina wears gloves for the whole service. “A very clean place” and “a friendly, clean boutique salon” come up repeatedly in client reviews.
Individually prepared tools for each client
Radina will discuss what you want. Length, shape, type of extension, and finish. If you're not sure, she'll look at your natural nails and recommend the best option. Bring photos of what you like if that helps.
Your natural nails get shaped and the surface is prepared. E-file cuticle preparation is done dry, no water soaking.
For the best adhesion and wear time, ask about adding Russian manicure preparation. It creates a completely clean, dry nail plate that extensions bond to better.
This is where the length gets built. For soft gel tips, the pre-shaped tip is bonded to your nail with gel adhesive and cured under the lamp. For polygel, the product is sculpted onto a form and shaped by hand before curing. For BIAB extensions, the builder gel is applied to create the extra length using forms or tips.
Once the extensions are cured, Radina files and shapes them to get the exact length and profile you want. This is where the precision happens. Every nail gets checked and refined individually.
Gel polish in any colour, French tips, chrome, cat-eye, nail art, or left in a natural shade. The finish goes on after the structural work is done.
Cuticle oil daily. Gloves when cleaning. Don't use your nails as tools. Don't pick or try to remove extensions yourself. Book infills every two to three weeks to keep them looking fresh and structurally sound.
Extensions need a bit of looking after. Not much, but the basics make a real difference to how long they last and how your natural nails hold up underneath.
First 24 hours. Be a bit careful. Don't soak your hands in hot water, avoid the gym if you can, and try not to test the new length by opening cans or pulling zips with your nail tips. The bond is strong from day one, but giving it a full day to settle doesn't hurt.
Cuticle oil, every day. This is the single most useful thing you can do. A drop of cuticle oil on each nail, rubbed into the skin around the extension and the cuticle area. It keeps the natural nail hydrated underneath the product and helps maintain flexibility. Dry nails are brittle nails, even under extensions.
Almond shape extensions
Gloves for cleaning and dishes. Hot water and cleaning chemicals break down adhesion faster than anything else. Rubber gloves every time. It takes two seconds and it'll add days to the wear time of your set.
Don't use your nails as tools. Extensions aren't bottle openers, parcel tape peelers, or keyboard scrapers. The length is tempting but the product is bonded to your natural nail. If the extension catches on something and bends backwards, your real nail goes with it.
Come back for infills on time. Three to four weeks is the sweet spot. Your nails grow roughly 3mm a month, so after four weeks there's visible regrowth at the cuticle and the balance of the extension has shifted. Leaving it longer than four weeks means the stress point moves too far from where it should be. That leads to lifting at the edges, water getting under the product, and in the worst case, bacterial discolouration underneath.
If you want them off, book a removal. Extensions removal at Aesthete is £20 and takes about 30 minutes. Soft gel tip removal is £15 and takes about 20 minutes. Radina will file the bulk of the product down and soak the rest with acetone. Your natural nails get checked and tidied up. It's painless and it protects your nails. Never peel, pull, or pick them off at home.
Swimming and holidays. Extensions are fine in pools, the sea, and hot tubs. Chlorine and salt water won't dissolve them. Just dry your hands properly after and keep up the cuticle oil. If you're going away and won't have access to a nail tech, get your infill done before you leave rather than trying to stretch it out.
If any of these sound familiar, nail extensions are what you need:
Extensions aren't the right choice if you just want colour on your natural nails (gel polish is better for that) or if you just need strength without added length (BIAB is the one). Extensions are specifically about length.
If you've never had them before, don't worry. Radina will walk you through everything and help you choose the right type, length, and shape for what you want.
I was really impressed with the end product as my nails are stunning. My nails were not in the best condition but Radina took great care and gave me really good advice on how to look after them going forward.
Three types: soft gel tips (pre-shaped gel tips bonded to the nail), polygel (sculpted hybrid product that combines acrylic strength with gel flexibility), and BIAB gel extensions (builder gel used to create short extensions with strengthening benefits). Advanced sculpting for complex shapes is also available.
Soft Gel Tips from £50. Polygel from £58. BIAB Gel Extensions from £59. Advanced Modern/Long Shapes from £95. Infills from £53. All current pricing is in the online booking system.
Polygel is sculpted by hand using a paste and form, giving maximum control over shape and structure. It's stronger and more durable, best for longer lengths. It gets filed off during removal. Soft gel tips are pre-shaped gel tips that get bonded to the nail. Application is quicker, they feel lighter and more natural, and they soak off with acetone. Best for clients who want a natural feel and easy removal.
Yes. As your natural nails grow, the gap near the cuticle gets filled with fresh product. This is healthier than full removal and reapplication every time. Most clients with regular two to three week infills can go through several cycles before a full redo is needed.
It depends on the type. Soft gel tips are soaked off with acetone, similar to gel polish removal. Polygel and BIAB extensions are filed down carefully. At Aesthete Beauty, all removal is done professionally to protect the natural nail underneath.
Any shape you want. Almond, coffin, stiletto, square, ballerina, round, or custom. Radina will advise which shapes suit your hand and lifestyle and can create precise, symmetrical shapes across all nails.
Yes. French tips (£10), chrome (from £7), cat-eye (from £7), and nail art (from £7) are all available as add-ons. Extensions give you a larger canvas for art and designs.
Yes. Russian manicure prep creates a perfectly clean cuticle margin before the extension is applied, which improves adhesion and gives a cleaner finish at the cuticle line. It's available as an add-on during booking.
Not when applied and removed properly. Damage comes from peeling extensions off (which tears layers of natural nail away), aggressive filing during preparation, or leaving extensions on too long without infills. At Aesthete Beauty, preparation is done with a precision e-file, products are HEMA-free, and professional removal is available as a service.
Three to four weeks for most clients. Your natural nails grow roughly 3mm a month, so after that time there's visible regrowth at the cuticle. Infills rebalance the product and fill the gap. Don't leave it longer than four weeks because the extension loses its structural balance and becomes more prone to lifting and breaking.
It depends on the type. Polygel and BIAB extensions can work on very short nails because the product is sculpted directly onto whatever nail length exists. Soft gel tips need a minimum amount of nail plate to bond to, so they're not suitable for very short, bitten, weak, or damaged nails. Radina will check your nails at the start and recommend what will actually work.
Because there are better alternatives now. Acrylic extensions use a liquid monomer that creates a strong chemical smell, produces dust during application, and the removal process is harsh on natural nails. Polygel gives you the same level of strength without the chemicals. Soft gel tips and BIAB extensions are even gentler. All products at Aesthete Beauty are HEMA-free and TPO-free.
Yes. All products used for extensions at Aesthete Beauty are HEMA-free. HEMA is a chemical found in many gel and extension products that can cause contact allergies with repeated exposure. The products are also TPO-free. TPO is a photoinitiator that the EU banned in April 2026 and the UK is banning from August 2026. Products here were already free of both before the regulations came in.
It depends on your nails and how the extensions are applied and removed. No single type wins outright. At Aesthete Beauty all three types use HEMA-free products, e-file cuticle preparation, and safe e-file removal. Soft gel tips are the gentlest because they soak off with acetone rather than being filed away. Polygel and builder gel get filed down during infills but Radina stops well before reaching the natural nail.
My first time at Aesthete beauty salon and it will not be my last! I will definitely be coming back. My nails look amazing and Radina was so lovely and professional.
Nikola Lewandowska
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★★★★★
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Google Review
Every set photographed in the salon. Polygel, soft gel tips, and BIAB extensions in a range of shapes and finishes.
All photos taken at Aesthete Beauty, 76 Bell Street, Dundee
If you want long, beautifully shaped nails without waiting months for them to grow, nail extensions are the way. Three types to choose from, HEMA-free products, professional preparation, and expert shaping.
We serve clients from across Dundee and the surrounding areas including the West End, Broughty Ferry, Newport-on-Tay, Monifieth, Carnoustie, and further afield.
