Polygel

Poly Gel — a professional nail enhancement solution

VIRAA Poly Gel is a hybrid nail extension system: the strength of acrylic with the working time and flexibility of a gel. It has the consistency of a soft putty, so it holds its shape while you sculpt instead of running towards the cuticle — and because it cures only under a UV or LED lamp, you work at your own pace rather than racing a set liquid-and-powder.

For most technicians moving into extensions, poly gel is the system that finally makes them straightforward. There is no monomer smell for you or the client to sit in, it sits lighter on the natural nail than acrylic, and a set that goes wrong can be reshaped before it is cured rather than filed off after.

What it is for

• Full extensions over a dual form or a tip, sculpted to whatever length and shape the client asks for.
• Overlays on a natural nail that needs strength rather than length.
• Repairs and infills, where its working time is the point — you can place it, shape it, and only then cure.

How to use it

1. Prep the nail: push back the cuticle, remove shine with a buffer, dehydrate and apply a primer.
2. Fit a dual form or tip, and apply a thin layer of base coat to the natural nail. Cure.
3. Cut a bead of poly gel with a spatula and place it on the form. It will not run.
4. Dip the brush in slip solution — not monomer — and pat the bead into shape, building the apex where the nail needs strength.
5. Cure for 60 seconds under LED or 120 under UV, then remove the form and refine the shape with a file or drill.
6. Finish with a no wipe top coat and cure again.

A dual-ended polygel brush and spatula is worth having. Patting a bead into an even apex with the wrong brush is the difference between a smooth finish and an afternoon of filing.

Specifications

Sizes	30gm and 60gm
Formula	Acrylic and gel hybrid
Cure	UV and LED compatible — 60 seconds LED, 120 seconds UV
Shades	5, including clear, white and nudes
Free of	TPO and HEMA
For	Professional nail technicians

TPO and HEMA free, which matters more to you than to your client

A client wears an enhancement for a few weeks at a time. You have your hands in the product every working day for as long as you do this job, and the exposure is not comparable. TPO was banned in EU cosmetics from September 2025 after being classified as toxic to reproduction, and HEMA is a well-documented cause of allergic contact dermatitis in which nail technicians make up the majority of reported occupational cases. Neither is in this formulation — what that actually means goes through it without the marketing.

Poly gel, builder gel or acrylic?

Honestly: poly gel for length, builder gel for structure. Builder gel is thinner and self-levelling, which makes it the better choice for an overlay on a natural nail. Poly gel is thicker and holds its shape, which makes it the better choice when you are sculpting an extension. Most working technicians carry both, and acrylic still has a place for very long or heavily sculpted sets.

Builder gel vs polygel: which to learn first works through the choice properly if you are only buying one.

Common questions

Do I need a special lamp? Any UV or LED nail lamp will cure it. What matters is that the lamp actually reaches the bottom of the layer — an underpowered lamp leaves uncured product against the nail plate, which is both a service breakdown and a sensitisation risk.

Can I use monomer as slip solution? No. Use slip solution or a little alcohol. Monomer is for acrylic and will spoil the bead.

How long does a set last? Two to three weeks to an infill, longer before a full rebalance, depending on the client's nail growth and how well the nail was prepped. Preparation decides retention more than the product does.

How is it removed? File the bulk down and soak off the remainder, the same as a hard gel. It does not shatter off like acrylic, which is part of why it is kinder to the natural nail.

Is it suitable for beginners? It is the most forgiving of the extension systems, because nothing sets until you cure it. It still needs prep, apex placement and filing to be done properly — the product removes the time pressure, not the technique.